Serve the Underserved

In a two-part story last year, Inside Dentistry addressed the oral healthcare challenges faced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which are profound. However, this is hardly the only US demographic facing issues related to oral health equity. This month, our September 2023 cover story examines the widening disparities in oral health outcomes and access to care that have been associated with income and race. Research indicates that the inability to pay for dental insurance leads many underserved individuals to avoid seeking dental care until they require a hospital emergency room visit, which saddles them with a disproportionate burden of oral disease and our healthcare system with increased costs. As you'll learn in the article, because oral health is a major component of overall health, many of the efforts to eliminate these disparities through changes to the Medicare and Medicaid programs are being driven by the finding that preventive care and earlier treatment will not only improve outcomes for the underserved but also reduce costs to our nation's healthcare system.