In the News

In a report released earlier this year, researchers from the American Institute of Dental Public Health and CareQuest Institute found higher rates of dental problems among veterans than their civilian peers, including issues with tooth decay (56% among veterans versus 37% in the general population) and gum disease (42% versus 27%).

Dr. Minter-Jordan is an internal medicine physician and the president and CEO of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. Dr. Simon is an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a fellow in oral health and medicine integration at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston. Both doctors recently spoke with Becker's about their Senate committee testimonies, the consequences of dental care inequities and the importance of medical-dental integration.

Dr. Minter-Jordan recently spoke with Becker's about what medical-dental integration efforts can learn from the behavioral health field and the factors that will support medical-dental integration in the future.

Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, and Lisa Simon, MD, DMD, recently joined two dentists to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about how to improve dental care affordability and accessibility.

Good oral health is crucial for overall well-being, yet access to high-quality care remains a persistent challenge for many Virginians. Virginia's Medicaid program offers comprehensive dental coverage to all members, for example, but slightly more than half of enrolled children saw a dentist last year — and even fewer adults received care. Access issues are multifaceted, with those most in need often facing barriers such as lack of transportation, limited translation resources, and the inability to take time off work for appointments. There’s one pervasive challenge that connects to all of these issues, an issue we’re taking direct aim at in 2024: Virginia's oral health workforce is in crisis.

Research from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health also reveals that individuals with disabilities are more frequently denied care due to discrimination and are more likely to have to visit the emergency department for dental care.

Unfortunately, fewer than half of pregnant women nationally have their teeth cleaned during pregnancy. Black women are 14% less likely to get their teeth cleaned during pregnancy than white women, even though data shows no difference in dental visits prior to pregnancy for those groups.

What’s more, one 2023 study found that individuals with periodontal disease may have a higher risk of certain chronic respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, at least one preventative dental visit within three years may reduce the risk of ventilator-acquired pneumonia by as much as 22%, according to 2020 research from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.

Half of Medicare beneficiaries did not visit the dentist during the past year because they couldn't afford to. Melissa Burroughs of the advocacy group Care Quest says neglecting oral health can contribute to serious health issues in older people --- including Alzheimer's, heart disease, and diabetes. Worse yet, traditional Medicare does not cover routine dental care. As Melissa tells us, it's time for that to change!

Nearly half of children covered by Medicaid or CHIP receive at least one dental service within the year compared with only one-fifth of adult Medicaid enrollees, reflecting differences in coverage policies for children and adults.