Getting medical or dental care without coverage by an insurance provider can be pretty tricky these days. Long waits in overcrowded, uncomfortable waiting rooms are expected. Sometimes the wait can last days. Those are days spent off the job, not earning any money, for many patients in waiting.
More and more Americans are turning to the nearest emergency room (ER) for relief, even if it’s just temporary relief, from pain and infection caused by lack of routine, preventive dental care. Consumer advocates and state officials expect to change that way of getting dental care in Ohio next month when a plan will be introduced to restore cuts made to Medicaid’s dental program for adults. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is an advocate of the plan.
David Owsiany, Ohio Dental Association’s executive director, says Medicaid reimbursement for a routine tooth extraction isn’t more than $100 but many hundreds, even thousands, of dollars are spent on the same tooth when the patient must rely on the ER for dental care.
Most dental problems are the result of inadequate dental care and hygiene and are easily preventable with adequate care and training. Dental problems left untreated can spread infection throughout the body, causing undue strain on an immune system, especially an immune system already coping with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. Pregnant women with untreated dental infections are at increased risk for giving birth to underweight babies.
Mark Siegal is the bureau chief for oral-health services at Ohio’s Department of Health. Siegal says that while demand has increased, the number of dentists available to meet that demand has not.
In Ohio, there is an average of one dentist to meet the needs of every 1,882 people. Numbers vary by county, of course, with Franklin County enjoying one dentist for every 1,223 people and Vinton and Meigs Counties claiming one dentist for every 6,715 and 7,744 people, respectively.
There are currently 120 dental clinics in Ohio that support low-income patients. In all of Ohio, 1.2 million people do not have medical insurance coverage. Four million Ohioans do not have dental coverage.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch
