In the News

"US adults lose some 243 million hours of productivity annually to oral health issues, with those with lower-paying and hourly jobs more likely to lose more work hours due to either their own or someone else’s unplanned dental visit. Among the key findings in a new report by CareQuest Institute on lost productivity and dental issues is the high cost of such missed productivity in the US: an estimated $45 billion annually."

"Kansas joins several states nationwide in taking crucial steps toward increasing access to oral health care. According to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s recently updated Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Checker, which highlights the progress advocates and policymakers have made to strengthen adult dental coverage in the past few years, eight states now offer extensive Medicaid adult dental benefits."

"Access to oral health should not be a luxury reserved only for some. It is a fundamental right that must be extended to every American, regardless of their background or zip code."

"To treat people as a whole, we need to bridge the gaps between oral and overall health systems and start integrating medical and dental care, including better integrating electronic health records so dentists and primary care providers can share and access pertinent patient information."

"Utah joins several states nationwide in taking crucial steps toward increasing access to oral health care. According to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s recently updated Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Checker, which highlights the progress advocates and policymakers have made to expand adult dental benefits in the past few years, eight states now offer an extensive Medicaid adult dental benefit. That’s double the four states that boasted this in 2020."

"Oral health is a fundamental component of overall well-being; however, disparities persist among marginalized populations, including the LGBTQ+ community. Many LGBTQ+ individuals face health disparities linked to societal stigma and discrimination that equate to a denial of their civil and human rights."

"Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, hosted a discussion with Myechia Minter-Jordan (MD, MBA), president and CEO, and Kaz Rafia (DDS, MBA, MPH), chief health equity officer of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. Despite the growing understanding of the relationship between oral health and systemic disease, oral health care often remains siloed from the rest of the health care system."

"The inability of medical and dental providers to access and contribute to shared patient records continues to be a huge barrier to an integrated health system," says Rebekah Mathews, MPA, vice president of health transformation for CareQuest Institute for Oral Health."

"Myechia Minter-Jordan is another name that should be familiar to the Root audience. (She’s written for The Root and appeared at The Root Institute alongside other Root 100 honorees). Jordan is president and CEO of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and a passionate advocate for health equity!"

Individual spending varies drastically by insurance coverage, or lack thereof. A recent survey from CareQuest Institute found that an estimated 68.5 million adults do not have dental insurance, and that number is only expected to grow, potentially hitting 91.4 million by the end of 2023.