ADA-led coalition urges CMS to fill chief dental officer vacancy, strengthen oral health leadership
A coalition of 26 national organizations representing dentists, dental specialists and the broader health and oral health community, led by the ADA, is urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to quickly appoint a new chief dental officer and keep the position within the Office of the Administrator.
In a joint letter sent Nov. 21 to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., the coalition emphasized the importance of senior oral health leadership within CMS, particularly as the agency continues initiatives that integrate oral health into medical programs and value-based care models and into rural health transformation efforts.
“Decades of research and clinical experience make clear that oral health is inseparable from general health. Many serious health conditions are closely linked to oral health status, and changes in the mouth are often among the earliest indicators of broader systemic disease,” the coalition said. “Dentists build long-lasting relationships with patients that can reveal emerging health concerns, support prevention, and improve adherence to treatment plans developed in partnership with physicians and other clinicians.”
The letter highlighted the distinct structure of dental coverage and warned that policy decisions made without dental expertise can unintentionally undermine access to care. A chief dental officer with expertise in dental practice and payment policy, the coalition wrote, is critical to ensuring CMS initiatives align with real world delivery of dental care.
“We are particularly concerned that, in the absence of a fully empowered chief dental officer, decisions with significant implications for dentistry and oral health may proceed without adequate input from experts in dental policy and practice,” the coalition wrote.
The letter cited several areas of ongoing CMS work where dental input is essential, including Medicare Advantage oversight of provider directories and supplemental dental benefits; Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program network adequacy and related payment and delivery system reforms affecting safety-net dental clinics and private dental practices; Innovation Centers that involve total-cost-of-care structures; and federal data and interoperability initiatives that must capture dental information in ways that are usable to both dental and medical providers.
The coalition’s formal requests include expedited recruitment and appointment of a chief dental officer with a D.D.S./D.M.D. degree and substantial clinical, policy and leadership experience in dentistry and oral health; retention of the role as a senior, agency-wide position within the Office of the Administrator with clear authority and responsibility to advise CMS leadership on matters affecting oral health across centers and offices; and adequate staffing and cross-center coordination to ensure oral health perspectives are systemically integrated into CMS rulemaking, guidance, demonstrations, oversight activities and stakeholder engagement.
“We would welcome the opportunity to work with you and your team as you move to fill this vacancy. The organizations signing this letter stand ready to assist with stakeholder input, technical expertise, and ongoing dialogue to ensure that the next chief dental officer is positioned for success,” the coalition said.
