Dental Insurance

While more than 43 million Americans lack medical insurance, there are over 150 million Americans with limited or no dental insurance, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unlike medical conditions, dental diseases affect almost the total population, with nearly everyone needing dental care. For example, 84 percent of 17 year-olds have had tooth decay, with an average of 8 affected tooth surfaces; and 99 percent of 40-44 year-olds have had tooth decay, with an average of 30 affected tooth surfaces. Those most likely not to receive needed dental services are the vulnerable or high-risk population groups, such as the low income, the least educated, racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, the develop-mentally and medically compromised or disabled, the elderly, persons with HIV, and the uninsured. For example, lower income children have almost five times more untreated dental disease than higher income children, according to the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey III.

How much are we spending on dental services? Although $50.6 billion was spent for dental care in the U.S. in 1997, a majority of Americans don’t have dental insurance. According to the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), 47 percent of dental services are paid for out-of-pocket. Only 4.4 percent of dental care expenditures were from public funds, with most it (roughly 4 percent or $2 billion) being from Medicaid. Lack of dental insurance affects dental utilization and oral health status. For example, 48.2 percent of people without private dental insurance did not have a dental visit in the last year, compared to 28 percent with insurance, according to data from Dental Services and Oral Health: United States, 1989. Of people who had dental visits, those without private dental insurance had 1.7 visits a year, compared to 2.8 for those with insurance; and 27 percent of persons over 65 without dental insurance had no teeth at all, compared to 18.3 percent with dental insurance.

By Myron Allukian, Jr., DDS

Understanding Dental Insurance Recommended Resources:

University of Wisconsin System

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia