Children can see a dentist at about six months, when their first teeth begin to emerge. Dr. Cherae M. Farmer-Dixon says early visits can make dental care routine before fear, pain or infection enters the picture.
That habit matters.
The CDC estimates that about 42% of U.S. adults have some form of gum disease, with prevalence higher among adults ages 65 and older.
An untreated cavity can become more than a dental problem. Farmer-Dixon says oral bacteria may enter the bloodstream. She links gum disease with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's while calling for earlier preventive care.
A childhood view of the access gap
Farmer-Dixon grew up in Indianola, Mississippi. The two dentists in town did not look like her. Her parents made sure she received dental care, but she saw that many people around her faced a different reality.
Cost and distance shaped that reality. The nearest dentist who did look like her was 30 miles away.
Meharry Medical College is a historically Black medical institution, and its School of Dentistry is part of a long-standing effort to prepare dentists for communities with limited access to care.
The same problem appears elsewhere in dentistry. A regional training effort reported elsewhere shows how new dental education capacity is being tied to wider efforts to expand care.
Farmer-Dixon places that question in the experience of Black communities. Cost, distance and a shortage of nearby clinicians can determine whether patients seek help at all.
Why prevention starts before pain
Farmer-Dixon wants families to stop treating dental visits as emergency-only events. She encourages parents to bring children when they are about six months old and teeth begin to emerge. Early visits can make appointments feel routine instead of linking them only with fear or pain.
Her message is direct: "The head is connected to the body, and it is the gateway." She says people often manage oral health only after a problem appears. The mouth is connected to wider biological systems.
Farmer-Dixon points to research on gum disease and cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's. The CDC's periodontal guidance says adults with diabetes experience gum disease more often and in more severe forms.
Among adults ages 45 and older with poorly controlled diabetes, the risk of severe periodontitis was nearly three times higher than among people without diabetes. The American Heart Association describes the relationship between oral and cardiovascular health as an association, not proof of direct causation. Inflammation and overall risk are among the factors under discussion.
Her explanation centers on bacteria linked to untreated oral disease. They may travel through the bloodstream. The available information does not establish that gum disease directly causes each condition. It does show why Farmer-Dixon treats oral care as part of systemic health rather than as a separate service.
She also cites the death of Diamante Driver, a young man in Maryland. His death was tied to an infection from an untreated cavity. Farmer-Dixon says a cleaning every six months can help stop small problems from becoming severe infections.
Prevention comes first.
Leadership with a public-health mandate
Farmer-Dixon's work now covers education leadership, public health and military service. She is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve and reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Her roles at Meharry and the American Dental Education Association give her a national platform. She can connect the training of future dentists with the barriers patients face before they reach a dental chair.
Public materials from the American Dental Education Association describe a leadership structure in which board members are selected for its Board of Directors. That material provides institutional context for the role. Her current position also lets her discuss how dental education can respond to unequal access.
She describes her current roles as "an opportunity" and "a blessing." Farmer-Dixon credits her team and faith with keeping her grounded.
Clinical skill alone cannot solve the problem she describes. Dental schools need to prepare professionals who understand prevention and representation. They also need to understand what delayed care can do to patients.
Farmer-Dixon puts equity at the center of oral health leadership. Gum disease and untreated decay need clinical attention. Access determines who receives prevention before pain and infection take over.
Her career makes a broader case for dental education. Schools should be judged by the clinicians they produce and by the communities those clinicians can realistically reach.
