Dental Checkup on Northern Virginia: It’s Not All Smiles
September 16, 2011
Girl having Teeth Examined
Northern Virginia is one of the wealthiest regions of the country, but it’s not all smiles along the Potomac. A significant portion of Northern Virginians have difficulty accessing needed dental care.
Based on a survey of 1,300 North Virginia adults, 75 percent of those with annual incomes below $40,000 did not have dental insurance, and 66 percent of these lower-income adults said they could not afford to see a dentist. In fact, 16 percent of lower-income adults in the region have not seen a dentist in more than five years.
Lower-income adults have greater difficulty accessing dental care primarily due to cost. As a result they are more likely to lose teeth or need dentures than their higher-income counterparts. And when they do have acute dental needs, they’re forced to go to a local hospital emergency room.
The Northern Virginia Health Foundation (a Burness client) released the survey and also called on the community to take steps to improve oral health care access. More “safety net” health clinics in the region should integrate primary, oral and behavioral health care, according to the foundation’s report. Furthermore, more dental providers should be recruited to offer their services in the region at reduced or even free rates for the poor. The Washington Post reports that the few clinics offering charity oral care for under-insured or uninsured residents have long waiting lists.
Northern Virginians are not alone in their struggle to gain access to needed dental care. In fact, close to 50 million people in the United States can’t get dental care when they need it. One study found that dentists, including those participating in Medicaid, were less likely to see children for urgent dental issues if they had public coverage (versus private coverage). The problem is a serious one since oral health is critical to overall health. Poor oral health is linked to heart disease, diabetes and strokes.
