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New research from Texas A&M University College of Dentistry (A&M Dentistry), sponsored by Delta Dental, and published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, finds that adults living in rural communities—particularly covered by Medicaid or without dental coverage—are significantly more likely to rely on hospital emergency departments (ED) for preventable dental pain.
The research, led by Marvellous Akinlotan, BDS, PhD, clinical assistant professor and director of health services research, A&M Dentistry, shows that limited access to dentists in rural areas, combined with gaps in Medicaid adult dental benefits, contributes to costly and ineffective emergency care for non-traumatic dental conditions that could be treated earlier in a dental office.
“Emergency departments aren’t designed to provide dental care and people that go to the ED for dental issues often only receive palliative care,” said Daniel Croley, DMD, National Oral Health Spokesperson for Delta Dental Plans Association. “When coverage lacks dental benefits—or patients can’t find a dentist who accepts their insurance—people are pushed into the ED, where the underlying problem goes untreated, increasing the likelihood that the person returns. Expanding preventive and routine dental care, especially through Medicaid, can reduce avoidable emergency visits and improve health outcomes.”
