Closing Gaps in Dental Care Access: How Savings Plans Can Make a Difference
Stephanie Miranda
January 26, 2024
The United States is facing concerning gaps in access to dental care that largely impact disadvantaged groups based on income levels, insurance coverage, and geographic location of their communities.
Recent data highlights the scope of the issues at hand:
It’s estimated that more than 68 million Americans have no dental insurance coverage whatsoever (CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®, 2023).
Almost 60% of low-income working adults ages 20 to 64 are coping with untreated tooth decay, according to the CDC (CDC National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015-2018). This figure is likely to have got worse since the pandemic.
Counties considered dental shortage areas contain over 58 million citizens struggling to access routine oral healthcare (Health Resources and Services Administration Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas Statistics, March 2022).
Dental savings plans can provide an important bridge for uninsured and underserved populations who would otherwise face prohibitive out-of-pocket costs for crucial preventative, restorative and emergency dental treatments from routine cleanings to fillings to extractions. By enabling savings between 15 to 50 percent off typical dental costs, these discounted plans make care possible for those hit hardest by dental inequality in America.
Though not a substitute for comprehensive insurance that caps out of pocket expenses, dental savings plans meaningfully tackle upfront cost barriers that prevent access altogether. They thus give families and individuals on tight budgets a fighting chance at maintaining essential oral health.
Coupled with community health centers providing care on an income basis and continued efforts to address underserved area dental provider shortages, dental savings plans could make a big dent in America's troublesome oral healthcare disparities. For the 68 million without coverage options, discounted care could not only change lives, but also reduce the over $2 billion spent on preventable hospital visits for dental issues annually.
Policy makers have substantial room for progress to reduce dental inequality through wider access to dental coverage options. In the interim, dental savings plans can uplift an overlooked solution by empowering underserved communities to take dental care into their own hands at discounted rates they can afford.
The savings from dental discount plans can truly add up
For example, getting a root canal treatment without any insurance typically costs $1,008 or more depending on the tooth and area. But with a dental savings plan discount of 15-50% offered to members, that cost might be reduced down to $650.
While coping with tooth pain, this kind of discount means vital treatment is more accessible for uninsured Americans. It may also mean avoiding worsening infection, lost wages from work absences, and deterioration of surrounding teeth.
Root canals may seem drastic, but over 500,000+ emergency room visits occur due to dental issues annually that could often be addressed or prevented with earlier care (American Dental Association Health Policy Institute, 2016). As more families and individuals access discounts on critical dental care services through savings plans, we can target wide-ranging issues caused by unequal access and serious gaps in dental coverage across America.
