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Introduction: The authors of this study sought to (1) describe the prevalence of social needs and (2) determine whether social needs were associated with closure of care gaps among patients aged ≥65 years seeking dental care. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the authors identified 754 Kaiser Permanente Northwest patients aged ≥65 years who completed an index dental visit; had at least 1 of 23 preventive care gaps (e.g., flu vaccination) or disease management care gaps (e.g., diabetes HbA1c screening test) documented in their medical record; and had completed a social needs assessment through survey evaluating financial strain, food insecurity, housing needs, social isolation, and transportation needs. The authors described the prevalence of social needs at the index visit and then used logistic regression to evaluate the association between the number of social needs (0, 1, ≥2) and closure of all care gaps over the following 60 days (yes versus no), adjusting for patient characteristics. Identification and closure of care gap were assessed through Kaiser Permanente Northwest's Panel Support Tool. Results: Approximately 28% of patients reported ≥1 social needs. The prevalence of social needs was as follows: social isolation, 13.7%; financial strain, 11.3%; food insecurity, 7.7%; transportation needs, 5.4%; and housing needs, 3.3%. Those with 1 social need were more likely to close care gaps than those with no social needs (OR=1.82, 95% CI=1.17, 2.85). No significant association was found with care gap closure among those with ≥2 versus zero social needs. Conclusions: The prevalence of social needs was nearly 30% among patients aged ≥65 years with dental and medical coverage. Patients with 1 social need were more likely than those with no social needs to close all care gaps after their visit.

Background: The authors examined adults' perceptions about the importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in preventing oropharyngeal cancers and dental care providers' role in HPV prevention and identified associated factors., Methods: Adults (≥ 18 years) completed a national survey of consumer and patient attitudes, experiences, and behaviors on oral health. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression models determined associations between perceptions regarding HPV and attitudes toward dental care providers' role and HPV knowledge, HPV vaccine recommendation, and sociodemographic characteristics., Results: One in 3 adults (32.8%; n = 5,320) said the HPV vaccine was very important, 1 in 2 said it was somewhat important (48.1%), and 1 in 5 said it was not important (19.1%) in preventing mouth and throat cancers. More than one-half (56.7%) of adults had positive perceptions about dental care providers' role in HPV education and were comfortable discussing the HPV vaccine with a dental care provider (59.4%). Adults with knowledge about HPV and oral health linkage and those who received HPV vaccine recommendation from a dental care provider had 2.0 to 2.5 times higher odds of reporting positively for all 3 outcomes (P < .001)., Conclusions: Most adults are comfortable discussing HPV and the HPV vaccine with their oral health care provider. Perceptions about the HPV vaccine's importance in preventing oropharyngeal cancers and the role of dental care providers in HPV prevention can be improved by means of increasing adults' knowledge about the relationship between HPV and oral health., Practical Implications: Dental care providers' engagement in HPV conversations with patients may increase their knowledge about the HPV and oral health linkage and their understanding of the role of the HPV vaccine in preventing oropharyngeal cancers., (Copyright © 2023 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)