Children's Dental Shortages Fuel Major Access Problem

Report Read time:
Children's Dental Shortages Fuel Major Access Problem

The issue brief Two Kinds of Dental Shortages Fuel One Major Access Problem by the Pew Children's Dental Campaign highlights the lack of access to basic dental care. Each year, an estimated 17 million children in the U.S. go without basic dental care. As a result, these kids miss more days of school and see their overall health suffer.

Each February, Children's Dental Health Month reminds Americans of the importance of proper dental hygiene—flossing, brushing their teeth and visiting a dentist regularly. For millions of people, however, seeing a dentist is a major challenge because they live in areas without a dentist or clinic, or they struggle to find dentists who accept Medicaid-enrolled patients.

Downloads Two Kinds of Dental Shortages Fuel One Major Access Problem
Downloads Two Kinds of Dental Shortages Fuel One Major Access Problem

MORE FROM PEW

A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.” WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water. Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
An illustration of a couple holding hands walking away from an outline of houses behind them Pathways to Homeownership: Housing in America