Monday, July 07, 2025
PITTSBURGH (July 7, 2025) — For the seventh consecutive year, Highmark Wholecare and United Concordia Dental are holding their summer Healthy Smiles for Miles tour, providing free on-site dental services — including exams, cleanings, X-rays and fluoride treatments — to Highmark Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Highmark Wholecare members in underserved communities throughout Pennsylvania. These mobile dental tours address health access concerns for pediatric, young adult and adult Pennsylvanians.
“Highmark Wholecare is a community-based health care organization dedicated to meeting members where they live to improve access to care,” said Dr. Robert Thielen, dental director, Highmark Wholecare. “Our annual summer dental tours, in collaboration with United Concordia Dental, are an example of how we work closely with our partners to address barriers to care. This is especially impactful for families with children.”
Dr. Thielen added, “Seeing children at a young age for preventive dental services promotes lifelong good oral health and demonstrates Highmark Wholecare’s commitment to addressing the link between good oral health and the total body health of our members.”
The mobile dental unit uses dentists and dental hygienists from United Concordia’s network to provide an array of dental services. If additional care is needed, support will be offered to schedule follow-up care. Dental services for each tour require pre-registration.
Through the Healthy Smiles for Miles tour, United Concordia expects to provide on-site dental services to more than 500 Highmark CHIP and Highmark Wholecare-insured children aged 20 years and younger, as well as adults in their households. The Healthy Smiles for Miles tour will reach 10 cities in 21 days during July and August, including Allentown (July 18, Aug. 15), Beaver Falls (July 9), Chambersburg (July 11, Aug. 7 and 8), Harrisburg (July 12, Aug. 9), Johnstown (July 10), Lancaster (July 15, Aug. 12), Lebanon (July 16, Aug. 13 and 14), Pittsburgh (July 8, Aug. 5 and 6), Reading (July 17) and York (July 14, Aug. 11).
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease affecting both children and adults today. And cost is often a significant barrier to care. In 2023, the American Dental Association reported that 13% of the population experienced cost barriers to dental care, compared to approximately 5% for other health care services. In fact, CareQuest Institute, a nonprofit research advocacy group, found that families living in poverty spent 10 times more of their income on dental care than those with higher income.
“The health of the mouth is absolutely connected to the health of the body. Without regular dentist check-ups and consistent at-home care, dental issues, like cavities and gum disease, develop and worsen that can have an effect on your overall health and quality of life,” said Roosevelt Allen, DDS, MAGD, ABGD, chief dental officer, United Concordia Dental. “Our collaboration with Highmark Wholecare on the Healthy Smiles for Miles tours is just one way we’re invested in creating healthier communities in Pennsylvania by increasing access to care for those who need it most.”
About Highmark Wholecare
We believe in caring for the whole person in all communities where the need is greatest. We see a future in which everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their best health. Through our leading Medicaid and Medicare programs, we are coordinating health care that goes beyond doctors and medicine that helps members achieve not just physical health but also delivers whole person care. Our team members are helping to drive this new kind of health care for our 330,000 Medicaid and Medicare members in collaboration with a network of 29,000 primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and other ancillary providers. We are also committed to supporting our neighbors through our many community outreach and engagement programs.
About United Concordia Dental
United Concordia Dental is a leading national dental solutions partner focused on providing access to personalized, high-quality, cost-effective dental care, with an emphasis on improving total health. Headquartered in Camp Hill, Pa., the company has more than 10.4 million members, one of the nation’s largest dentist networks, an AM Best “A” (Excellent) financial strength rating and licensed entities in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. United Concordia offers flexible benefit solutions and products that meet the unique overall health needs of customers of all sizes. For more information about United Concordia, visit www.UnitedConcordia.com.
About Highmark Inc.
An independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc., together with its Blue-branded affiliates, collectively comprise the fifth largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country with more than 7 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and western and northeastern New York. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.
For more information, contact
John Pepper
Highmark Wholecare
412-951-1533
jpepper@highmarkwholecare.com
