Delta Dental of Arizona, PDS Health Announce Collaborative Medical Study

Delta Dental of Arizona and PDS Health are launching a 12-month study that will highlight the vital role that dentists and dental offices can and should play in engaging patients on the importance of oral health and its impact on their overall health.

The collaboration advances dental-medical integration by offering HbA1c testing in dental practices to help to identify patients at risk for diabetes or poorly controlled diabetes and discussing primary care risk factors.

Study to Reinforce Health Link

“The connection between oral health and overall health is well established. What happens in the mouth impacts the entire body, and we cannot treat them separately,” says Stephen E. Thorne IV, founder and chief executive officer of PDS Health. “This study will reinforce that link and demonstrate how dentists, in collaboration with insurers like Delta Dental, can play a critical role in identifying systemic health risks earlier while working alongside medical providers to improve patient outcomes.”

“Delta Dental of Arizona, whose mission is to create a path to better health and wellness, believes the findings from this study will help shape a model for broader adoption of in-practice screenings in dental settings nationwide,” says Michael Jones, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Arizona.

“Periodontal disease and diabetes are bi-directionally linked. Elevated HbA1c worsens periodontal disease, and untreated periodontal disease can make diabetes harder to control,” says Dr. Heather Schneider, Delta Dental of Arizona dental director. “HbA1c is also a clinically relevant factor in periodontal disease diagnosis and grading, meaning that a patient’s A1c level can directly impact their periodontal treatment plan. Through this study, we’re bringing routine HbA1c testing into dental practices to identify patients who may not know they are at risk. By detecting these warning signs earlier, dentists can help bridge the gap between oral health and overall health.”

This study will quantify the impact of HbA1c screenings on patient engagement, early disease detection, and care coordination, while identifying patients who may not have a primary care physician and providing an opportunity for early diabetes detection. It will also contribute to the growing body of peer-reviewed research demonstrating the case for dental-medical integration in chronic disease prevention.

Free Tests

“Approximately 1,500 adult patients across seven PDS Health dental practices in Arizona will receive free HbA1c tests over the course of a year,” Schneider adds. “Patients identified as prediabetic or diabetic will receive a second test to monitor changes. As a research-backed initiative, all participants will be covered regardless of insurance status, ensuring equitable access to care.”

According to Schneider, dentists are uniquely positioned to identify early signs of systemic conditions, reinforcing the importance of including oral health assessments in primary care protocols.

“We know that oral health and overall health are deeply connected, and this research will provide critical data to help drive change,” says Daniel Burke, chief enterprise strategy officer and general counsel at PDS Health. “By generating peer-reviewed research, we are reinforcing the essential role dentists play in early disease detection and strengthening the case for integrating dental and medical care.”

PDS Health

PDS Health supports 110 dental practices in Arizona, including one dedicated to patients with special needs, and six primary care practices. It provides clinicians with advanced, proven technology, data, and clinical best practices to improve early disease detection and enhance patient care.

“PDS Health supports more than 6,000 clinicians in over 1,000 practices across 24 states. This scale allows us to study how routine HbA1c testing in dental settings can improve early detection and care coordination for patients with or at risk for diabetes,” says Jeremy Jonckheere, vice president of strategic payor partnerships at PDS Health. “This study will help demonstrate the impact of integrating oral health more fully into overall health care.”

Delta Dental of Arizona

Delta Dental of Arizona is similarly leading the way on both a local and national level in whole-person care.

Currently, Delta Dental of Arizona is working with The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix on Arizona’s first-ever Oral Health In Medicine Initiative (OHMI). The partnership increases oral health education for all medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. The health and wellness company also partners with the Banner Health Foundation on its Hospital Oral Care and Periodontal Disease Education (HOPE) program protocol across Banner’s 28 acute-care hospitals, which enables all medical centers to implement the oral health protocol to lower hospital-acquired pneumonia and to increase positive patient outcomes. Finally, since 2010 alone, Delta Dental of Arizona, through its Foundation, has given more than $20 million to support oral health education, disease prevention and food assistance programs for underserved and uninsured communities across the state.