Oral Health Equity & Access
Inequities in oral health reflect social and structural determinants — income, geography, language access, disability, systemic bias, and fragmented coverage. By aligning clinical practice, community partnerships, and policy, teams can improve prevention, strengthen access, and advance oral health equity across the lifespan.
Featured Evidence & Resources
Why Oral Health Equity & Access Matter
Oral diseases are largely preventable, yet gaps in coverage, transportation, workforce, and trust create persistent disparities. Equity-centered strategies — prevention-first care, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and coordination across dental and medical teams — improve outcomes and reduce avoidable costs.
When prevention and timely treatment are accessible, older adults maintain nutrition and social participation, children avoid pain and missed school, and people with chronic conditions better manage overall health. Equity is therefore a quality and value imperative, not just a moral one.
Barriers & Determinants
Common barriers include lack of affordable coverage, thin provider networks (especially for Medicaid and rural areas), limited language access, disability-related access issues, transportation, and low availability of preventive services. Structural factors — income inequality, housing instability, racism, and administrative burden — compound risk and reduce utilization.
Address these determinants by simplifying navigation, supporting care coordination, and partnering with trusted community organizations to reach people where they live, learn, work, and age.
Models & Strategies to Expand Access
- Medical–dental integration in primary care, geriatrics, and oncology to embed prevention and referrals.
- Community-based care: mobile clinics, school-based programs, teledentistry, and community health workers.
- Workforce innovations: expanded roles for hygienists and team-based care to reach underserved settings.
- Navigation support: benefits counseling, language services, and appointment assistance.
- Value and quality: incentives for prevention, risk-based care, and closing care gaps.
Policy & Advocacy Context
Policy levers that advance oral health equity include comprehensive adult dental benefits in public programs, equitable reimbursement for prevention, enabling teledentistry and mobile care, and investments in workforce and community capacity. Cross-sector coalitions help align messaging and accelerate implementation.
Explore our evolving equity work to track policy developments, partner initiatives, and replicable models that expand access and reduce disparities.
Latest News & Insights
Fresh SFG coverage and commentary on oral health equity, access, and community partnerships.
Oral Health Equity Resources
Tools, briefs, and implementation guides for prevention-first, community-centered care models.
The Santa Fe Group’s Role
The Santa Fe Group convenes leaders across health care, community organizations, policy, and philanthropy to advance oral health as essential health. We synthesize evidence, elevate community-led models, and support coalitions that expand prevention and access for populations most affected by disparities.
Join the Movement
Help us strengthen prevention, access, and equity in oral health through research translation, policy, and partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does oral health equity mean in practice?
Everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve good oral health, regardless of income, geography, language, disability, or coverage. In practice this means prevention-first care, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and removing structural barriers to timely treatment.
Which social determinants most affect oral health access?
Income, neighborhood and transportation, education and health literacy, language access, disability accommodations, and consistent coverage influence whether people can obtain preventive services and early treatment.
How can medical–dental integration advance equity?
Embedding oral health screening, referrals, and patient education in primary care, geriatrics, and oncology increases prevention and reduces missed opportunities, especially for patients who rarely see a dentist.
What models expand access in underserved communities?
Mobile and school-based programs, teledentistry, community health workers, and expanded roles for dental hygienists bring prevention and triage closer to where people live, learn, work, and age.
How should organizations make services culturally and linguistically appropriate?
Offer language assistance, accessible materials, and diverse care teams; partner with trusted community groups; and co-design messages and workflows with patients and caregivers.
What policy changes most directly reduce disparities?
Comprehensive adult dental benefits in public programs, adequate reimbursement for prevention, support for teledentistry and mobile care, workforce investments for rural and underserved areas, and simpler navigation.
How do we measure progress on oral health equity?
Track preventive visit rates, sealants and fluoride for children, timeliness of referrals, emergency department use for dental conditions, patient experience in preferred language, and closure of identified care gaps.
How can clinics reduce practical barriers to care?
Provide extended hours, transportation support, reminder systems in multiple languages, transparent pricing, on-site benefits counseling, and warm handoffs between dental and medical teams.
Where do community partners fit in?
Community organizations, schools, senior centers, faith groups, and veteran services can host screenings, share education, and connect residents to local providers, reinforcing prevention and trust.
What is the first step to launch an equity-focused access plan?
Start with a simple baseline: identify populations with the largest gaps, align on two prevention priorities, and pilot a co-designed outreach or referral workflow with metrics you can track monthly.
Page last updated: November 17, 2025
