At DentaQuest, the nation’s largest Medicaid dental benefits administrator, our digital transformation is underway, and it started with listening to and educating employees across our business. Getting the buy-in of early adopters who have acted as change ambassadors has been a key component to our success.

The separation of medical and dental systems disproportionately burdens vulnerable populations. MDI—medical-dental integration—is a key path forward. Editorial by DentaQuest's Dave Olson

DentaQuest, a purpose-driven oral healthcare company, has spearheaded advancements in prevention-focused dentistry with the goal of improving the oral health of all. In 2020, during their pursuit to expand access to care, vaping became a real issue that DentaQuest wanted to address through a partnership with CATCH My Breath. Developed by researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health, CATCH My Breath is the only peer-reviewed, evidence-based youth nicotine vaping prevention program in the United States.

It came as no surprise to her that Burch received the Health Equity Hero Award from DentaQuest, one of the largest providers of Medicaid dental benefits, for his efforts to teach the next generation of dentists who care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As part of the award, Burch joins a cohort of 12 dentists and public health experts from across the country who are working to increase health care access for underserved groups.

First Lady Casey DeSantis announced that within the first 5 days of activation, the Florida Disaster Fund has raised nearly $35 million in donations to support communities impacted by Hurricane Ian. \r\n\r\nDentaQuest donated $500,000 to the fund.

Op-ed submitted by Dr. Bertha Alarcon, the college coordinator for Diversity & Inclusion Activities at Western University’s College of Dental Medicine and a member of the Hispanic Dental Association, and Steve Pollock, president of DentaQuest, the nation’s largest Medicaid dental benefits administrator, and a member of CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion.

Poor oral and overall health in adolescence frequently leads to even worse oral and overall health during adulthood. But not everyone knows these real and devastating impacts vaping can have. That’s why DentaQuest is working with America’s Toothfairy to develop and share resources that help educators, parents, and teens talk — not argue — about vaping. As an organization focused on prevention, DentaQuest is passionate about educating young people and parents about the risks to everyone’s health.

DentaQuest, the nation’s largest provider of Medicaid and CHIP dental solutions, and TeamSmile, today announced the launch of the TeamSmile Dental Home Project powered by DentaQuest, a nationwide initiative that connects children in need with long-term dental care resources and dental teams. Established with $275,000 from DentaQuest, this project builds upon DentaQuest’s years long partnership with TeamSmile, the nation’s premier advocacy group connecting oral health professionals with professional athletic organizations to provide life-changing dental care to underserved children across the country.

And with this new legislation passed, Dr. Damien Cuffie, Director of Louisiana DentaQuest, says patients no longer have to worry about or put off certain procedures, “Prior to the age of 21, they had pretty much full dental coverage. They could get cleanings done every six months, teeth extracted, crowns replaced, you know any restorative work that was needed. But once they turned 21 those benefits changed so now those benefits are extending beyond 21 throughout their adult life.”

In addition to distributing 25,000 backpacks with school supplies, the event will feature on-site health screenings to include: dental screenings and sealants, vision screenings, routine immunizations and COVID-19 vaccines. The event also connects families to a wide range of health and social services offered by community agencies. With one in four Texas children living in poverty, the Mayor's Back to School Fest presented by Shell is focused on changing the future, one child at a time.

Best for Affordable Dental Care: DentaQuest

"For example, at my company, DentaQuest, we actively manage dental benefits for millions of Americans, contracting with contrasting health plans, government entities and health care providers. We’ve been doing this for more than 20 years. We could easily default to business as usual. Instead of fearing that which we don’t understand, we have approached digital transformation head on, doing it one step at a time and ensuring our culture keeps pace."

The health plan is also emphasizing the importance of health and wellness and will be offering free dental screenings with DentaQuest for children and adults on August 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be giving away free toothbrushes.

DentaQuest is an oral health care company that works to expand accessibility to health care for all. The DentaQuest Health Equity program, which is in its eighth year this summer, celebrates individuals for their work helping people gain access to medical, oral and behavioral health care.

DentaQuest representative Gonzalo Perez, manager of the DentaQuest case management and outreach program, said Martin's ability to be a “disruptor” within the health care system was one of the reasons she merited the award.

Texas A&M College of Dentistry professor Dan Burch has been recognized as one of 12 health equity heroes. Burch received the honor from DentaQuest for his work in making dental care more accessible for individuals with special needs and/or intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

DentaQuest released its 2022 Health Equity Heroes: Disruptors in Health Systems; the award recognizes the work and advocacy for equity in medical, oral and behavioral health.

Besides ridding your mouth of gnarly morning breath, cleaning your chompers in the morning plays a crucial role in maintaining oral health, and it all comes down to the bacteria lingering in your mouth while you snooze. "As we're sleeping, bacteria has the tendency to settle — we don't have [as much] saliva moving around our mouth to prevent this bacteria from settling," says Amber Bonnaig, D.D.S., the dental director of Georgia for DentaQuest, a health care company that provides dental benefits.

On this second annual Health Equity Hero Day, DentaQuest, a purpose-driven oral health care company dedicated to improving the oral health of all, announced its 2022 Health Equity Heroes: disruptors in health systems. In addition to celebrating and promoting the work of the 12 Health Equity Heroes, DentaQuest is making $60,000 in charitable contributions— $5,000 in the name of each hero to a nonprofit of their choice.

Gonzalo Perez leads the DentaQuest Case Management team. See what he finds rewarding in his team's work and why he feels he makes a difference working at DentaQuest.

DentaQuest announced that Hyon Leon, director, data analytics & underwriting, has been named to Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 2022 Asian Leaders Worth Watching.

As of April 1, pregnant people in Tennessee will have access to Medicaid coverage for a full year postpartum. In line with Gov. Bill Lee’s original proposal, the state has extended this coverage from two months to twelve and has expanded the benefits to cover oral health care — a critical piece of the overall puzzle to ensure healthy pregnancy and maternal outcomes.

As a dental benefits administrator serving more than 33 million people nationwide, the majority of whom are low-income children and families enrolled in Medicaid, we see firsthand – and at scale – the obstacles people face in accessing high quality preventive dental care,” said Steve Pollock, president and CEO of DentaQuest. “SMILE Health is unique in its approach to rapidly validate and deploy solutions designed to address these obstacles. Given DentaQuest’s mission to improve the oral health of all, we are eager to support entrepreneurs working toward a more equitable, healthier future.”

Steve Pollock, president and CEO for Medicaid dental benefits administrator DentaQuest, issued the following statement reacting to the NCD report: “This new report makes clear that oral healthcare is healthcare and investing in dental benefits is the fiscally and ethically responsible move. Without routine dental visits, dental disease or pain can go untreated, particularly among people with I/DD who may have difficulty communicating. This report proves that providing Medicaid dental benefits for adults with I/DD — 60 percent of whom rely on Medicaid for their health coverage — is more cost-effective than continuing to exclude those benefits. It is also more ethical — coverage would address a significant disparity in care, reduce chronic pain, improve quality of life and bolster self-confidence. And an adult dental Medicaid benefit directly addresses a key gap in health equity for other populations, as well.”