The Oral Systemic Connection: Roadblocks to Integrated Dental Care in Health Centers and Why That’s Changing
- Josh Gwinn
- Sep 11
- 5 min read
For decades, the importance of the connection between oral health and systemic health have been quietly ignored in many hospitals, dental offices, community clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across America. As a passionate advocate for whole-person care, I’ve seen firsthand how oral health and overall health are two sides of the same coin, a truth we now call the oral-systemic connection. Yet, many health centers have struggled to fully integrate dental into their medical workflows.
This isn’t because health centers or their dedicated teams lack compassion or commitment for those that they care for..... far from it. The barriers to integration are complex, deeply rooted, and frankly, not of their own making. This post isn’t about blame; it’s about understanding how we got here, and why the future holds real promise for seamless, equitable care.
The Historical Divide: Why “Whole-Person Care” Wasn’t Always the Norm
The story starts with a simple truth: medicine and dentistry have always existed in separate universes. For most of the last century, dental and medical education, policy, and practice were developed independently. Dentists and doctors trained in different buildings, spoke different “languages,” and used different record systems.
When the first wave of community health centers emerged in the 1960s and 70s, the focus was on urgent medical needs, maternal health, chronic disease, infectious disease, and other public health emergencies. At this time, we lacked the scientific understanding of how oral health is related to, and deeply affects, overall health. Dental health, despite its deep ties to these very issues, was often seen as less urgent, less visible, or simply “cosmetic.” Think....if it don’t hurt, don’t fix it.
The result? Two well-intentioned but siloed systems, one for the mouth, one for the body. The oral-systemic connection was simply not part of the original script, and whole-person care was little more than an aspiration.
Funding Fumbles and the Oral-Systemic Connection Gap
If you want to know why something isn’t happening in healthcare, follow the money. Historically, funding streams for health centers prioritized medical services, with dental often treated as an optional extra. Medicaid and Medicare, the backbone of reimbursement for underserved communities, have long offered limited or inconsistent dental benefits, especially for adults.
This patchwork approach to dental funding created a reality where:
Health centers couldn’t afford to hire dentists or buy dental equipment.
Billing and reimbursement for dental care required separate, complicated systems.
Every dollar spent on dental was a dollar not spent on other urgent medical needs.
When dental care isn’t resourced, the oral-systemic connection gets ignored and patients pay the price.
Policy Priorities: The Oral-Systemic Connection Takes a Back Seat
Policy has also played a starring role in this saga. For decades, the urgency of physical illnesses overshadowed the quieter but equally devastating effects of untreated dental disease. Public health policy prioritized fighting infectious diseases, managing chronic conditions, and providing urgent care for at-risk populations.
The oral-systemic connection, the scientifically proven links between oral health and conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and pregnancy outcomes, just didn’t get the attention it deserved. Oral health advocates fought valiantly for a seat at the table, but for too long, their voices were drowned out by louder, more immediate concerns.
This isn’t about a lack of compassion, it’s about how systems are designed to respond to what they see as “urgent.” Sadly, dental disease rarely shows up in the ER stats or public health headlines, until it’s too late.
The Practical Realities of Whole-Person Care Integration
Let’s say a health center does decide to prioritize dental care. Now what? The next set of hurdles are practical but powerful and central to the promise of true whole-person care.
1. Workforce Shortages:
Recruiting and retaining dental professionals willing to work in community health settings, especially rural or underserved areas, has always been a challenge. Loan burdens, lower reimbursement rates, and professional isolation make these jobs less attractive.
2. Workflow Integration:
Medical and dental teams have traditionally operated independently, using different electronic health records (EHRs), scheduling systems, and clinical protocols. Integrating dental into the medical workflow often feels like forcing a square peg into a round hole.
How do you coordinate care between teams that rarely interact?
How do you share patient data securely and seamlessly?
How do you schedule preventive dental visits alongside primary care?
These are not trivial questions. They’re the daily realities that make or break whole-person care in practice.
Overcoming Stigma and Misunderstandings Around the Oral-Systemic Connection
There’s also a cultural elephant in the room. For generations, dental care has been viewed as “less urgent,” “non-essential,” or even “cosmetic.” This misconception persists even as evidence mounts that the oral-systemic connection is not just real, but critical to patient outcomes.
Patients, too, may avoid dental care due to fear, cost, or lack of awareness about its importance to their overall health. Health centers are often left battling not only structural barriers, but deep-seated stigma as well.
The Future: Whole-Person Care Fueled by Oral-Systemic Connection
Here’s the good news: things are changing, and fast. The concept of whole-person care is gaining traction across the country, fueled by mounting evidence of the oral-systemic connection and the tireless efforts of health center leaders and advocates.
Today, more and more health centers are:
Embedding dental teams directly into primary care settings.
Using shared EHRs to connect the dots between oral and systemic health.
Training medical and dental teams to collaborate around patient needs, not provider silos.
Advocating for policy changes that recognize dental care as essential, not optional.
At Oromed, we’ve seen firsthand how transformative it is when oral health is woven into the fabric of primary care. It’s not just about filling cavities, it’s about reducing emergency visits, improving chronic disease outcomes, supporting pregnant patients, and giving every patient the dignity of a healthy smile.
The Road Ahead: Compassion, Collaboration, and the Oral-Systemic Connection
If you’re a health center leader, staff member, or advocate reading this: you are not alone. The challenges you face are real, and the work you do is nothing short of heroic. The road to fully integrated dental care has been long and winding, but the destination, true whole-person care fueled by the oral-systemic connection, is finally within sight.
At Oromed, we are honored to walk this road alongside you, bringing tools, support, and a fierce commitment to breaking down the barriers between oral and systemic health. Together, we can make sure every patient receives the care they deserve, from head to toe, and from smile to soul.
Ready to Transform Whole-Person Care at Your Health Center? Let’s Connect.
The journey toward true whole-person care, rooted in the science of the oral-systemic connection, doesn’t have to be overwhelming or lonely. At Oromed, we know the barriers you’re up against, because we’ve helped health centers like yours break through them.
If you’re ready to:
Eliminate the silos between medical and dental teams
Build practical, sustainable workflows for integrated care
Train your staff for collaboration and innovation
Improve patient outcomes and close equity gaps
Secure the resources and support you need to succeed
…then you don’t have to go it alone.
Our team specializes in helping health centers and community clinics seamlessly integrate preventive dental evaluations into existing medical workflows, making true whole-person care not just possible, but practical. And we do it all without any heavy lift on your part and no added cost to your infrastructure.
Let’s put your vision into action. Schedule a Demo with our experts. Together, we can deliver the kind of care your community deserves. Oromed bridges the gap between oral and systemic health, empowering your health center to champion truly whole-person care.
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