In the News

The Trump administration’s proposal to block states from establishing adult dental services as an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act is prompting support from insurers and pushback from public interest groups. Read the full article...

Oral health refers to the condition of the mouth, teeth, gums and oral-facial system. While it affects the ability to eat, speak and smile, it is also closely linked to overall health — a connection that was not always widely understood. According to the American Dental Association, the idea that oral bacteria could cause disease has been...

Minimally invasive caries management is moving beyond fluoride varnish, with emerging diagnostics and therapies enabling earlier detection, enamel fortification, and more predictable disease arrest in high-risk patients, which also drives practice production. Read the full article...

The recent announcement that Central Alabama Water (“CAW”) will cease adding fluoride to our drinking water is both shocking and concerning. Even more troubling than the decision itself is the lack of notice, transparency, and process by which it was made. Read the full article...

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a nonprofit which advocates for fluoridation, used Medicaid claims data and survey responses to predict the outcomes if the five states — Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma — stopped adding fluoride to water systems. Florida has already banned it; the other states have legislation in the...

Policy plays a critical role in expanding access to oral health care. At CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, that work is a key part of the organization’s mission to improve oral health. Melissa Burroughs, the institute’s senior director of public policy, spoke with Dental Bite about the biggest issues shaping oral health policy in 2026. Read...

Children are increasingly visiting hospital emergency departments nationwide for dental issues amid shrinking access to pediatric dental care, KFF Health News reported March 10. Five notes: 1. ED visits for dental issues unrelated to physical trauma increased by 57.9% among children 14 and under, according to a 2025 report from CareQuest...

Eight-year-old Jonah woke up one May morning with a swollen face and a toothache. He refused the pain medication that his mom, Geneva Reynolds, tried to give him. He didn’t sleep or eat and cried constantly. Within a few days, Reynolds became so desperate that she and her husband had to physically restrain Jonah, dumping pain medication down...

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®, a national nonprofit focused on creating a more accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system, today announced a new partnership with Innovaccer, a leading health care AI company, to integrate medical and dental data. The collaboration aims to help providers, payers, and policymakers better...

Several DSOs have invested in AI technology in recent months to boost patient care and practice efficiency. Here are 12 notable dental technology updates since Jan. 28: 1. The American Dental Association asked that federal investment and support be provided to help boost small and rural practices’ adoption of artificial intelligence tools. 2....

Looming Medicaid cuts could reverse progress that has been made to expand access to dental care in the U.S., healthcare leaders are warning. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to lead to a decrease in Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The bill has been criticized by many organizations, with many leaders...

Dental care stakeholders are mixed over the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back a Biden-era rule allowing states to add adult dental as an Essential Health Benefit: Health care advocates who worked hard to get the option in place, the American Dental Association and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, are disappointed the state...