FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The TeleDentists and Empallo Partner toConnect Heart Care and Oral Health
New Empallo Marketplace listing and two-way care coordination pathway bringvirtual dental care to cardiac patients — and virtual cardiac care to dentalpatients
OVERLAND PARK,Kan. — Oct. 5 , 2026 — The TeleDentists,the first and leading provider of teledentistry services, and Empallo Health, a virtual-firstcardiology group , today announced they areworking together to connect cardiac care with oral health. The TeleDentists isnow live in the Empallo Marketplace under partner services for heart health, and the two organizations have established a care coordination pathway that lets clinicians at each organization refer patients to the other when oral health orcardiac evaluation is clinically indicated.
Cardiac patientsfrequently have unmet oral health needs, and dental pain is one of the most commonreasons Americans seek care in hospital emergency departments .For patients already managing heart conditions, a dental problem that goesunaddressed can add strain, delay needed care and turn into an emergency.Meanwhile, cardiology practices rarely have dental infrastructure of their ownto direct patients to — and the reverse is true for dental providers whosepatients may need cardiac evaluation.
The American HeartAssociation recognizes an association between periodontal (gum) disease andcardiovascular disease, though causality has not been established. Thatassociation is a practical reason for the two care teams to work hand in hand:patients managing the heart should not be ignoring the mouth, and patientsbeing treated for oral health problems deserve attention to their overallcardiovascular risk profile. Modeled benchmarks from The TeleDentists networksuggest that upstream virtual dental intervention can divert 84% ofdental-related emergency department visits and avoid approximately $1,436 incost per diverted encounter. These figures are modeled benchmarks, notguaranteed outcomes.
“Dentists aretrained to see the whole patient, and cardiologists have always known the mouthtells a story about the body,” said Dr. Maria Kunstadter, DDS, Co-Founder andCEO of The TeleDentists. “What's changed is that patients no longer have tochoose between getting dental care and getting cardiac care. Both are now avideo call away. This is what the future of coordinated, virtual-first carelooks like.”
"We recently began screening our patients for dental wellness, and we found that more than half have unmet dental needs. That told us we needed to do more, so we're focused on expanding access to high-quality dental resources for our patients. Partnering with The TeleDentists is an important step,” said Claire Beskin, CEO and Founder, Empallo, Inc.
The messaging forpatients is simple: “Your heart has a care team. Your mouth should be part ofit.” For providers: “When you're treating the heart, don't forget the mouth.”And for anyone who does not currently have a dentist: “No dentist? No problem.Start virtually.” Empallo explores the connection between oral health and hearthealth in its recentpatient education piece, “ Dear Heart, We Should Talk. ~Your Mouth.”
AboutThe TeleDentists
The TeleDentists(E-Dental Services, LLC d/b/a The TeleDentists), founded in 2014, is the firstand leading teledentistry provider and Google's top-rated teledentistryservice. The company connects patients to licensed dentists 24/7/365 — in under10 minutes — by video, phone, mobile app or web, covering emergency dentalcare, acute pain triage, routine consultations, pediatric dental care,orthodontic and implant consultations, whitening guidance, treatmentrecommendations, prescriptions when clinically appropriate, and referrals tolocal dentists when in-person treatment is needed. With professional entitiesin all 50 states, The TeleDentists serves as the virtual front door for oralhealth, catching dental problems upstream before they become emergency departmentvisits. Learn more at www.theteledentists.com.
AboutEmpallo
Founded in 2021, Empallo , Inc. and its affiliated medical groups, Empallo Medical Group (collectively, “Empallo Health”)is a virtual-first cardiology practice delivering cardiac care to patients athome — heart health for everyone without the wait or worry. Empallo Medical Group's experiencedcardiac specialists treat arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, dysautonomia, heartfailure, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and valvular heart disease, along withthe cardiometabolic conditions that affect long-term cardiovascular health. When possible and preferred by the patient, diagnostics are shipped directly to thepatient's home. Otherwise, they are coordinatedat facilities near the patient. Care is available through mostmajor insurance carriers as well as self-pay. The Empallo Marketplace connectspatients with vetted partner services that support whole-heart health. Learnmore at www.empallo.com.
MediaContact
Leah Sigler,President, The TeleDentists
leahs@theteledentists.com| 888-641-5505
www.theteledentists.com
