Understanding the Role of Preventive Dentistry in Reducing Health Disparities

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Ever wonder why millions of Americans still lack access to basic dental care?

Oral health disparities are a huge issue. They impact low income families, rural communities, and communities of colour disproportionately. And the sad truth?

Most of these consequences are completely preventable.

Preventive dentistry has proven to keep teeth healthy while saving money and preventing emergency room visits. But millions of Americans still lack access to preventive services.

Here’s how preventive dentistry helps close the gap…

What you’ll learn:

1. Why Health Disparities in Dentistry Matter
2. How Preventive Dentistry Helps Bridge the Gap
3. Tooth Loss & Why You Might Need the Dental Implant Procedure
4. Simple Ways We Can Help Improve Access

Why Health Disparities in Dentistry Matter

Did you know there are oral health disparities just like racial health disparities?

But oral health disparities are about more than just cavities. They also increase the risk of poor overall health.

Let’s look at some facts:

The CDC says that around 57 million Americans live in areas where there aren’t enough dental health professionals to go around. Nearly 2/3 of those areas are rural communities.

Essentially, millions of Americans aren’t able to access preventive dental care. No checkups. No cleanings. Nothing.

And if someone isn’t able to receive preventive dental care then small problems can quickly become big issues. Cavities lead to tooth extractions. Tooth extractions lead to tooth loss. And eventually tooth loss can lead to other oral health issues down the road.

Think preventative dentistry can help?

Not so much. Once someone can’t reach a dentist for preventive care they’re far more likely to need preventable dental treatments down the road. Say things like bridge work, dentures, or even the dental implant procedure.

Those exploring dental implant options in Richmond can find great solutions, but the need for implants could have been avoided entirely with better access to preventive care.

The takeaway? Preventive dentistry can save you time, money, and your pearly whites.

How Preventive Dentistry Helps Bridge the Gap

Preventive dentistry helps bridge the gap of health disparities by simply preventing dental problems.

Case in point:

Routine dentist visits allow your dentist to catch things early on. Getting your teeth cleaned prevents plaque buildup. Fluoride treatments strengthen enamel. Sealants prevent decay in children. All preventable dental services work to keep teeth healthy.

But here’s the issue…

Not everyone can access these treatments. Minorities, low income families, and uninsured Americans suffer the most. Between costs, lack of providers, transportation issues, and low oral health literacy. Prevention can be difficult to come by.

The National Institutes of Health reported that nearly 40% of adults over the age of 65 have lost 6 or more teeth. Income, insurance, and access to preventive dental care were major factors.

Low access = more tooth loss. Simple as that.

Access to preventive dental services keeps people’s teeth for longer. Without it we see more tooth loss and disease. That’s why programs focusing on preventive dentistry help decrease health disparities.

Community water fluoridation helps prevent tooth decay in children and adults. Mobile dental clinics travel to rural areas that lack dentists. School sealant programs prevent tooth decay in low-income children. And checking oral health in primary care settings allows doctors to spot potential problems.

All of these solutions are cheap and effective. They just need support!

Tooth Loss & Why You Might Need the Dental Implant Procedure

When preventive dental care isn’t available or you don’t get it, tooth loss can be the result. But did you know that tooth loss affects more Americans than you think?

Check this stat out:

Approximately 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth. That’s over half the U.S. population. And many of these Americans lost teeth due to lack of access to preventive dental care.

Tooth loss isn’t really a “loss” it changes someone’s life. Eating, speaking, and smiling can be affected by not having your teeth. Plus, when you lose teeth your jawbone begins to deteriorate as there is no stimulation from tooth roots.

What’s the solution? The dental implant procedure.

Inserting dental implants is how a lot of dentists today fix someone’s missing teeth. Dental implants have a 95-98% success rate and act as a permanent solution for your smile.

But there’s a flaw…

Implants are expensive. On average a single implant costs between $3,000 and $6,000. That’s a lot of money to someone who can’t access preventive dentistry.

And that is why preventive dentistry is important. Spending money on prevention saves you money in restorative services. If we can prevent people from losing their teeth we won’t have to worry about dental implants, dentures, and bridges as much.

Simple Ways We Can Help Improve Access

Alright you made it this far. Now it’s time to talk about actual solutions to the problem.

There are many ways to close the gap of health disparities. Let’s review some:

1. Expand community water fluoridation Prevent tooth decay by 25% by continuing to provide fluoride in our water.

2. Fund mobile dental clinics Bring preventive dentistry to communities who have no dentist.

3. Integrate oral health in primary care Train medical providers to do basic oral health checks to catch issues early.

4. Expand Medicaid dental benefits Allow low income families to receive dental benefits they may not be able to afford.

5. Invest in oral health education Teach parents and children how to properly care for their teeth.

5 simple ways to help fix the problem of dental health disparities. When we pool our resources together and think outside the box we can save lives and teeth.

Wrap-Up

Simple preventive dentistry can go a long way when thinking about how to decrease health disparities. Preventive dentistry allows you to keep your teeth for as long as possible.

Millions of Americans are affected by health disparities. Lack of access to preventive dental services can lead to tooth loss, cost later on, and worse overall health.

Let’s review:

• Health disparities in dentistry happen because of income, rural area vs. urban, and lack of dental providers
• Preventive dentistry includes services that help prevent cavities and keep your teeth healthy
• Over 178 million Americans are missing teeth and could have been prevented with preventive dental care
• The dental implant procedure is a great way to save someone’s smile but is too expensive for most Americans to afford
• We can help fix the problem of health disparities by putting more focus on preventive dentistry and expanding access to underserved communities