On November 21, 2025, AGD, together with 25 other national organizations, sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD urging the agency to fill the vacant Chief Dental Officer (CDO) position and maintain the role as a senior, agency-wide role within the CMS Office of the Administrator. The letter highlights the inseparability of oral health and general health, noting that dentistry operates under a distinct financing and delivery structure compared to the broader medical system. In the letter, the coalition emphasizes that a fully empowered CDO is essential to coordinate the integration of oral health perspectives into federal rulemaking, guidance, demonstrations, oversight activities, and stakeholder engagement, while ensuring adequate input from experts in dental policy and practice. 

The letter can be found here. 

Impact on General Dentistry: Appointing a CDO ensures that dental policy and practice expertise guide CMS decisions affecting patient access and the dental delivery system. Without this leadership, major coverage and delivery changes within Medicaid may overlook oral health, missing key opportunities to prevent disease and reduce long-term costs.