Many Ohioans face barriers when it comes to accessing dental care — transportation issues, insurance limitations, the cost, anxiety around going to the dentist and a lack of understanding of proper dental care.
The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.The patient was a recovering drug addict who kept missing appointments — only making her dental issues worse.
Ohio also has a shortage of dentists and a shortage of dentists who take Medicaid — making it tough to find providers. “We have a shortage of dentists, hygienists and dental assistants,” said Susan Lawson, the director of Oral Health Services at the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers. “So much so that a lot of our health centers are looking into training their own dental assistants because there’s just not enough out there.”
Of Ohio’s 32 Appalachian counties, 10 have less than 10 dentists, according to County Health Rankings. Five additional counties also have less than 10 dentists. “It will allow Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens to have access to dental care without long wait lines and without having long distances to travel because there will be more providers in the community that can take medicaid patients,” he said.
Insurance is a big barrier. Not everyone has dental insurance and even those who do may have to pay a significant amount of out-of-pocket money. It can also be tough to find providers who take a certain kind of dental insurance — forcing people to sometimes drive across county lines to access care. Having poor oral hygiene can lead to gum disease which is correlated with diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy complications and some cancers. Poor dental health is also linked to Alzheimer’s disease.“If you don’t have good teeth, you’re not going to be able to eat healthy foods,” Cook said.“A lot of people that I see won’t smile,” Cook said. “They don’t leave the house because they’re ashamed of their poor oral health.
Cook is passionate about helping children understand what good oral hygiene looks like. She remembers shadowing an oral surgeon who had a 14-year-old patient who had to get all her teeth removed and needed dentures. Dentists and dental hygienists must commit at least two years to the program and they may receive $25,000 per year toward their loan repayment. The program maxes out at four years and those who continue with the program for years three and four may receive up to $35,000 per year toward their loans.
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