Washington Dental Service changes name to Arcora

Washington Dental Service Foundation has changed its name to Arcora Foundation.

The nonprofit organization, which focuses on improving oral health in Washington state, said its new name communicates its commitment to improving health and health equity for people of any age through better oral health.

"Arcora is a combination of 'arc' and 'oral,' representing how we are changing the arc of oral health toward equity," said Diane Oakes, Arcora's president and CEO. "We are committed to a future where oral disease is greatly reduced through prevention, everyone can access oral healthcare, and oral health is integrated into whole-person care."

The organization was founded in 1985 by Delta Dental of Washington, when it was known as Washington Dental Service, and then focused on delivering oral care to underserved communities through SmileMobile and grants to community organizations to support oral healthcare for lower-income families.

Arcora's work has widened to include healthcare policy and advocacy, the development of training programs and tools for healthcare providers, oral disease prevention, and the expansion of access to oral healthcare.