Access to oral health care for elders: mere words or action?

For many years, the health care community has used a silo approach to oral health, with little exception, treating the oral cavity as the sole province of the dentist, with no interaction with the medical profession. However, as research shows links between periodontal disease and diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease, it seems clear that the silo approach to oral health should be replaced with a new paradigm-that of including dental care in comprehensive medical benefits. Retirees who have limited or no access to traditional employer-based dental benefits should be among the early beneficiaries of this paradigm shift. The federal government should consider social insurance mechanisms to ensure that retirees have access to oral health care.