More than usual, this month, I’ve been thinking about our commitment to increase access to dental services to keep more people achieving and maintaining optimal oral health because, on april first, we celebrated the third anniversary of Medicaid dental benefits being extended to adults in New Hampshire. Passed with bipartisan support, this landmark legislation marked the culmination of 25 years of advocacy by me and other individuals and organizations understanding the correlation between oral health and overall health.
We know securing coverage is just the first step to addressing the lack of oral health care for vulnerable populations. Without access to care the translation into better oral health isn’t there. This needed our attention.
One of the ways we’ve helped address access barriers to dental services for adults with Medicaid dental benefits is by partnering with DentaQuest and Solvere Health, a provider of onsite healthcare solutions. The New Hampshire Smiles Mobile Clinic offers comprehensive dental care in a fully equipped dental office designed with accessibility features. The mobile clinic stops in several New Hampshire communities offering its services.
My March 18 blog post told you about a new program at Harvard School of Dental Medicine that we support, Advanced Education in General Dentistry – Rural Track, a postdoctoral program training dentists to work in underserved rural communities across New Hampshire. It’s one of several ways we address dental workforce shortages.
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are not the only states experiencing shortages of dental professionals. Newly released Delta Dental-sponsored research offers findings related to the accessibility of dental services and what often happens when services are not readily available.
Research by Texas A&M University College of Dentistry published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry found that adults living in rural communities—particularly those covered by Medicaid or without dental coverage—are significantly more likely to rely on hospital emergency departments (EDs) for preventable dental pain because of limited access to dental professionals.
The study examined emergency department visits across eight states and found that Medicaid coverage alone does not prevent dental-related ED use. In states that expanded Medicaid but did not include comprehensive adult dental benefits, reliance on hospital emergency departments for dental pain remained high, especially in rural areas.
Emergency care for non-traumatic dental conditions is costlier and less effective than earlier treatment in dental offices. Yet people who lack dental benefits or who can’t find dentists who accept their insurance are pushed into emergency rooms, where the underlying problems go untreated, increasing the likelihood of return visits. Expanding preventive and restorative dental care availability can reduce avoidable emergency visits and improve health outcomes.
Research findings highlighted a critical policy gap: coverage without access to comprehensive adult dental benefits doesn’t facilitate good oral health. Reducing preventable dental emergency department visits requires policy alignment across coverage, workforce and access. Strategic investment in rural oral health can lower costs, improve outcomes and relieve pressure on emergency systems. A Delta Dental Institute news release gives key research findings and a link to the published study.
Everyone deserves a healthy smile! As these findings bear out, it’s an ongoing challenge for us and our oral health partners to continue to find ways to make oral health attainable for more people so they can lead healthy and productive lives. The road to dental equity is long, but with the right partnerships and a shared commitment to access, we are successfully turning the tide—ensuring that the next anniversary we celebrate is marked by even more success stories and healthier communities.
