Dental care is one of the greatest unmet needs among children. The latest data from 2014 show that more than 18 million low-income children went without care. Pew’s work on children’s dental issues promotes cost-effective policies that expand access to dental care so that millions more children receive the treatment they need to grow, learn, and lead healthy lives.
Our research and advocacy efforts focus on several efficient, cost-effective strategies:
Expanding the number of professionals who can provide high-quality dental care to low-income children.
Ensuring that coverage from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program leads to real care.
Expanding access to fluoridated water.
Expanding programs that provide dental sealants so that all children who need them receive them.
A recent American Dental Association (ADA) brief provides new data showing that having dental insurance does not necessarily translate into access to care. The report, which offers new state-level information on Medicaid dental use among adults in 21 states, finds that in 2013, relatively few of those with Medicaid coverage received dental care, ranging from 40 percent in Minnesota to just 13 percent in Vermont.
Poor oral health affects Oregonians of all ages. Dental problems can lead to low performance in and absences from school and work and are associated with serious health concerns, including heart and lung disease, stroke, diabetes, low birth weight, and premature births.
Building on an earlier report that examined how two private practices used dental therapists, Expanding the Dental Team: Increasing Access to Care in Public Settings looks at three examples of midlevel dental providers working to expand care to underserved populations in nonprofit, public settings.
Midlevel dental providers perform preventive care and routine restorative duties, such as filling cavities, in a variety of settings. Eight dentists share their perspectives on these practitioners, who are similar to physician’s assistants or nurse practitioners in the medical field.
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