General practice dentists saw a 17.9 percent drop in net income in 2020 compared to 2019, according to an analysis from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Here are six updates on Medicaid and Medicare dental coverage to know:

Subsidiaries of dental insurance company Delta Dental have made a number of moves last month, including new partnerships, leadership appointments and funding initiatives.

Federal officials are trying to accelerate the adoption of dental benefits under Medicare after CMS officials projected that it could take three to five years to implement, The Washington Post reported Sept. 1.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., introduced legislation that would provide Medicare beneficiaries additional dental coverage for certain conditions and procedures.

The American Dental Association's Council on Dental Benefits Programs is creating a task force dedicated to enhancing its Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature.

Delta Dental of Arizona is giving $100,000 to Pacific Dental Services Foundation Dentists for Special Needs, a sensory-integrated nonprofit dental practice in Phoenix, reports The Glendale Star.

Covered California, the state's insurance marketplace, will decrease its rates for dental coverage by 1 percent in 2022.

Delta Dental of Arizona recently appointed Michael Jones president and CEO.

The Delta Dental Institute is funding oral health research at three dental schools to examine solutions that will improve oral healthcare and overall well-being in the U.S.

A May study published in Pediatric Dentistry details an overall decline in emergency department visits for pediatric patients seeking nontraumatic dental care since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, although these visits from children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds increased.

Delta Dental of Colorado's philanthropic foundation is committing $10 million over the next four years to organizations dedicated to advancing oral health equity.

Delta Dental of Iowa is partnering with insurance group ARAG to provide small and midsize businesses with legal insurance and identity theft protection.

Dental insurance claims platform Zentist has reached $100 million in annualized insurance collections.

Health policy nonprofit the Kaiser Family Foundation recently released a report examining dental coverage of Medicare recipients in the U.S.

Most Americans said there are at least six benefits of having dental insurance, according to a Delta Dental Plans Association report released July 27.

Adult dental coverage via Medicaid improves access to and utilization of dental care and may reduce racial disparities, improve health equity and lower medical care costs, according to a research paper published by the American Dental Association.

The American Dental Association recently wrote a letter to CMS asking for changes that would encourage more dentists to participate in the program, according to a July 22 news release.

Amid the changes of the pandemic, many dentists are working hard to maintain financial viability, according to poll findings from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Senate Democrats are eyeing both Medicare and Medicaid expansion in their $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, reports The Washington Post and CNBC.