From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette
MassHealth dental care helps many
As dentists who spend every day treating the low-income population in Massachusetts, we can attest to the impact that the MassHealth dental care cuts for adults, proposed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives, will have on the state’s long-term finances and the overall wellness of our most vulnerable populations.
Dental care isn’t just about having clean teeth. Regular trips to the dentist can help head off the additional costs and pain caused by other health problems such as poor nutrition and dangerous infections — conditions that also add additional strain to the state’s public health resources.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans have the poorest oral health of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Adults below the federal poverty level are also more likely to have decayed and missing teeth. Cutting benefits will disproportionately impact the very people most in need of dental care.
Finding other forms of dental coverage is very difficult for this population. A 2008 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 59 percent of low-income adults have no dental coverage, and more than one in six low-income adults who lack dental coverage reported being unable to get care.
Because people from low-income populations are more likely to have dental health problems and less likely to have access to care, it is vital for the Massachusetts House of Representatives to reverse its course and protect funding for MassHealth dental services.
Dr. Maureen George, Small Smiles of Worcester
Dr. Yogita Kanorwalla, Small Smiles of Springfield
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