25 Years of Henry Schein Cares: Looking Back and Ahead

When you think about access to care today vs 25 years ago, what has changed?

Dentistry has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. Digital technology has transformed patient care, and the connection between oral health and overall health is better understood than ever before. The mouth is no longer viewed as separate from the rest of the body.

Patients are more informed, and dentists are looked at differently. It used to be more about tooth mechanics and restorations. Today, there is a much greater understanding of prevention and the role oral health plays in overall health.

Yet one thing hasn’t changed enough: access to care. Many people still struggle to get the dental care they need.

What are the biggest barriers to access, and are there ones that get overlooked?

Cost and geography remain the biggest barriers to care. Those challenges are especially significant in rural areas where there may not be enough dental offices or clinicians available. But there are other barriers that are easy to overlook, including transportation, availability of clinicians, finding a care team willing to see patients, and overcoming the fear of dentistry.

Those challenges are even greater for patients with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Unless you have a loved one facing these obstacles, it’s easy to overlook how difficult it can be to find a dentist prepared to provide care.

Why has access to care for people with disabilities been such an important focus for Henry Schein Cares?

People with developmental and intellectual disabilities have historically been overlooked by the healthcare system. That’s why this work has become such an important focus for Henry Schein Cares. For 25 years, Henry Schein Cares has worked to improve access to oral healthcare through programs supporting underserved communities, sustainable clinics, disaster relief, our longstanding partnership with the American Dental Association Foundation's Give Kids A Smile program, and many other initiatives.

One of the proudest moments of my career was before I came to Henry Schein when I helped open a dental office in Phoenix built specifically for patients with special healthcare needs. We were able to open the clinic thanks to the generosity and commitment of Henry Schein, which donated the equipment and supplies that made it possible. We saw patients who couldn’t find care anywhere else. Families drove as many as six hours just to get there, relieved simply to find a place where their loved one would be cared for with compassion and respect.

Several years later, I had an opportunity to join Henry Schein as a Team Schein Member.

What are the challenges dental professionals face in caring for people with disabilities, and what role can clinicians play?

The access-to-care challenge is complex, and there is no simple fix. Caring for people with disabilities can require additional time and education. Reimbursement, education, and time are all challenges that need to be addressed. But the encouraging news is that every practice can make a difference. I’m not suggesting every dentist redesign an office or dedicate an entire schedule to special needs care.

Sometimes it’s simply making room for a few patients, pursuing additional education, or giving someone the extra time needed to build trust.

I know a dentist in Louisiana who dedicates one afternoon a week to treating patients with disabilities while his associates see the practice’s regular patient flow. That balance has allowed him to make a meaningful difference while maintaining a thriving practice. And there’s another benefit that often follows: When you help someone who has struggled to find a doctor who will care for their loved one, they remember that experience. They share it with everyone they encounter, and they help more families discover that compassionate care is available.

What does meaningful progress look like, and where are you seeing momentum?

The encouraging news is that this issue is much more on people’s radar today. There has been progress in dental schools, which is where it needs to start. The next step is bringing that training into everyday practice. We also need continued progress around reimbursement and accessibility.

At Henry Schein, we’re also encouraging practices to think about universal design—asking dentists opening or redesigning a practice whether they’ve thought about making it more sensory-integrated, with space for wheelchairs. The more it’s on everyone’s roadmap, the more this challenge gets taken into consideration.

A great way for clinicians to get involved is also to download and use the Institute for Exceptional Care's dental toolkit. This toolkit contains resources for dentists and their staff, including a guide for how to avoid misunderstandings in healthcare conversations, supporting patients with complex needs.

Looking ahead, what do you hope dentistry will be saying about access to care five or 10 years from now?

I’d like to see more integrated, sensory-friendly spaces for the disability community—the way you’re starting to see at stadiums and schools—brought into dental offices too.

I hope people understand the mouth is connected to the rest of the body, and that a simple dental visit becomes a chance to catch health concerns early. We are now closer than ever to broad adoption of systemic models of healthcare that include both oral health and medicine, and focus on prevention and wellness. I'm so excited for our continued role in helping drive forward this exciting vision!