Living Well, Aging Well: The Role of Oral Health
September brings several health observances that offer an opportunity to reflect on the role oral health plays in living longer, healthier lives. Healthy Aging Month, National Gum Care Month, World Alzheimer’s Month, Dental Implant Awareness Month, and World Heart Day each highlight different dimensions of health, but together they reinforce an important message: oral health is an essential part of whole-person health and well-being.
Healthy aging involves more than simply living longer. Maintaining oral health can support nutrition, communication, social connection, and quality of life throughout the aging process. As more adults retain their natural teeth later in life, prevention, access to oral healthcare, and integration with broader health services become increasingly important.
September’s National Gum Care Month also draws attention to periodontal health and the importance of prevention and early intervention. At the same time, World Alzheimer’s Month, including World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21, provides an opportunity to consider the oral health needs of people living with dementia and the challenges they may experience maintaining daily oral care and accessing appropriate services.
Dental Implant Awareness Month highlights options for replacing missing teeth and restoring oral function, while World Heart Day on September 29 offers another reminder of the value of looking beyond traditional divisions between oral and medical care. Research continues to explore connections among oral health, chronic disease, cognitive health, and healthy aging, strengthening the case for coordinated, person-centered approaches to care.
These connections closely align with the Santa Fe Group’s 2026 National Convening, Oral Health as a Pathway to Wellness and Longevity. Leaders from across healthcare, public health, research, policy, industry, and other sectors came together to consider how oral health can contribute to longer, healthier lives and how greater integration can help move health systems toward whole-person care.
As we recognize these observances throughout September, they provide a shared opportunity to consider health not as a collection of separate conditions, but as an interconnected journey across the lifespan. Advancing oral health as part of healthy aging can help individuals maintain function, independence, connection, and quality of life for years to come.
Continuing the Conversation
Explore additional resources from the Santa Fe Group’s recent work:
September Resources
Healthy Aging
- National Institute on Aging – Taking Care of Your Teeth and Mouth
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research – Older Adults and Oral Health
National Gum Care Month
- University of Minnesota School of Dentistry – National Gum Care Month: A Conversation with Daniel Skaar
World Alzheimer’s Month
- Alzheimer’s Disease International – World Alzheimer’s Month 2026 Campaign Toolkit
Dental Implant Awareness Month
- American Academy of Implant Dentistry – Dental Implant Awareness Month
World Heart Day
- World Heart Federation – World Heart Day (September 29)
Previous Spotlight
August 2026: Wellness Starts with Oral Health
