SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOGMobile Dental Care Services For Patients Who Lack Dental Insurance
A sober reality all across the world is that a substantial number of people cannot afford medical and dental care. Even the dental & health care insurance is beyond the reach of the average citizen. The consequences of this reality is that as many as 50 percent of the working families do not have dental insurance or access to dental care. The Gallup-Healthways poll of 355,334 Americans indicate that 34 percent of population did not visit a dentist. Fifty two percent ages six to eight children have tooth decay which is a most common & the most preventable disease.
A Mobile Dental Clinic Program is an innovative approach specifically designed to allow a smaller number of dentists to reach children & adult patients located over a much larger geographical area than would possible with fixed dental facilities. This will have to suffice until a permanent solution is achieved by the nonprofit organizations, United Nations and/or the global community.
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), a person’s smile outranked eyes, hair, and body as the most important physical feature. Americans spend more than 100 billion dollars on dental care of which 3 billion dollars are spent on cosmetic dentistry. Two thirds of cosmetic patients are female & 33 percent are male. At least one in five U.S. children go without annual dental care. Over 50 percent of children ages six to eight have tooth decay. More than 50 million school hours are lost each year due to dental-related illness. Tooth decay is the most common and the most preventable disease in children and is five times more common than asthma & seven times more common than hay fever. It makes sense that these statistics should also be valid for children globally.
A Report by the Surgeon General of the Unites States reported that more than 108 million children & adults lack dental insurance. Patients who lack dental insurance and also feel that they cannot afford to pay for the routine dental preventive teeth cleaning & preventive dental treatment then the probability is high that they will spend money on pain pills, topical anesthetic gels and other drug store dental items. They will also miss work or not be productive at work because of the pain. Patients who lack dental insurance, go to the hospital emergency room facilities for their dental pain. Emergency room facilities are very expensive, not equipped for dental care and is an inefficient source of dental care. Patients in most cases receive prescription medications in lieu of dental treatment. Patients end up back in the same emergency care in a month or so later with a deteriorated condition which also raises the cost for the hospital, tax payers and community at large. The patients without dental insurance can utilize the various financing options available to obtain teeth cleaning hygiene procedures, generally twice a year. Many dental clinics accept credit cards and also offer payment plans.
The risk for irreversible trauma and infection is too great to ever performing a dental procedure on yourself. Desperate Patients without dental insurance contact the Dental Supplies Companies to buy the Cement to bond crown, filling materials and hand instruments to perform dental procedure. This is probably the worst. Lack of dental insurance and access to care are the two of the major factors why a substantial number of children are unable to get dental care. For children and adults living in dental health professional shortage areas, mobile medical dental coaches/trailers can be an acceptable solution.
According to the Society of Human Resources Management, dental insurance tops the list of benefits employers are looking to pare back. More than 50 percent of uninsured and 30 percent of insured Americans skipped necessary dental care visits due to financial burdens. A substantial number of Americans never visit the dentist. Nearly 75 percent of American adults suffer from various forms of gum disease and don’t know it according to the American Dental Hygienist association.
There is another group of Dental Patients who have the money and the means to seek dental care. They simply choose not to see a dentist without the benefit of dental insurance. Ironically, the dental insurance benefits are relatively negligible and may not cover the patient with extensive needs. Whether a patient has dental insurance or not, ignoring dental problems never makes it go away. In fact it gets more expensive financially requiring extensive treatment. Preventive diagnostic & treatments over the long run is less costly. Teeth cleaned twice a year by a Hygienist can decrease your chances of getting gum disease or periodontal disease. Conversely preventive treatment is no longer an option when periodontal disease starts causing patients pain & loose teeth ready to fall out. Teeth cleaned by a Hygienist twice a year costs less than cost of Dental Insurance.
Even though Medicaid have coverage for dental benefits, low reimbursement rates for dentists make it difficult for patients to get dental care. Obviously, this leaves hospital emergency room as the only option for uninsured and Medicaid patients available to them. Most of these visits to the hospital emergency rooms were the result of preventable dental conditions. The “Single-Payer healthcare” referring to healthcare financed by a single public body from a single fund can make the dental care available for all the citizens. The State of Colorado will put Single-Pay Health Care to a VOTE in November 2016. Dr. Irene Aguilar led this Denver rally in favor of the 2016 ballot measure.
In the meantime a Mobile Dental Clinic is an innovative approach and the Programs are specifically designed to allow a smaller number of dentists to reach children and adult patients located over a much larger geographical areas than would be possible with fixed dental facilities. This mobile dental care program solution is also applicable to the global community.
Contact us at kbconsultants1958@gmail.com for help or a Price Quotation including a CAD Drawing & Terms for Mobile Dental Coach and Trailer.
