The Importance Of Oral Health, It Is Still Neglected By Most Individuals

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.

Grants have a great value in providing dental care in community health centers particularly dental clinics that represent a large public investment to address the dental health needs of a diverse underserved rural and urban communities, and uninsured populations. The grants that fund community health centers play a critical role in financial support to provide dental services for patients in Medicaid non-expansion states who are more likely to be uninsured. Grant funding enables community health centers to provide services not covered by most programs, such as adult dental care, transportation, translation services, and use sliding fees for privately insured patients who cannot afford their deductibles and cost-sharing (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2017).

In “Where are all the Dentists?”, Kristen Lewis states that there are not enough dentists in rural areas, but that can be fixed. Many people in the modern world live in poverty and don't have the dental support they need. This is because regular dental treatment can cost up to $100, which is a lot for some people who don't have regular dental access. Having a dental degree is very pricey, so when the dentists come out of dental school, they are usually in debt. Because of this, dentists like to work in modern environments where they can get good business. But in places with not a lot of money, there are less or no dentists. These “dental deserts” have many people with untreated cavities and other bad tooth diseases. Because of that, dentists

The authors have properly addressed the health disparities in this article. They started the article by telling the audience why Hispanic faces health disparities the most. First, due to the language barrier they have insufficient knowledge of oral health. Most the people who participated in this study were immigrants, Spanish. Only 2/3 of the people spoke and understood little to no English. Second, because of the poverty they have can’t afford dental health and avoid going to see the dentist. ¾ of the parents received an income of $2,000 or under per month. Third, many of the families did not have any type of dental insurance.

While most of the patients I interacted with were seeking non-dental care, I met patients who were seeking care to health conditions that stem from their oral health such as oral abscesses, which our team was unable to treat except for prescribing antibiotics or painkillers. I encountered similar situations when I shadowed physicians in the emergency room of hospitals, observing a variety of craniofacial disorders originating from a preventable tooth decay. From these observations, I learned that patients often did not receive treatment that addressed the root of their problems: their oral health. As the result, I learned that many physicians saw the same patient repeatedly for problems that would otherwise be easily prevented through proper preventive dental care. Determining to address the unmet needs for accessible preventive dental care, I decided to pursue a career in dentistry so that I can provide a positive and meaningful impact to the underserved community on their oral health and ultimately their overall

In the course of my time volunteering at the UCSD Student-Run Free Dental Clinics, I came to understand how poverty, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the importance of dental care can lead to readily preventable and treatable dental problems. These dental problems can lead to a cascade of issues, preventing an individual’s progress. As a clinic volunteer inside the school’s dental clinic, I noticed young students, with poor dental care, have constant pain that affected their studies and attitude. I recall a Hispanic young boy telling me he was sharing a toothbrush with his family. I hand over multiple toothbrushes and, using Spanish cards, educate him on oral hygiene. With each treatment visit, he was eager to tell the dentist

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

Over 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance. On top of that, almost a million emergency room visits last year resulted from preventable oral conditions. Many Americans today are unaware of how the condition of their dentition affects their overall health. Socioeconomic limitations, the lack of dental education in parents, eating habits, and simply the availability of dentists plays a key role in the state of children’s oral health; implementing a universal dental care program will help lower the barriers that many people face when it comes to receiving the dental care they need. The program will target high-risk individuals who are prone to dental caries and provide them with standard

It appears to backs this notion by the lack of unified healthcare, fewer fee based dental clinics versus health clinics, lack of supportive legislation and fewer people with dental coverage versus healthcare coverage (Fingar, et al., 2015). Much to my dismay, dental care is a major health disparity. Three quarters of my career has been spent in the emergency department (ED). During these years, we continue to see patients with dental issues. Admittedly, their main reason for seeking care from the ED is that they lack dental insurance. Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), these patients cannot be turned away from the ED due to their lack of ability to pay. Daily we treat patients with mouth pain related to dental caries, mouth abscesses and fractured teeth. Patients have told me that they are saving to have the tooth pull which can cost at least $100. I have had several crowns placed in my mouth and I can attest that this procedure costs approximately $500 with decent insurance and triple this amount without insurance. The general reason for my concern, is that, dental infections can lead to other serious health problems such has respiratory infections, heart value disease or brain abscesses (Li, Kolltveit, Tronstad, & Olsen, 2000). I witnessed my 32 year old female patient die after surgery for removal of an infected brain abscess. The day prior, she confessed that it was related to dental

In “Where are All the Dentists?” Kristin Lewis informs the reader about many people who aren't getting the dental care they need, and the organizations who are trying to change it. People who live in dental desserts don't have access to a dentist. Similarly, there are other people who can't afford to go to the dentist, because the cost to go is too high. Not having proper dental care can lead to many health issues later in life, so it's better to go to the dentist now. However, to fix this, people are starting to make mobile clinics where dentists will treat patients. These clinics will travel to dental deserts in order to help the people there for a lowered price, or even no cost at all! The hope is, that doing this will eventually help everyone

In “Where Are All the Dentists?”, Kristin Lewis explains that millions of people don't have dental care, so mobile dentists are on the job. The true problem is the lack of dental care people receive. Why is that and how bad is it you may ask. Well according to “Where Are All the Dentists?”, “...one in seven kids between the ages of 12 and 19 have at least one untreated cavity…” This is terrible because unhealthy mouths can lead to surgery and other major health problems later on in life. Why are people getting inadequate care? Well there is not one answer to this. Some people simply find it too expensive seeing that an average check up is around $100. Others simply have no dentist to go to, these are called dental deserts and the office can

The economy plays an important factor of what people want to spend their money on. Dental/ oral health care is important to most people in today’s today world. Since the dental/ oral health industry is very big there are many trends that are arising such as the cost of dental care increase or decreasing, market of the industry and lastly global dental industry.

among many other aspects. There is a great lack of access to dental care that persists

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.