Dental Care Programs Essential to Good Health

Dental care is essential to maintaining good health for all Americans, but even for people with health insurance, oral health problems affect their quality of life and economic productivity.

In 1989, U.S. workers missed more than 164 million hours because of dental problems and treatment. Gingivitis and gum infections (periodontal disease) affected nearly half of all employed Americans (18 to 64-years-old). (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1998)

Low-income adults and children especially can’t get the dental care they need. Dental care is less likely to be covered by third-party insurance, and, when coverage is available, costs can be prohibitive. Even Medicaid is not required to cover dental care for adults.

West Virginia is approaching the serious dental needs of low-income populations by allocating a portion of its TANF funds for adult dental care. The state’s Community Voices initiative and the West Virginia Welfare Reform Coalition have formed a task force to address the needs of dental health in the state. Based on their recommendations, states should consider the following strategies for providing preventive and restorative dental services to underserved communities:

• Examine how TANF funds can be used to support dental care for adult TANF recipients or other individuals who do not have access to any type of dental benefit programs.
• Implement adult dental programs using the current Medicaid administrative framework. This will reduce the burdens of creating new administrative processes.
• Partner case workers with service providers to identify TANF recipients who need immediate services and who are having difficulty finding work because of poor oral health.
• Encourage case managers and community health workers to emphasize with patients the need to keep dental appointments.