Dental health is not an affordable service in the United States

Dental health, a problem that afflicts millions in the US.

Dental care is not part of general health coverage in the United States, The cost of services and the lack of coverage of the health system are the main cause.

Wollen gums, decayed teeth, patients in pain and children who dare not smile: this is the daily panorama of Roslyn Kellum, a traveling dentist who travels across the United States treating tens of thousands of people who cannot afford dental care.

“They have to choose between treating their teeth and paying their bills, their gas, their food or their rent,” says Kellum, director of Mission of Mercy, a Christian charity that provides free medical and dental care to disadvantaged Americans in several states.

President Joe Biden’s massive social spending plan, called ‘Build Back Better’, originally included reimbursement for dental care for beneficiaries of the Medicare public health program , intended for the elderly and disabled.

However, the proposal was eliminated from the plan due to resistance from the Republican opposition and some legislators from his own Democratic Party, who pushed to reduce the amount of the initiative to 1.75 trillion dollars.

Dental care is not part of general health coverage in the United States , and was excluded from Medicare when the public program was created in 1965. “Keeping your teeth in the mouth as you get older should not be a luxury in this country,” independent progressive senator Bernie Sanders recently denounced.

However, that is the case for many Americans. According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 24 million Americans, or nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries, do not have dental coverage.

“The situation is really bad, many people who live in the south (of Washington) cannot pay for care that is very expensive ,” says María Hernández, a 53-year-old home health aide from Washington who does not have dental insurance and does not can afford to pay for the cures he needs. Private insurance can be very expensive and dental costs are prohibitive. Nearly half of Medicare patients did not go to the dentist in 2020, the Kaiser Foundation notes.

The rate is even higher among minorities: 68% for African Americans and 61% for Hispanics. One more example of the racial inequalities in the American health system, which were revealed in the covid-19 pandemic.

The other public health program for low-income people, Medicaid, offers fragmented coverage. Many states do not include dental care, and only 43% of dentists are part of the program. In addition, having teeth in poor condition has psychological effects . Children do not dare to smile or express themselves in class, adults cannot find work, especially in the service sector.

“When people get dentures, it’s heartbreaking to see the pride they feel in being able to smile ,” says Randi Abramson, medical director of Bread for the City. .“They are surprised, they gain more confidence, they can smile again. And that makes a big difference in someone’s life ,” he adds.

Translate by: Felix Man Ging Quintero | DDS, Mtr.

Original text in spanish: https://www.eltiempo.com/salud/la-salud-dental-no-es-un-servicio-adsequible-en-estados-unidos-629330