Millions in U.S. Lack Access to Dentists
Millions in U.S. Lack Access to Dentists
Study Shows Geography, Economics, and Shortage of Dentists Limit Dental Care
July 13, 2011 -- Fewer than half of Americans see a dentist each year and millions live in areas where access to dental care is severely limited, a new analysis from the health policy group Institute of Medicine (IOM) finds.
A severe shortage of dentists, especially those serving rural and minority groups, is contributing to the "persistent and systemic" barriers to oral health care, the report noted.
According to the report:
The IOM committee concluded that around 9,600 additional dentists would be needed to meet the needs of underserved populations in the United States.
"We have the lowest ratio of dentists to population that we have had in 100 years," says Shelly Gehshan, who directs the Pew Children's Dental Campaign. "This is a serious problem that leaves 40 to 50 million people out of reach of a dentist at any given moment."
What Your Teeth Say About Your Health
Gehshan tells WebMD that millions of Americans lack dental coverage or the ability to pay for dental care.
She served on the IOM committee that issued the report.
Committee chairman Frederick P. Rivara, MD, tells WebMD that barriers to dental services disproportionately affect children, the elderly, and minorities.
Rivara is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
"As the nation struggles to address the larger systemic issues of access to health care, we need to ensure that oral health is recognized as a basic component of overall health," he says in a news release.
The IOM report included recommendations to federal and state policy makers to improve access to dental care.
To address the shortage of dentists in underserved inner city and rural areas, the report calls for dental professional education programs aimed at increasing enrollment of African-Americans, Latinos, and people from rural areas into dental schools.
Millions in U.S. Lack Access to Dentists
Study Shows Geography, Economics, and Shortage of Dentists Limit Dental Care
July 13, 2011 -- Fewer than half of Americans see a dentist each year and millions live in areas where access to dental care is severely limited, a new analysis from the health policy group Institute of Medicine (IOM) finds.
A severe shortage of dentists, especially those serving rural and minority groups, is contributing to the "persistent and systemic" barriers to oral health care, the report noted.
According to the report:
- 33 million Americans live in areas that are underserved by dental health professionals.
- 4.6 million children went without dental checkups in 2008 because their families could not afford them.
- In 2006, almost two-thirds of retirees (62%) did not have adequate dental coverage.
The IOM committee concluded that around 9,600 additional dentists would be needed to meet the needs of underserved populations in the United States.
"We have the lowest ratio of dentists to population that we have had in 100 years," says Shelly Gehshan, who directs the Pew Children's Dental Campaign. "This is a serious problem that leaves 40 to 50 million people out of reach of a dentist at any given moment."
What Your Teeth Say About Your Health
Dental Care Lacking for Children, Elderly, and Poor
Gehshan tells WebMD that millions of Americans lack dental coverage or the ability to pay for dental care.
She served on the IOM committee that issued the report.
Committee chairman Frederick P. Rivara, MD, tells WebMD that barriers to dental services disproportionately affect children, the elderly, and minorities.
Rivara is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
"As the nation struggles to address the larger systemic issues of access to health care, we need to ensure that oral health is recognized as a basic component of overall health," he says in a news release.
The IOM report included recommendations to federal and state policy makers to improve access to dental care.
Boosting Access to Dental Care
To address the shortage of dentists in underserved inner city and rural areas, the report calls for dental professional education programs aimed at increasing enrollment of African-Americans, Latinos, and people from rural areas into dental schools.
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