September 2025

My family could not afford dental insurance when I was young. This led to some “issues” in terms of access to care and needed procedures. Fast forward multiple years—as a full-spectrum military family physician, I was trained to perform multiple simple procedures in the mouth. As such, oral health is an integral part of human health. I’ve never understood the (somewhat) arbitrary disconnect of the mouth from the rest of the body in the model of modern health care. I try to teach our students (and residents) the mantra: “TEETH and TOENAILS.” A comprehensive look in the mouth offers a wealth of data about an individual’s overall health and socioeconomic capacity. A comprehensive look at their feet (particularly toenails) offers a wealth of data about an individual’s ability to care for themselves.

I accosted the group at a meeting asking how can I get involved to promote oral health – particularly in rural Pennsylvania? What barriers can we break through? How can we improve access to care and preventive dental measures across the Commonwealth?

Diplomatic barriers. Right or wrong, professional societies have created silos. Patients get stuck in the middle. Figuring out collaborative solutions to care that improve access, prevention, and comprehensive services is challenging.

Interprofessional collaboration. We all know there is a problem when it comes to oral health in Pennsylvania. There is plenty of work to be done. How can we work together to get care to those who need it? To those who can’t afford it? How can we engage in collaborative preventive solutions to promote oral health across the spectrum of ages?

Helping rural Pennsylvanians get the care that they need.

Riding my bike. Hanging out with my soulmate (Patty).