For most Americans, getting dental care is simply a matter of making an appointment with their dentist's office and having all of the procedures they need completed. But for poverty-stricken and rural areas of the United States, getting access to quality dentists and dental care can be a challenge. Taking care of oral health is extremely important, so how can these services reach areas where dentists are not as easy to find, or where it is more difficult to afford? Read on to find out more.
Scarcity of Services
There are many reasons why people who live in more rural regions might not be able to easily get the dental care they need. They may also suffer higher rates of various oral diseases. Some of the reasons for the disparity include:
What Can Be Done?
Many dentists understand the urgency and importance of providing care to people living in these areas, but the logistics of being able to do so can be challenging. For low-income patients living in urban areas, there are federally funded healthcare centers that can help. Enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid can also assist with receiving affordable dental care in the event that the patient has no dental insurance. Children under the age of 19 can also enroll in the CHIP Program, which can assist families without health insurance in finding the care they need.
Another viable option to help people who may not otherwise be able to afford dental care is participating in different dental school clinics. Dental schools host open clinics at various times (depending on location) for a very low fee, or even at no charge. These school clinics give students the opportunity to practice performing dental care while providing very inexpensive treatment to those who need it at the same time. Other options can include the voluntary enrollment in clinical trials. Dental clinical trials can give people care for specific problems and are federally funded, so there's no cost to the participant.
For those living in more remote areas, mobile dental care is a viable option. Some clinics in surrounding cities offer a mobile dental office that travels to more remote areas, offering lower cost assistance to people who otherwise may not be able to get to the dentist. Everyone should be able to obtain quality treatment, and through these programs, it is something that more of the population can have access to.
For more information, contact a dentist in your area, such as Michael R Bishop DMD & Associates.
Share22 October 2015
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.