CAMP HILL, Pa. (Oct. 6, 2025) — Three Pa. dental organizations are using salivary testing technology to assess its role in improving access to preventive dental care for underserved Pennsylvanians, as part of a pilot being conducted by Harmony Health and United Concordia Dental.
The Pittsburgh locations of North American Dental Group (NADG), a national dental service organization; Miracle Dental Associates, a pediatric dental practice and the Westmoreland County Community College Dental Hygiene Program will integrate the Oral Genome salivary test and Harmony Health mobile application into their practices. Administered either in-office or at home, the technology will allow real-time insight into patient oral health risks, such as cavities, gum disease and diabetes, as well as the sharing of results with dental and medical providers.
“Having the ability to identify potential issues early on will give patients a clearer understanding of their oral health and the opportunity to be more proactive with their dental care,” said Ed Shellard, DMD, president and CEO, United Concordia Dental. “Ultimately, this timely action can prevent greater problems from occurring in the future, helping them to avoid painful conditions, costly emergency room visits and missed time from work.”
All three dental organizations received technology training, including a background on saliva testing, metrics overview, hands-on testing practice, and an overview of the health application and provider dashboard. Their offices will support the administration of the saliva kits, technology and oral health education, as well as any dental service coordination.
The pilot consists of approximately 400 children and adults enrolled in Medicaid with a concentration on those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The goal is to evaluate the technology’s effectiveness in improving patient engagement, increasing preventive care utilization, and helping more individuals access the information and support they need to stay ahead of oral health issues. Findings from this pilot will inform strategies for scaling successful approaches nationwide.
"This collaboration demonstrates how dental support organizations and insurance partners can lead the way in making innovative salivary testing available to the patients who need them most. By combining the reach of dental practices with United Concordia Dental’s commitment to prevention and Harmony Health’s technology, our goal is to demonstrate that preventive models can be scaled sustainably, improve health outcomes, and reduce long-term costs for families and payers alike,” Kendra Flowers, director of programs at Harmony Health Foundation.
Contact:
Suzanne Cibotti
United Concordia Dental
717-260-7549
suzanne.cibotti@ucci.com
Kendra Flowers
Harmony Health Foundation
470-851-6411
kendra@harmonyhealthfoundation.org