Survey Confirms Cost Keeps Many Americans from Good Dental Care

Many Americans today will tell you that their teeth are in relatively good shape.

As such, many Americans abstain from routine dental appointments with their dentists out of sheer complacency as well as financial constraint.

A lot of people feel that good dental health is a luxury they cannot afford for several reasons.

When it gets down to it, some Americans simply have zero dental health coverage. People in this country have enough trouble finding employment with the standard in basic health insurance.

The findings from the survey are a culmination of responses from over 17,000 men and women, between the ages of 18 to 64, throughout the US, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics report.

Researchers discovered that about 75 percent of participants claim their oral health was in good shape while on the other side of the coin, only 17 and 7 percent described their dental health as fair or poor.

Can this mean a multitude of things? Can this many people be in denial regarding their oral health? Perhaps embarrassment is an attributor? Regardless of what we may or may not believe, the results tell the true story.

The fact is—oral health appeared to differ by the type of insurance people claimed to have. Those with Medicaid ran a five times greater risk for poorer dental health than those with private coverage provided by their respective employers.

Those with Medicaid also were found to be worse off in regard to total dental visits in a half-decade.

In addition, there seems to be a pattern regarding race. 37 percent of whites and Asians were more likely to have good oral health, while Hispanics or blacks at only 25 and 26 percent respectively.

Obviously there is a an issue considering the survey further detailed that 42 percent of the participants said that they are without dental insurance and/or they could not afford to get their teeth checked/treated.

The solution seemed muddled, as it seems fewer and fewer employers are subscribing to plans that include decent dental coverage.

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment with our dentists, Dr. Evelina Tolchinsky DDS or Dr. Inna Trogan DDS, then please call our office today! (718) 246-5677

Our dentists have served the residents of Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Dumbo, and all of our other surrounding New York communities for years.

You can find our office in the heart of beautiful Brooklyn Heights at 100 Pineapple Walk, Brooklyn, NY 11201