Inclusion of Dental Services in Medicare to Improve Oral and General Health for Older Americans

Poor oral health negatively impacts overall health, quality of life, and well-being. Increasing evidence suggests that provision of basic dental care for elderly Americans would improve outcomes for a variety of systemic diseases and reduce the overall cost of healthcare. As a result, recent changes have been implemented to include some dental benefits in the Medicare program. This article outlines evidence, rationale, and approaches required for inclusion of dental benefits for more Americans through the Medicare program. Improving access to dental services through Medicare to help prevent and manage common chronic diseases is an important step toward integration of dental care with general healthcare to improve the overall health, quality of life, and well-being for many older Americans.