FYI

Seniors are facing a growing oral health crisis in the U.S. — one that providers are increasingly on the front line of addressing. Adults over 65 are a large percentage of the U.S. population and are projected to outnumber children within the next decade. Yet many seniors lack access to care due to gaps in Medicare and Medicaid coverage, and their inability to independently purchase stand-alone coverage on the Federal Exchange.

At our 2026 Senior Oral Health Summit, a symposium that brought national leaders together to examine the oral health crisis facing America's seniors, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. emphasized:

For providers, this means caring for more patients with complex, overlapping medical and oral health needs — unfortunately, often without the coordination needed to support them.
 

Why it matters for your practice

• Patients’ oral health is increasingly tied to broader health outcomes, including heart disease, cognitive decline and diabetes, raising the clinical importance of what happens in your chair.
• At the same time, many patients, especially older adults on fixed incomes, face significant out-of-pocket costs, which can affect treatment acceptance and continuity of care.
• This dynamic is driving growing demand for more coordinated, medically integrated care models.
• As a result, providers are managing more patients with more complex needs without the integrated tools and systems needed to support care delivery effectively.
   

How care is evolving

Improving outcomes for seniors requires a more connected approach, linking oral health with overall health. Providers are already advancing this shift by:
 

• Incorporating screenings for chronic conditions into dental settings
• Strengthening referral pathways with medical providers
• Collaborating across disciplines to manage complex patient needs
   

This is the foundation of dental-medical integration (DMI), which helps enable earlier intervention, better coordination and improved patient outcomes.
 

What we’re doing

Through the Senior Oral Health Partnership Program, launched in 2022 by the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, we are working alongside providers, community organizations and health systems to expand access and support more coordinated care delivery.

Since its inception with inaugural partners in Washington, D.C., the Senior Oral Health Partnership Program has expanded to Santa Cruz, San Diego and the Mississippi Delta. The providers and staff of our partner organizations drive innovation within this program and are reaching over 25,000 seniors nationwide through locally tailored solutions.
 

What this looks like in practice

The providers we partner with through our Senior Oral Health Partnership program are already adapting care models to better serve older adults and advocating for this population. Learn more about our work.
 

1. Patient-centered approaches in the Mississippi Delta

Clarke M. Allen, DDS, from Delta Health Center in the Mississippi Delta, recently spoke with Dentistry Today about the importance of practical, patient-centered approaches that:
 

• Tailor appointments for seniors by allowing more time and creating a calm, comfortable environment that supports their needs
• Incorporate chronic health conditions into care plans, with an emphasis on collaborating closely with medical providers for more coordinated treatment
• Address transportation and financial barriers to make care more accessible and ensure more patients can get the treatment they need
   

2. Community-based models in D.C.

Read this Dr. Bicuspid article about our partners in D.C. and how community-based models are helping close the gap. Since its founding in 2022, the partnership in D.C. shows how these models can scale:
 

• 5,000+ seniors served in D.C. with 82% establishing a dental home (two visits in 12 months)
• Comprehensive dental services offered regardless of ability to pay
• Use of 3D-printed prosthetics to reduce the number of in-person visits for patients with mobility challenges
• Training dental students in Federally Qualified Health Centers to care for older adults, addressing future workforce shortages in underserved areas
   

3. Collaboration in San Diego

For additional perspective on how these models are taking shape in practice, listen to this Becker’s Dental + DSO Podcast featuring Rebecca Cornille, DDS, Chief Dental Officer for Vista Community Clinic in San Diego County, and Caitlin Walker, manager for the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, on how the San Diego partnership is improving care for seniors:
 

• Raising awareness that access to dental care is a primary barrier for underserved communities, yet the dental clinic is often the most accessible entry point for the wider health care system
• Focusing on the integration of dental and medical care as a critical component of advancing health equity and creating innovative models across patient lifespans
   

4. A public awareness campaign in Santa Cruz

Our Santa Cruz partnership launched Bite Into Life, a public service announcement focused on senior oral health education to address issues upstream before seniors must deal with more serious dental issues. This public awareness campaign is now scaling across our other partner communities to reach more seniors and provide crucial education about oral health and how they can take care of their teeth.
 

Bottom line

As the population ages, opportunities to deliver more connected, integrated care will only grow. Strengthening coordination between oral and overall health is key to improving outcomes for seniors and supporting providers as they deliver more effective, sustainable care.