The Cost of Dental Health Care Essay

Oral health has a direct impact on the general health, hence, it is important that all Canadians have adequate access to dental care services. Over the years successive Governments have reduced financial support to programs delivering dental care to most vulnerable populations. As a result, many low income families and other vulnerable groups have been unable to access dental care. There is further escalation in the disparities in oral health care among Canadians, as the number of Canadians losing dental care benefits continues to increase. Also, higher oral health care costs can be expected in the near future due to shortage of health care professionals.

The accessibility of dental care in relation to race, ethnicity, income level, and overall socioeconomic status is evaluated. Across the board, a huge lack of dental care is seen in individuals of low-income levels and minority groups. In addition, the most susceptible groups to dental disease are identified as children, low-income adults, and the elderly. Ways to improve the oral health status of these groups are recognized. The various needs of underserved communities with respect to the access of dental care are assessed, despite a lack of sufficient dental insurance coverage of individuals who are members of these communities. This includes the improvement of both preventative and restorative care via public health programs, such as

As society continues to age, one fourth of the world will be 65 years or older, thanks to the influx of baby boomers. Due to this rapid growth in longevity, this will multiply the problem of access to care. Attention towards systemic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and strokes are being discussed by government agencies and health care professionals. (Overview of oral health, 2017). There is evidence linking oral health to systemic health, therefore, a need for a more collaborative approach towards prevention is critical to achieve overall health for the public (Jin, 2016).

To begin, dentistry plays an integral role in the daily lives of countless individuals. Dentistry as defined by the International Council of Nurses is, "The profession of practice of providing care for the sick and inform in regards to oral hygiene." Populations around the world, and in particular Japan, are aging quite rapidly. Baby Boomers, individuals born between 1946 and 1964 are reaching retirement age as they too become older. As this demographic age becomes older, they will typically become more prone to sickness or other forms of detrimental illnesses. As such, the importance of dentistry in the coming years will be even more profound. As such, interviewing an individual within the health care industry provided valuable insights as to the overall profession, and the implications it has on society.

The provision of dental treatment in Australia is a topic that ignites a wide range of opinions and emotions among the various stakeholders involved. Much of dentistry in Australia is provided in the private setting, some estimates suggesting 83%1. Australians fund up to 60% of dental care via out of pocket payments1,2. Only a relatively small amount of dental care is provided in the public sector to patients who are often disadvantaged in regards to their oral health1. It is estimated that a large amount of the population is unable to access dental care due to finances; however the capacity of the public sector to provide dental care is limited. With limited funding and resources, the public sector is unable to provide dental care for all Australians and a large proportion of people are on long wait lists, some estimates of 650,0002.

One of such studies was carried out by Han et al, 2014 utilizing data obtained from household interviews conducted by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Subsequent to controlling for statistic considers, the receipt of dental checkups and routine wellbeing checkups essentially increased in young adults between 19 and 25 years old after the implementation of the ACA of the needy scope grown-ups in the vicinity of, however not in those between the ages of 26 and 30 years. The rates of people who got flu immunization and Pap testing changed nearly nothing over this period in both age ranges. Analysis aimed at comparing the differences in the utilization of these services after sometime between grown-ups who were between the ages of 19 and 25 years revealed that, the individuals who were between the ages of 26 and 30 years, noteworthy changes were seen in the receipt of dental checkups and pulse estimations, yet not in the utilization of the other three administrations We additionally watched a noteworthy increment (from 36.7% to 42.4%) in the rate of young adults between the ages of 19 and 25 years who had private dental insurance. Although dental checkups are not mandatory under the ACA, numerous dental carriers have selected to include dental coverage in their plans (Han et al,

Many low income areas have dental therapists as part of their local dental team. Many people in these areas have never been to a dentist or do not go every six months as recommended this poses many other health problems. There has been case studies and data showing that in these areas dental health

Dental insurance coverage is a key determinant on whether to seek care or not. The exclusion of our mouths from the rest of our body parts and not receiving the care it requires is quite impossible to rationalize (McClymont, 2015). Dental care is essential in the maintenance of good oral health and in the identification of symptoms of systemic conditions that most likely are manifested through the mouth. As striking and conspicuous as it may sound, Canada has indeed a type of health care system wherein mouth is excepted as a part of the body. As a matter of fact, our lips, tongues, and throats are securely covered while our teeth and gums are left out from the privilege. The most common infectious disease in the world are dental diseases, and the fact that many health issues can be first diagnosed through the oral cavity validates its importance and co-relevance to the rest of our body. Studies have linked poor oral health such as severity of gum infection to AIDS, first stages of osteoporosis, reveal nutritional deficiencies, immune disorders, cancer, and so on and so forth. Xerostomia or dry mouth for an instance is often a symptom of undetected diabetes. Diabetic patients have higher risks of gum infection caused by increased blood sugar, thickening of blood vessels resulting to hindered healing process that is why they are obligated to undergo pre-medication as a form

This proves that the lack of dental insurance within these low-income households plays a key role in whether or not these children will receive dental care. When these children do not visit the dentist, they increase their chances of developing dental caries significantly. The British Dental Journal disclosed that, “Sugars consumption varies by social class. National food surveys reveal a higher consumption of sugar and sugar-containing foods and drinks amongst low income groups”(Watt 8). Healthy food is expensive; therefore lower class families resort to unhealthy food because it is significantly cheaper. This extensive consumption of sugar-ridden foods is extremely detrimental to the enamel. The British Dental Journal also declared that “oral inequalities will only be reduced through the implementation of effective and appropriate oral health promotion policy”(Watt 6). The dental program will make the inequalities in dental care known and work to reduce those inequalities. Dental health is often times overseen because it is typically expensive and people are unaware of how the condition of their teeth affects the condition of the rest of their body. The all-inclusive dental health program will give people the treatment they need, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Lack of access to dental health services and providers also affects utilization rates within the adult Medicaid population (Licata & Paradise, 2012; Davis., Deinard &, Maïga, 2010; MacDougall, 2016; Hinton & Paradise 2016; PEW Center on the

Oral health care is an integral part of the US healthcare system. In 2012, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced “The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act”, which aimed on expanding dental coverage, accessible oral health care centers, increase in dental workforce, enhanced dental education and encourage dental research. (Congress.gov). The ACA, aim to curb the national health spending, by facilitating the affordability to quality care through private and public health insurance. The purpose of this bill is to cut the healthcare costs and to reverse the “silent epidemic” of dental health status (surgeon gen). This dental bill with an integrated approach towards the preventive and comprehensive oral healthcare is estimated to provide coverage to almost 17.7 million adults. (ADA

Dental care will increase due to climate change and as an outcome there will be limited fund obtain due to the demand. Due to destruction of the quality of supply from the climate change the amount of fund to cover the basic dental benefit will decrease. “The government’s allocation for healthcare remains an insignificant 0.36 percent of GDP in the 2010-11budget. This is still very far from the three percent of GDP that needs to be allocated to the healthcare system to provide quality basic healthcare” (Khanna).

The Danish government spent 9.5% of its GDP on Healthcare in 2006, whereas only 0.19% of the GDP was spent on Oral Health in the same year (Kravitz & Treasure, 2009). The government pays approximately 85% of the national costs of health care, while the remaining 15% come from individuals through co payments for treatments (Kravitz & Treasure, 2009). However, for dental care it’s almost the opposite, government only funds 20% of the national cost for adult dental services and the remaining 80% is paid by the dentist (Kravitz & Treasure, 2009).

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.

Context: In 2009, India was the world’s largest democracy; with a population of 1.16billion growing at 1.4% per annum, the country suffered from a huge disparity in income with the majority of Indian population (78%) living in rural areas, and as many as 80% living under $2 per day. The 78% who lived in rural areas accounted for c. 64% of total expenditures in India. Around 50% of the Indian population did not have sufficient awareness of dental healthcare, and did not associate dental problems with improper care but rather to eating habits or genetics; most of these Indians were using natural remedies as chewing twigs from the Neem tree. Among the remaining population who used modern dental healthcare or a toothbrush, 77% brushed their teeth less than twice a day (recommended usage), and out of the 747.1million brushes sold every year, only 8.6% replaced their brush every 3 months. Cottle-Taylor (CT) enjoyed a large market share in India and focused on toothbrushes. Given the peculiarities of the market, CT decided to focus on toothbrushes where it enjoys larger gross margins by virtue of its existing manufacturing infrastructure that has been built over the years.