Title V Oral Health

Making a Pitch for Introducing Oral Health Issues to MCH Director or Title V Coordinator

Overview

A pitch is a brief, persuasive communication that can be shared in person or via an e-mail message to spark interest in an organization, project, idea, or product. The pitch needs to be concise while conveying meaningful information. Do not include nonessential information in the pitch.

To craft a great pitch, follow these steps:

Introduce yourself and explain what you do.
Identify your key message.
Briefly describe the problem. If possible, illustrate the problem with a brief personal story from your community or state.
Identify the solution (unique position).
End with a question (your “ask”).
Share a takeaway to help the person remember you and your message.

Sample Pitch

Hi [Name of contact]. I’m ___________________, the state oral health program director. Poor oral health is one of the unmet needs most often mentioned by parents. Parents say that their children have trouble eating, sleeping, learning, and socializing with other children due to dental pain.

Dental problems are a top reason that parents take their children to the emergency department. This is a problem for parents and their children as well as for our Medicaid program. [If possible, add a brief personal story here that illustrates the problem in your state or community.]

Fortunately, the [name of state] oral health program works with others on initiatives to improve oral health to prevent oral disease and reduce the cost of oral health expenditures. I know you’re working on the Title V 5-year needs assessment, and I want to offer my help.

Can we meet to discuss how we can work together to include information about oral health in the assessment?

Cite as

National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors. 2024. Making a Pitch for Introducing Oral Health Issues to MCH Director or Title V Coordinator. Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center.

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