Health & Social Work · 2016 · 35 citations · 4 references
DentistryDental Public HealthHealth EquityMedicaid PolicySocial Determinants Of HealthAccess To Dental CareAffordability Of Dental CareDental Care UtilizationHealth DisparitiesMedicaidSocioeconomic Determinants Of HealthAccess Barriers To Dental CareComprehensive CoverageDental Access BarriersDental Care Utilization Among Low-income PopulationsLow-income Access To Dental CareSocioeconomic Health DisparitiesState Medicaid CoverageState Medicaid Plans
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2012) defines health disparities as “preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations” (para. 1). The lack of dental coverage available for low-income populations is a health disparity, and the affected populations deserve access to care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “over a third (35 percent) of poor parents and 38 percent of poor adults without children were uninsured in 2013” (Majerol, Vann, & Rachel, 2014). Even as some gain coverage through state Medicaid expansions, it is estimated that only a quarter of states will offer comprehensive dental coverage (Nasseh, Vujicic, & O’Dell, 2013). Lack of access to dental care is not trivial. Mounting evidence suggests that poor oral health care leads to increased physical and mental health issues and greater cost to individuals and health care institutions. Ignoring dental health disparities in the United States has devastating social justice implications.
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