Oral Health


Oral health—the health of gums, teeth, and the collective oral-facial system—can have serious implications for an individual’s overall health, as well as the well-being of society as a whole. Dental caries, or cavities, are the leading chronic disease among children in the US. Additionally, over 34 million school hours and more than $45 billion in productivity are lost each year as a result of dental emergencies requiring unplanned care. 


Although the oral health of the nation has greatly improved since the 1960s, racial and ethnic minorities, rural communities, and people living in poverty have limited access to these improvements. Children, low-income families, and Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Americans are particularly at risk for adverse oral health outcomes.


Barriers to oral health care include lack of dental insurance, limited coverage for oral health under Medicaid and Medicare programs, lack of access to dental care providers, and overall high costs. Many employers may not cover dental insurance. Those that are members of government-based insurance plans may have very limited or no dental coverage at all. Additionally, dental coverage policies within programs like Medicaid vary widely across states, which results in inconsistencies in coverage nationwide. Black and Latinx individuals are more likely to have both untreated tooth decay and more severe tooth decay overall. Low-income populations, particularly low-income older adults, face barriers in access to care. Some populations, like those living in rural communities, lack access to dental care providers based on location.


Improving access to oral health care stands to improve the overall health and well-being of society. Legislative action to expand the coverage of oral health care in governmental insurance programs like Medicaid and integrating oral health care into chronic disease prevention and medical care can improve oral health at scale. At the local level, oral health can be improved through school-based dental care delivery systems and community water fluoridation.


Resources & Tools


Photo of a city street
WIN Pacesetter Story: Allen County, Kansas
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Photo of a sign with a tooth icon on it
Data Viz: Access to Primary Care Physicians and Dentists
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 08/29/2017
Crooked Podcast Site page
The Politics of Teeth
Story - Audio
Brought to you by Crooked
Photo of a Black woman wearing a shirt that says
Primary Care Access Fuels Columbia Health Disparities
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 06/05/2018
National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by OHRC
Safety Net Dental Clinic Manual
Safety Net Dental Clinic Manual
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by OHRC
PDF Cover: Improving Rural Oral Healthcare Access
Improving Rural Oral Healthcare Access
Resource - Policy Brief
Brought to you by NRHA
PDF Cover: Medicaid and Medicare Enrollees Need Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefits
Medicaid and Medicare Enrollees Need Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefits
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Screen capture of Medicare and Dental Coverage: A Closer Look
Medicare and Dental Coverage: A Closer Look
Resource - Report
Brought to you by KFF
Screen capture of Dental Health is Worse in Communities of Color
Dental Health Is Worse in Communities of Color
Resource - Report
Brought to you by The Pew Charitable Trusts
Weekly Webinar Series: DentistLink: Connecting to Oral Health Care
Weekly Webinar Series: DentistLink: Connecting to Oral Health Care
Resource - Webinar
Brought to you by North Sound ACH
Screen grab of Rural Oral Health Toolkit
Rural Oral Health Toolkit
Tool - Toolkit/toolbox

Data & Metrics


Graphic depicting key elements of the Indicator, which includes icons related to the following: healthcare providers, oral health, rate, General Population, Administrative, Clinical Care and Urgent Services, .
Dentists
Metric

 Related Topics


Card image
Health Insurance

Card image
Cardiovascular Diseases

Card image
Disparities in Healthcare