Oral Health

This brief describes the racial disparities in access to oral health and oral health outcomes. Coverage is a key factor in reducing the existing disparities. This brief proposes adding oral health as a Medicare benefit as a potential solution. It also proposes additional policy options aimed at reducing disparities beyond expanding oral health coverage,

This white paper discusses the issue of dental insurance coverage. Traditional Medicare does not include coverage for routine oral health care, creating disparities in access to checkups, cleanings, and x-rays, or restorative procedures, tooth extractions and dentures. This paper recommends a Medicare Part B dental benefit to close the gap between uninsured and insured older adults and proposes a theoretical structure for the benefit.

OHA has published volume IV of A State of Decay. This report examines the progress of states in promoting oral health in older adults, analyzing a combination of publicly available data and information from surveys conducted with state dental directors. It uses six main variables from these sources to rank states according to the quality of their oral health care for adults aged 65 plus. The report also highlights a number of future recommendations for supporting oral health in older adults.

This report from the Center for Oral Health highlights how an alarming number of Californians age 65 years and older are suffering from untreated tooth decay and poor oral health. This report includes a series of recommendations to eliminate barriers to care and improve oral health.

This resource identifies key challenges related to oral health care access and utilization for low-income adults, and outlines states’ current coverage of dental benefits for adults in Medicaid.

This brief analyzes dental service use and cost data for non-elderly Medicaid-enrolled adults by individual, community, and state-level factors. This brief is intended to help stakeholders identify opportunities to improve access to care and, ultimately, achieve sustainable oral health improvements for low-income adults.

Many adults enrolled in Medicaid lack adequate dental care coverage. Oregon uses Medicaid coordinated care organizations to offer integrated physical, mental health, and now oral care. A new NASHP report, supported by the DentaQuest Foundation, examines Oregon’s innovative payment and financing structures, incentive measures, and key partnerships that were important to building this model. This report is helpful for policymakers considering integrating dental in Medicaid reform.

The ADvancing States created an infographic that depicts an overview of the oral health experiences of older adults and persons with disabilities. This resource highlights who is impacted, what happens as a result, why this happens, and where we can go from here.

The Center for Health Care Strategies, with funding from DentaQuest Foundation, published a technical assistance brief that provides a framework to improve social determinants that affect oral health in the community.

During calendar year 2015, ADvancing States engaged in a collaboration with the DentaQuest Foundation to identify and promote effective oral health interventions for older adults and people with physical disabilities. This initiative involved collaborating with partners from the dental, aging, and disability fields in order to increase knowledge regarding issues and challenges related to dental services for older adults and people with disabilities.