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Dental Healthcare in Low-Income Families

Despite strives in from health care professional’s dental healthcare remains to be a prevalent, unmet healthcare need in the U.S. today. Children from low-income families are less likely to receive comprehensive dental care and are more likely to have acute dental disease than children from middle-and upper-income families. Access to care is limited by the number of dentists who accept Medicaid or provide charity care for the uninsured. In the few caregiver studies that have been conducted, factors affecting access include lack of knowledge among caregivers and physicians of the consequences of oral disease among children, children’s dental anxiety, and negative experiences with the dental care system (difficulty with locating providers, arranging appointments, and transportation; long waiting times; and discriminatory treatment). Why is Oral Care so important? Because of oral health’s impact on a person’s general well-being in a wide variety of settings, dental and medical professionals have come to recognize that oral health is a critical component of health and it is imperative that it is included in healthcare along with the design of community programs. Oral health and general health are inseparably linked. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood infectious disease in the United States. It is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. The daily reality for children with untreated oral disease is often persistent pain, inability to eat comfortably or chew well, embarrassment at discolored and damaged teeth, and distraction from play and learning. Although oral diseases are considered highly preventable with knowledge and proper oral healthcare, these low income families face numerous serious health problems and quality of life issues because they do not currently receive even a basic level of care. Utilizing caregivers emphasized preventing dental problems (“lays the groundwork for good teeth when you’re an adult”), monitoring dental growth (“make corrections if they have teeth that grow in crooked”), and developing life-long preventive dental care habits (“if you start at a young age, they won’t be so scared of the dentist”). Utilizing caregivers more strongly expressed the belief that dental care is equally as important as medical care and that oral health is integral to overall health (e.g., heart disease). Nonetheless, some perceived dental care as something “the poor must often set aside” and that societal emphasis on medical over dental insurance reinforces beliefs that dental care is less important to health. “Our Society has said so many organizations must provide medical coverage but that does not include dental. That’s saying that dental coverage is not as important as medical coverage. I think our society has just accepted that.” In an intervention done in Oklahoma, groups of dentists, health professionals, and government officials got together and expressed many of the same concerns as we heard from dentists in Kentucky. As they were putting together their intervention issues that must be addressed in Oklahoma to improve the oral health of their state’s children were discussed, major topics of discussion included: •	Creating a better understanding of the importance that oral health plays in the overall health and well-being of Oklahoma children. •	The need for early dental exams/screenings and prevention efforts to create a vital, strong foundation for children’s ongoing oral health. •	The need to increase oral health education efforts statewide. •	Encouraging more dentists and hygienists to practice in Oklahoma counties and towns that have few, if any, dental professionals. •	Increasing access to oral healthcare for all underserved and uninsured families. •	Continuing to address the oral health of Oklahoma’s children with special health needs. The good news is, as you have read, it has been recognized that oral healthcare needs aren’t being met in the United States, especially in low income families. There are also ongoing interventions and programs in place to help eradicate this health disparity. Just in case you aren’t quite convinced about the importance of oral health I will leave you with a few facts about dental care. Here are some quick facts about dental healthcare: 1.	Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood infectious disease in the United States. By age 17, 78% of young people have suffered from it, and 7% have lost at least one permanent tooth. Untreated tooth decay causes pain and infections that may lead to problems that affect eating, speaking, playing and learning. 2.	More than half of children aged 5-9 have had at least one carie (cavity) or filling; 78% of 17-yearolds have experienced tooth decay. 3.	Fewer than one in five Medicaid-covered children had a preventive dental visit during a recent year-long study. 4.	Insurance coverage for dental care is increasing but still lags behind medical insurance. For every child under 18 years of age without medical insurance, there are 2.6 children without dental insurance. 5.	The daily reality for children with untreated oral disease is often persistent pain, inability to eat comfortably or chew well, embarrassment at discolored and damaged teeth, and distraction from play and learning.

Works Cited Association, O. D. (2009). Governor’s Task Force on Children and Oral Health - final report. Oklahoma City: Delta Dental of Oklahoma. Retrieved from http://www.ok.gov/health2/documents/DentalReport2009.pdf Kelly, S. E. (2004). Barriers to Care-Seeking for Children’s Oral Health Among Low-Income Caregivers. American Journal of Public Health, 1-9. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1449365/#__ffn_sectitle