Recognizing the difficulties low-income people face in getting dental care, many communities are attempting to provide more dental services to vulnerable residents, according to a study released July 24 by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).
Lack of dental care is the key contributor to oral health problems, with low-income people and some racial and ethnic minorities receiving fewer dental services than higher-income people and whites, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Poor oral health may contribute to other health problems, including heart and lung disease, stroke, and premature births.
Along with state efforts to increase dentists' participation in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), hospitals, community health centers, health departments, dental schools, and others are working to expand dental services, according to the HSC study. The study’s findings are detailed in a new HSC issue brief, Community Efforts to Expand Dental Services for Low-Income People. The study is based on HSC’s 2007 site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities; HSC has been tracking change in these markets since 1996. Read the issue brief.
