Affordable Dental Care for Low-Income Adults

Millions of Americans still do not have access to any affordable dental care, to a qualitative and the most necessary treatment procedures. In the same time, any untreated dental problem will affect the whole body, causing other, bigger health problems.

Having been one of the most problematic social branches for many years, oral health and dental care is being paid much more attention now. However, the situation is not the best one. Millions of Americans still do not have access to any affordable dental care, to a qualitative and the most necessary treatment procedures. In the same time, any untreated dental problem will affect the whole body, causing other, bigger health problems.

The fact is that the way we look at thing and at ourselves is highly influenced by our health conditions. It’s really difficult to be happy, to work efficiently, to spend precious time with the family, and to feel teeth pain in the same time. That’s why low-income dental care at least is needed. But there are always people who don’t have money or even don’t know a place where they can have uninsured dental care.

Private health insurance could be used, but most of them don’t include dental coverage. Those that include cost much more. The information presented below is based on the 19-year-old to 64-year-old adults’ experience elaborated by the Kaiser Low-Income Coverage and Access survey. All of them have incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Affordable Dental Care Facts:

• 59% of low-income adults have no dental coverage:
• 38% have no insurance coverage at all
• 21% have insurance coverage that doesn’t include dental care

Most of these people are likely to have gone without routine dental care and to have postponed or foregone care. In the same time, people without dental coverage have more chances not to get the routine dental care or to be able to get the needed dental care at all.

Affordable Dental Care Facts:

• 50% of insured people with dental coverage don’t have dental check-up
• 73% of insured people without dental coverage don’t have dental check-up
• 83% of uninsured people don’t have dental check-up

• 9% of insured people with dental coverage are unable to get the needed dental care
• 18% of insured people without dental coverage are unable to get the needed dental care
• 17% of uninsured people are unable to get the needed dental care

Even having dental coverage about 55% of low-income adults reported that they didn’t have access even to affordable dental care. Half of them had no dental check-up for the last few years, while the other half couldn’t have low-income dental care when they really needed it.

The reasons seem to be clear: the coverage of needed services is limited, low-income families can not afford to high leveled costs, even those provided with Medicaid do not have enough providers in their area. Other causes are low quality transportation, cultural and psychological barriers, work arrangements, child care arrangements, lack of time and many others.

Affordable Dental Care Facts:

• 71% of unhealthy people have no dental check-up
• 65% of healthy people have no dental check-up

• 19% of unhealthy people are unable to get any dental care
• 12% of healthy people are unable to get any dental care

These last numbers show us that low-income adults in poor heath and financial difficulties have greater risks not to get the necessary, affordable dental care than those in good or excellent health who have more possibilities to get the low-income dental care and check-up. However, the difference is not big and varies. The truth is that untreated dental needs compound other chronic health problems.

It was also discovered that most families have financial difficulties after having the necessary affordable dental care. More than a half have problems with paying medical bills, about 40% spend less on basic necessities, and half of each category described above are not reporting about their inability to get any low-income dental care.

Affordable Dental Care Facts:

• 58% of adults with private coverage have no dental check-up
• 56% of adults with public coverage have no dental check-up

• 9% of adults with private coverage are not able to get the needed dental care
• 15% of adults with public coverage are not able to get the needed dental care

People with public insurance coverage are more likely to be helped when it is necessary. However, talking about uninsured dental care it’s understood that the numbers would be much bigger. The percent of insured people mostly depend on their income level.

Affordable Dental Care Facts:

• 77% of people do not know where they can have affordable dental care
• 72% of publicly-insured people do not know sources for affordable dental care
• 82% of privately-insured people do not know sources for affordable dental care
• 79% of uninsured people do not know sources for affordable dental care

It’s important to mention that a few people do know where to ask for help. Considering that low-income dental care or uninsured dental are provided in small quantities and in few places, the fact that people do not know even these few places makes the situation even worse. Those who do know mention a dental clinic as the primary source for the necessary affordable dental care.

However, this information is based on the research done in the low-income neighbors. It leads to the idea that, probably, the situation is different in the locations with medium-income and high-income people. Coming back to our facts, we should mention that parents who have a child in Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program are more likely to know about the available affordable dental care providers.

On the other hand, patients who do not have children do not know where to find the necessary dental treatment. Their number is much bigger, about 88%. Here comes the conclusion that those who have public insurance coverage or children are more familiar with the information about low-income dental care. The reason is that providers of uninsured dental care are likely to help the Medicaid population, too.

In conclusion we confirm that the Kaiser Low-Income Coverage and Access survey proves that access to affordable dental care is lower among low-income adults. Causes can be considered the absence of insurance, the absence of included coverage, lack of knowledge about the places where low-income dental care is provided, and weak connections with the social, care providing structures.

In 2000 public policymakers did not pay the necessary attention to dental care needs. In 2005 only 7 states provided full dental coverage. Then it was finally recognized that the whole body and its systems depend on the dental health. That’s why one of the 2010′s goals was to provide more people with the necessary dental care.

However, the economic downturn reduced the number of affordable dental care services. Employers try to hold down the rising costs of insurance coverage by reducing the dental care coverage. Low access to providers, difficulties affording the cost of dental care, transportation, and many other barriers should be still modified. Increasing the access to preventive dental care and solving many other problems represent the only way to make the population surely get back its health and economic well-being.

To promote sources of free and affordable dental care WorlDental.org created a special report’s page where latest sources of free and affordable dental services are listed.