Political legislation brings attention to US Dental Care Crisis

According to a report created by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) there is a national crisis in American dental care.  On June 7, 2012 Cummings and Sanders – the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, introduced legislation to address the inefficiencies in the American dental care system. 

Approximately 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance.  ¼ of American adults 65 and older have lost all of their teeth.  More than 75% of American adults over 30 have gum disease.  Additionally, about 17 million low-income children do not go to the dentist every year.

On June 26, 2012, PBS aired a documentary about the U.S. dental care system on the investigative news program FRONTLINE.  The 50 minute documentary, Dollars and Dentists, analyzes current economic trends and patient access in the dental care industry.  The documentary is a joint investigative piece by FRONTLINE and the Center for Public Integrity. 

From the documentary and research conducted by Sanders and Cummings, it is clear that the U.S. dental care system needs to be corrected in order for more Americans to have better dental care.  Another complication in the dental care system is that traditional Medicare does not cover dentistry. “Dentistry is in fact a business,” said Cesar Sabates, D.D.S. a Florida dentist, who was interviewed in the documentary.  Dollars and Dentists also investigates the recent rise of corporate dental care chains and the effect that these practices have on dental care accessibility and affordability.  

“When we talk about the health care crisis in America we often ignore a very important aspect of that crisis; that tens of millions of Americans are unable to access affordable dental care and they suffer as a result of that,” Sanders remarked at a news conference regarding the new legislation.  The bill that Cummings and Sanders are sponsoring would seek ways to create affordable and effective dental care options for millions of Americans who lack dental care coverage.  The bill would also increase funding for National Health Services Corps scholarship programs.  According to federal government estimates, about 9,500 more dentists and other oral health care professionals are needed to meet the nation’s dental care needs. 

What should we do about the U.S. dental care crisis?  Much attention has been paid to America’s health care crisis.  I think that as a nation we should encourage a culture that pays attention to the importance of preventive dental care.  Millions of Americans are suffering because they cannot pay for dental procedures that would increase their quality of life.  Every year about 1 million Americans visit the emergency room because of severe dental pain.  They opt to go to the ER instead of the dentist because they might lack dental insurance or simply do not have the means to suitably pay for dental care services.

If you would like to see the FRONTLINE Dollars and Dentists documentary visit this link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/dollars-and-dentists/