What Affects Access to Dental Care?

Oral health is important for maintaining teeth and for overall health and well-being. Despite this, access to dental care can be challenging for many people.

In this article, we’ll talk about the current state of dental care, key statistics, and other socioeconomic factors.

Global Trends on Oral Diseases

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted some alarming statistics for oral diseases affecting nearly half the global population.

• Oral diseases affect close to 3.5 billion people globally.
• Three out of four individuals face barriers to accessing oral health care.
• An estimated 2.4 billion people have little to no access to oral health treatment
• Untreated dental cavities (caries) are the most common oral health issue, affecting more than 2 billion people worldwide.
• Severe gum disease impacts about 1 billion people.
• Over 40% of low-income and non-Hispanic black adults have untreated tooth decay.

Socioeconomic Factors That Affect Access to Dental Care

Various socioeconomic factors affect a person’s access to medical care. People who are not white, come from lower-income families, or have lower levels of education are more likely to have oral diseases such as dental caries, tooth loss, and periodontal conditions.

Here are some key statistics that highlight these factors:

• In 2015, 29% of people in the United States had no dental insurance, rising to 62% for older adults.
• 50% of adults with Medicaid cite cost as the primary reason for not visiting a dentist; finding a dentist was also mentioned as a significant issue.
• 40% of adults without dental insurance reported cost as the reason they haven’t visited the dentist in the past two years.
• Lower-income and education levels are associated with more dental problems and diseases. 
• People with lower income and education levels are also less likely to use dental services.
• Children from low-income families face higher levels of dental disease and have a lesser likelihood of receiving dental care.

Barriers to Accessing Dental Care

Aside from socioeconomic factors, there are various financial and non-financial barriers to accessing dental care. These include:

• High treatment costs
• Lack of insurance coverage
• Dental anxiety
• Lack of information about oral health services
• Transportation problems and inconvenient office hours, especially in rural areas
• Low participation of general dentists treating children with public health insurance

Access to dental care is a critical issue that affects billions of people. Various socioeconomic factors act as barriers to oral care.

These barriers include low income, lack of education, insurance, and certain demographics. Additionally, there are various financial and non-financial reasons for avoiding dental care.

This can be a significant problem due to the rising trend of oral diseases globally. The WHO advocates for integrating oral health care into universal health coverage, which can help provide accessible and affordable dental care.