Dental Quality Measures

DQA measures address prevention and disease management to promote oral health for both children and adults.

Implementing the Latest Standards

Measures: Medicaid and Dental Plan Assessments

Please refer to the DQA User Guide before implementing these measures. All DQA measures undergo annual review. Please ensure you use the correct version for the measurement year.

Use “2024” version if you are using claims data from 2023. Use “2023 version if you are using claims data from 2022. To access older versions of DQA measures specification or for questions related to the versions, please contact the DQA Staff at dqa@ada.org.

“Dental” vs. “Oral Health” Services

For the purpose of measurement, based on definitions from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: “Dental” services refer to services provided by or under the supervision of a dentist. “Oral health” services refer to services provided by other personnel e.g. pediatricians.

Refer to User Guides below for more detail.

2024 DQA Adult Measures User Guide (PDF)

2024 DQA Pediatric Measures User Guide (PDF)

2023 DQA Adult Measures User Guide (PDF)

2023 DQA Pediatric Measures User Guide (PDF)

Measures

Adult/Pregnancy

2024 Oral Evaluation During Pregnancy (PDF)

2024 Utilization of Services During Pregnancy (PDF)

2023 Oral Evaluation During Pregnancy (PDF)

2023 Utilization of Services During Pregnancy (PDF)

Adults with Diabetes - Oral Evaluation

2024 Adults with Diabetes - Oral Evaluation (PDF)

2023 Adults with Diabetes - Oral Evaluation (PDF)

Ambulatory Care Sensitive Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Adults

2024 Ambulatory Care Sensitive Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Adults (PDF)

2023 Ambulatory Care Sensitive Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Adults (PDF)

Follow-Up after Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Adults

2024 Follow-Up after Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Adults (PDF)

2023 Follow-Up after Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Adults (PDF)

Non-Surgical Ongoing Periodontal Care for People with Periodontitis

2024 Non-Surgical Ongoing Periodontal Care for People with Periodontitis (PDF)

2023 Non-Surgical Ongoing Periodontal Care for People with Periodontitis (PDF)

Periodontal Evaluation in Adults with Periodontitis

2024 Periodontal Evaluation (PDF)

2023 Periodontal Evaluation (PDF)

Topical Fluoride for Adults at Elevated Caries Risk

2024 Adult Topical Fluoride (PDF)

2023 Adult Topical Fluoride (PDF)


Pediatric
Ambulatory Care Sensitive Emergency Department Visits for Dental Caries in Children (NQF#2689)

2024 Ambulatory Care Sensitive Emergency Department Visits for Dental Caries in Children (PDF)

2023 Ambulatory Care Sensitive Emergency Department Visits for Dental Caries in Children (PDF)

Follow-Up after Emergency Department Visits for Dental Caries in Children (NQF#2695)

2024 Follow-up after Emergency Department Visits for Dental Caries in Children (PDF)

2023 Follow-up after Emergency Department Visits for Dental Caries in Children (PDF)

Care Continuity

2024 Dental services: Care Continuity (PDF)

2023 Dental services: Care Continuity (PDF)

Care Continuity: eMeasure

Oral Health Care Continuity for Children between 2-20 years - contact dqa@ada.org for info

Caries Risk Documentation

2024 Caries Risk Documentation (PDF)

2023 Caries Risk Documentation (PDF)

Oral Evaluation (NQF#2517)

2024 Oral Evaluation (PDF)

2023 Oral Evaluation (PDF)

Per Member Per Month Cost of Clinical Services

2024 Per Member Per Month Cost of Clinical Services (PDF)

2023 Per Member Per Month Cost of Clinical Services (PDF)

Preventive Services for Children

2024 Preventive Services for Children (PDF)

2023 Preventive Services for Children (PDF)

Receipt of Sealants on First Permanent Molar

2024 Receipt of Sealants on First Permanent Molar (PDF)

2023 Receipt of Sealants on First Permanent Molar (PDF)

Receipt of Sealants on Second Permanent Molar

2024 Receipt of Sealants on Second Permanent Molar (PDF)

2023 Receipt of Sealants on Second Permanent Molar (PDF)

Sealants: eMeasure

Oral Health Sealant for Children between 6-9 years - contact dqa@ada.org for info

Topical Fluoride for Children (NQF#2528, 3700, 3701)

2024 Topical Fluoride for Children (PDF)
*Reposted December 21, 2023 with edited header from “Required Stratification Variables” to “Applicable Stratification Variables” on page 2, for consistency across measures specifications.

2023 Topical Fluoride for Children (PDF)

Treatment Services

2024 Treatment Services (PDF)

2023 Treatment Services (PDF)

Usual Sources of Care

2024 Usual Source of Services, Dental Services (PDF)

2023 Usual Source of Services, Dental Services (PDF)

Utilization of Services (NQF#2511)

2024 Dental services: Utilization of Services (PDF)

2024 Oral Health Services: Utilization of Services (PDF)

2024 Dental or Oral Health Services: Utilization of Services (PDF)

2023 Dental services: Utilization of Services (PDF) 

2023 Oral Health Services: Utilization of Services (PDF)

2023 Dental or Oral Health Services: Utilization of Services (PDF)

 

Retired. No Further Updates.

Preventive Services for Children at Elevated Caries Risk

2021 Dental Services: Preventive Services (PDF)

2021 Oral Health Services: Preventive Services (PDF)

2021 Dental or Oral Health Services: Preventive Services (PDF)

Topical Fluoride for Children at Elevated Caries Risk

2021 Dental Services: Topical Fluoride* (PDF)

2021 Oral Health Services: Topical Fluoride (PDF)

2021 Dental or Oral Health Services: Topical Fluoride (PDF)





Measure development

Practice- and clinician-based measure development reports

The Dental Quality Alliance (DQA) approved a resolution that a workgroup be formed to explore the development of practice- and clinician-level dental quality measures.  This workgroup reports to the DQA’s Measure Development and Maintenance Committee.  The series of reports below provide updates on workgroup activities and findings.

Report 1: Project Introduction, Delphi & Excluded Measure Concepts (June 2023)

Draft for Comment
Report 2: Subsequent/Advanced Procedure Following Initial Procedure (November 2023)

Draft for Comment
Report 3: Evaluation of Redos, Retreatments, and Recementations (November 2023)


Practice and Clinician Level Measure Development Ad-Hoc Workgroup

  • Chair: An Nguyen DDS, Chief Dental Officer, Clinica Family Health
  • Dan Croley DMD, Vice President and Chief Dental Officer, for Delta Dental of California
  • Jim Crall DDS, Emeritus Professor, UCLA Pediatric Dentistry
  • Tim Downey Chief Analytics Officer, P&R Dental Strategies, LLC
  • Joel Knutson DDS, Deputy Director, IHS Division of Oral Health
  • Larry Paul DDS, Chief Dental Officer, SKYGEN
  • Matthew Sinnott, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Contract Management, Willamette Dental Group
  • Sara Stuefen DDS, General Practice
  • Scott Tomar DMD, Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry
  • Methodology Consultant: Jill Boylston Herndon PhD, Key Analytics & Consulting

Measure testing reports


Measure development process
Measures identified for future development