Arizonans deserve better access to dental care
An October 2019 opinion piece by Allan Alford and Dr. Joseph Dill titled “Quality oral health care must be a top priority for Arizona residents” highlights issues that prevent many adult Arizonans from getting dental care, and makes recommendations for wider coverage of dental health benefits.
The authors cite that only 62 percent of adult Arizonans visited the dentist in the last year, compared to 67 percent nationally.
That percentage is even lower for those who rely on the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for their healthcare insurance.
One reason is because while AHCCCS covers up to $1000 in costs for dental emergencies in the emergency room (ER) it does not pay for preventive dental care for adults. It is a policy that is reactive instead of proactive.
Alford and Dill argue that regular dentist visits would prevent not only dental issues, but also reduce the need for patients to go to the ER for dental emergencies.
A recent study that found moving dental care from the ER to a dentist’s office would save the nation $1.7 billion a year. So, widening dental care coverage could result in a net savings for Arizona.
Coverage for preventive dental care also helps to alleviate other health issues. Poor oral health has been linked to increased problems with pregnancy, heart disease and diabetes.
So, increasing the number of Arizona dental patients will also have a positive cost effect on healthcare.
To Arizona’s credit, AHCCCS does cover routine dental visits for children. Now, it is time for it to expand that benefit to adults.
