What Now? Dental Reform?

When you consider the state of the dental industry and the lack of adequate coverage that Americans have in terms of dental coverage, the question needs to be raised: “Is dental reform needed now?”

When you consider the state of the dental industry and the lack of adequate coverage that Americans have in terms of dental coverage, the question needs to be raised: “Is dental reform needed now?” So many discussions revolve around the importance of adequate medical coverage but it seems that, when it comes to dental care, the government only intervenes when it is declaring the safety of dental products or regulating licensing and procedures in the industry.

At this point, dentists really have no regulations in place on what they charge and one dentist can charge way more or less than another. There are some small private funds and charities that offer assistance with dental care, but that is about it.

Dental coverage varies depending upon the provider too and many plans do not cover important, complex procedures. It seems that the consumer is left to fend for themselves when it comes to getting there dental needs financially covered and this leaves many people without getting dental care at all. It is unfortunate, but today the people that are financially well off are getting the greatest dental care while low income families are lacking any care.

With major advances in the dental industry, thanks to technology, crowns, bridges, root canals, and fillings are things that are less painful and easier to offer. Yet, with such technologies in use the prices of dental procedures has soared, and now the most pain a patient feels is directly in their wallet. It seems almost a crime to have so many people lacking the adequate dental care that they require to prevent further dental issues.

Access to such treatments needs to be reformed and now is the time to do it. The government should play a significant role in the necessary reform. Right now, many dentists are not even willing to accept Medicaid because when they do they end up getting low payments. Medicaid does not cover cosmetic procedures or things deemed elective either.

Statistics reveal that nearly one third of all Americans do not go to the dentist because they have no coverage or cannot afford to pay the difference that is not covered by the insurance that they do have. The state of the economy and the many lost jobs in recent years is affecting dentist’s incomes and patients are simply skipping or canceling appointments when they cannot afford dental treatments. This flies in the face of dental recommendations which suggest that a patient get at least one check up every six months.

Hispanics, men, and African Americans are primary groups that are faced with affordability issues. Some studies reveal that families with incomes that fall below $2000.00 a month are not going to the dentist at all. In truth, other bills become priority like grocery bills, electricity, and mortgages. The government needs to make swift changes and it should be up to the United States government to implement some powerful reforms to get all Americans the dental treatments they deserve and need.