Oral health is critical to overall health, impacting people’s physical, mental, social, and
emotional well-being. Beyond the immediate effects on someone’s ability to eat, speak,
and attend work or school, oral health is linked to other health issues such as
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. Despite the importance of
oral health, millions of people in the U.S. lack access to dental care. 68.5 million adults do
not have dental insurance, and even among those who are insured, access barriers and
disparities remain. Many people, particularly those in marginalized communities, face
additional barriers to accessing dental services, including struggling to find a provider,
especially one who accepts their insurance. While expanding dental coverage can
significantly impact people’s access to care, a sufficient, well-distributed, and
representative workforce is also needed to ensure coverage can be used.
https://communitycatalyst.org/resource/achieving-oral-health-equity-through-comprehensive-dental-coverage/
Advancing-Equitable-Workforce-Opportunities-Post-Medicaid-Adult-Dental-Benefit-Expansion
