Oral Health Leaders Press CMS to Restore Chief Dental Officer Role
A broad coalition of dental and health organizations is urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to swiftly appoint a new Chief Dental Officer and keep the position within the Office of the Administrator. Leaders argue that without a strong oral health voice at the highest level, key policy decisions risk overlooking the unique realities of dental care delivery and financing.
A wide-ranging coalition of dental and health organizations is calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to immediately fill its vacant Chief Dental Officer (CDO) position, a role they say is essential for advancing integration between dental and medical care. In a detailed letter to Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA, the coalition emphasized that the CDO must remain within the Office of the Administrator to ensure oral health considerations are consistently incorporated across all CMS programs and reforms.
The letter highlights the inseparable connection between oral and systemic health, noting that oral health professionals often detect early signs of broader health issues and play a key role in prevention and care coordination. Yet dentistry operates under a distinct financing and delivery structure that differs significantly from medical benefits. When CMS initiatives are crafted without accounting for these differences, access to oral healthcare can be compromised and opportunities to prevent disease are missed.
The organizations expressed concern that ongoing work, such as Medicare Advantage oversight, rural health initiatives, and quality and interoperability efforts, may move forward without sufficient dental input. These areas have major implications for safety-net clinics, private dental practices, and the millions of CMS beneficiaries who rely on oral health services.
The coalition is urging CMS to appoint a clinically experienced dental leader, preserve the CDO’s authority to advise across centers, and provide adequate staffing to ensure dental perspectives shape rulemaking, payment models, and innovation efforts. They assert that reinstating a fully empowered CDO is critical for strengthening preventive care, improving access, reducing waste, and aligning CMS policies with the realities of dental practice. Click here to read the letter.
