Did you know that an estimated 80 million Americans currently lack access to dental care? As oral health is essential to the overall health and well-being of an individual, the high volume of those without access can have potentially devastating health consequences such as an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.  Oral health can also influence eating habits and sleep patterns, which in turn can adversely impact both physical and mental health. And tragically, research shows that poor oral health is more common among individuals with lower income and educational attainment. And in value-based care, the growing number of emergency department visits for conditions related to poor oral health clearly shows the relationship between oral health and physical health. (There are approximately 1.8 million hospital ED visits annually for non-traumatic dental conditions which cost $3.4 billion to treat!)
We need to establish a more integrated, accessible, and equitable oral health landscape in our country. In this special episode, you will hear from a leader in the field of oral health who is working to reduce disparities in access to and quality of care. Kaz Rafia is the Chief Health Equity Officer for the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health -- a leading national nonprofit focused on creating a more accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system. At CareQuest, he leads strategic initiatives to advance access to integrated oral health care for ethnically and socially diverse communities. He is someone definitely leading us in this Race to Value!
If you like what you hear, you can also access a companion blog to this episode entitled, “Why Oral Health is Critical in a Value-Based System” brought to you by the Institute for Advancing Health Value and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health!
 
Episode Bookmarks:
01:30 An estimated 80 million Americans currently lack access to dental care.
01:45 Lack of dental care can lead to devastating health consequences and an increased risk of developing chronic disease.
02:30 Introduction to Kaz Rafia and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
03:30 Companion blog to this episode: “Why Oral Health is Critical in a Value-Based System”
04:30 The link between oral health and community health.
06:30 Kaz speaks about the work that CareQuest is doing in building alliances to create a more accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system.
07:00 “The inability of a person to receive oral health care is a clear threat to their overall health far beyond the mouth.”
07:30 Chronic periodontitis results in a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
07:45 Oral care is a key intervention for reducing the risk of aspiration pneumonia.
08:00 The link between poor oral health and adverse birth outcomes.
08:30 CareQuest has developed MORE Care to integrate oral health capabilities into a person-centered primary care model.
09:30 Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) initiative and framework for safety net dental clinics to transform oral health care delivery.
11:00 Health disparities data showing that oral health varies across racial and socioeconomic lines.
12:00 Drivers for lack of access to dental care include geographic isolation, lack of transportation, and poverty.
13:00 How poor Medicaid reimbursement and “provider clustering” due to compensation economics contributes to oral health disparities.
14:00 Black adults are 68% more likely than white adults to have unmet dental care needs.
14:30 Dental coverage gaps contributing to oral health disparities in rural communities.
15:30 Alabama is now the only state currently lacking adult dental care benefits in Medicaid.
16:00 “The work done to evangelize value-based care models in dental care are reducing barriers to access nationally.”
17:30 World Health Organization recognition of dental care as a fundamental human right and their la...

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