Partnership‑Driven Oral Health Integration in Community Health Centers

America’s community health centers (CHCs) are celebrated for delivering whole‑person care to more than 50 million people each year. Yet, even as 81 percent of CHCs offer dental services, two‑thirds of patients still lack access to oral health care. This persistent gap leaves preventable oral disease untreated and fuels systemic complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Over the last 60 days, two notable developments have signaled new momentum toward closing this gap: 

• A national partnership to embed oral health in primary care. On February 10 2026, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health announced a partnership to strengthen oral health integration across CHCs and support the creation of a NACHC Center for Oral Health. The initiative aims to empower care teams to provide prevention‑focused, team‑based oral health services and includes workforce training programs, virtual learning communities and leadership academies. 

• Local models demonstrating partnership‑driven access. In South Lake Tahoe, California, a partnership between El Dorado Community Health Centers (an FQHC), the county public health department and a Medi‑Cal plan opened a dental clinic in October 2025. An article published February 2 2026 reports that the clinic delivered more than 600 patient visits in its first two months and reduced travel time for students from two hours to 20 minutes. The clinic’s success underscores how collaborative models can rapidly expand access in underserved communities. 

This blog explores what these recent events mean for health center leaders. It reviews the scope of oral health needs, details the NACHC–CareQuest partnership and highlights strategies for leveraging partnerships and state planning efforts to embed oral health into primary care.

Oral Health Integration in Community Health Centers: Why Now? 

A significant unmet need 

Despite decades of progress, oral disease remains the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide, affecting more than 3.5 billion people. Among adults with diabetes, periodontitis worsens glycemic control and increases risk of complications, while poor oral health is associated with cardiovascular disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The persistence of these oral–systemic links makes it imperative for CHCs to treat oral disease not as a separate specialty, but as a core element of chronic‑disease management. 

Yet access to dental care within CHCs remains uneven. According to NACHC’s February 2026 statement, although 81 percent of health centers provide dental services, 65 percent of current CHC patients lack access to dental care. These gaps are particularly pronounced in rural and underserved areas where provider shortages, geography and insurance participation barriers limit patients’ ability to receive timely care. 

Workforce challenges 

Workforce shortages are a major obstacle to improving access. Only 41 percent of U.S. dentists participate in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), leaving critical gaps in care for low‑income patients. To address these shortages, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) notes that state Oral Health Improvement Plans (SOHIPs) can provide structured, strategic roadmaps for strengthening oral health workforce capacity. The CHCS Medicaid Oral Health Workforce Implementation Learning Series is currently working with 11 states to align workforce development strategies with Medicaid programs. 

Community‑driven solutions 

Local partnerships offer promising solutions to workforce and access challenges. The South Lake Tahoe Dental Clinic illustrates how collaboration across health centers, local government and health plans can create sustainable access points. Before the clinic opened, El Dorado Community Health Centers saw more than 500 patients from the Tahoe area who had to drive two hours each way for care. By pooling resources and training dental assistants through the California Dental Association’s program, the new clinic served over 600 patient visits in just two months and continues to operate at capacity. This model shows that partnership‑driven solutions can rapidly expand access where needs are most acute. 

NACHC and CareQuest: A Partnership for Oral Health Integration 

On February 10 2026, NACHC and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health launched a partnership focused on oral health integration in community health centers. The initiative is notable for several reasons: 

• Establishing a Center for Oral Health. NACHC and CareQuest plan to create a national Center for Oral Health dedicated to advancing team‑based, interdisciplinary and prevention‑focused care models. The center will provide resources, evidence‑based best practices and technical assistance to CHCs. 

• Workforce training and education. The partnership will expand training and education offerings to CHC staff, including programs that equip providers to educate families on early oral health and infant feeding practices, and virtual learning communities to support dental integration into primary care. A leadership academy for Chief Dental Officers and other oral health leaders will further build capacity. 

• Focus on prevention‑first care. By emphasizing prevention and early intervention, the partnership aligns with evidence showing that treating gum disease improves blood sugar control and reduces systemic inflammation. Integrating oral health into primary care helps patients with chronic diseases receive timely screenings and referrals. 

• Addressing equity. NACHC’s CEO, Kyu Rhee, noted that CHCs already bring oral health and primary care together for families who face barriers to both services. The partnership aims to ensure that oral health becomes an essential part of whole‑person care, with particular attention to underserved populations. 

This collaboration positions CHCs as leaders in oral health integration and provides a platform for scaling best practices nationally. 

State Oral Health Improvement Plans: Building Workforce Capacity 

CHCs cannot act alone. States must support workforce capacity to meet the growing demand for dental care. The CHCS resource “Strengthening the Oral Health Workforce Through State Oral Health Improvement Plans” (February 2026) provides useful guidance:

• Low participation in Medicaid. Only 41 percent of dentists accept Medicaid or CHIP, contributing to provider shortages. SOHIPs aim to address this gap by outlining strategies for recruiting and retaining providers. 

• Roadmaps for statewide action. SOHIPs offer structured plans informed by state oral health needs assessments, with goals to expand workforce capacity, enhance community‑based prevention and measure outcomes. States can prioritize loan‑repayment programs, flexible scope‑of‑practice laws and telehealth infrastructure. 

• 11 state learning cohort. CHCS’ Medicaid Oral Health Workforce Implementation Learning Series is collaborating with Medicaid agencies and partners in Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin to implement workforce strategies. Health center leaders in these states should connect with their Medicaid partners to align local efforts with statewide plans. 

Community Partnerships: The South Lake Tahoe Example 

In South Lake Tahoe, California, a dental clinic opened in October 2025 through a partnership of El Dorado Community Health Centers, El Dorado County’s oral health program and the Mountain Valley Health Plan. Although the clinic launched a few months before our 60‑day window, a February 2, 2026 article highlights its early outcomes: 

• Improved access and reduced travel. The clinic is the first of its kind in the area and serves the highest‑need community members. Students who previously travelled up to two hours for dental care now have a dental home just 20 minutes away. 

• Rapid utilization. In its first two months, the clinic logged more than 600 patient visits and maintains a full schedule. 

• Collaborative planning. The partners used a county oral health needs assessment to justify the clinic and leveraged resources from the California Dental Association to train dental assistants. This underscores the importance of data‑driven planning and cross‑sector collaboration in addressing local access gaps. 

This example provides a template for other rural and underserved regions seeking to expand oral health access through partnerships. Health center leaders can replicate key elements: conduct needs assessments, engage local stakeholders (public health, schools, health plans), invest in workforce training and integrate services with existing medical care. 

Practical Strategies for Health Center Leaders 

To capitalize on recent momentum and embed oral health integration in community health centers, health center leaders can consider the following strategies: 

1. Join the national partnership and leverage resources 

Monitor NACHC’s Center for Oral Health as it develops. Participate in training programs and virtual learning communities aimed at equipping staff with prevention‑first skills. Engage dental leaders in the forthcoming leadership academy to build organizational capacity. 

2. Advocate for and participate in state Oral Health Improvement Plans 

Connect with state oral health program officials and Medicaid agencies to understand the goals and timelines of SOHIPs. Advocate for policies that expand scope of practice for dental hygienists and assistants, support loan‑repayment programs and enable teledentistry. Align health center workforce strategies with state plans to maximize impact. 

3. Build community‑driven partnerships 

Identify local partners such as public health departments, schools, Head Start programs and health plans. Use data to highlight unmet needs and co‑design solutions. The South Lake Tahoe experience shows that partnership‑driven clinics can rapidly address access gaps. 

4. Leverage digital solutions and teledentistry 

Adopt secure platforms that enable remote triage, consultation and follow‑up. Teledentistry can extend specialist support to rural clinics and allow providers to review images and provide guidance without patients travelling long distances. Integrate digital solutions with the health center’s EHR to ensure seamless documentation and follow‑up. 

5. Embed preventive oral health in primary care workflows 

Develop standardized screening protocols and train medical assistants to perform basic oral health assessments and capture intraoral images during routine visits. Document findings in the electronic health record and establish automatic referral pathways to dental providers. As research shows, treating gum disease improves blood sugar control and reduces systemic inflammation. 

A New Chapter for Oral Health Integration 

The past 60 days have brought new momentum to oral health integration in community health centers. The NACHC–CareQuest partnership signals growing national commitment to embedding oral health within primary care, while state initiatives like SOHIPs are building the workforce needed to support this shift. At the local level, partnerships such as the South Lake Tahoe clinic demonstrate how collaboration can quickly expand access in underserved communities. 

As evidence linking periodontal disease to chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease continues to grow, integrating oral health into primary care is becoming essential to delivering truly whole-person care. 

Health centers can accelerate this transformation by embedding preventive dental evaluations into routine medical visits, using standardized workflows, intraoral imaging, and streamlined referral pathways to identify risk earlier and connect patients to care sooner. 

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