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This week, we learn that
American adults often lack access to quality dental benefits, young women need
to improve their oral health, and millions of Americans who are accessing
healthcare for the first time don’t understand their benefits. Join in the
conversation on Twitter using #FridayDentalDL.
The Atlantic reporter Olga Kazhan learned
firsthand recently that American adults often lack access to quality dental
care when she attended a Mission of Mercy event in Maryland. Only 12 states
provide comprehensive dental benefits for adults through their Medicaid
programs and three offer nothing at all. Learn more about the need to expand
adult dental benefits here.
According
to a study published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease, young
pregnant women, non-Hispanic black or Mexican-American women, and lower income
and less educated women, need to improve their oral care. Women have a higher
risk of experiencing oral health problems and it is especially important for pregnant
women to receive proper oral health care.
We
love this byline in Healthy Cells
Magazine about preventing the spread of bacteria that causes tooth decay
and how to properly manage risk. We always encourage open conversations
with your dentist about your risk for dental disease and remind parents not to
put their child’s pacifier in their own mouth to clean it.
The
Affordable Care Act and expansion of Medicaid benefits has allowed millions of
people to access healthcare benefits for the first time, but it turns out that
many of those people don’t understand how to use them. Understanding your
healthcare, called health
literacy, is an important part of staying healthy. This is just as true for
understanding your dental benefits to maintain good oral health.