Courtney Sands, a Pennsylvania resident, experienced severe pain due to infections in her molars and required root canals and crowns. Despite having dental insurance through both her and her husband’s employers, she had to pay over $6,000 upfront to receive care.
After charging the amount on a high-interest credit card, her insurance only reimbursed a small portion of the cost, reflecting a common issue in the U.S. where dental insurance often fails to cover necessary treatments. This situation is emblematic of the challenges many Americans face in accessing affordable dental care.
The lack of comprehensive dental coverage is a widespread problem in the U.S., where more than half of adults lack regular access to dental care. Oral health is closely tied to overall health, and untreated dental issues can lead to more severe health problems.
Despite the pressing need, dental care remains a low priority in national healthcare discussions, with little attention from political leaders. While issues like abortion and insulin prices dominate the political agenda, dental care is rarely mentioned.
A recent poll by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health found that a significant majority of Americans, including both Democrats and Republicans, support adding dental benefits to Medicare.
Approximately 90% of voters favor this change, yet major political figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have not made dental care a central issue in their platforms. The need for dental care is significant, as millions of people lost dental insurance after the COVID-19 pandemic when Medicaid coverage was scaled back.
Medicare, which serves adults over 65, does not include dental coverage, leaving nearly half of its enrollees without access to routine dental care. This gap in coverage disproportionately affects older adults, many of whom have not seen a dentist in over a year.
Advocacy groups, such as CareQuest, argue that this issue has been neglected in policy conversations, even though voters rank it as a top healthcare priority, second only to lowering prescription drug costs.
While Medicare Advantage plans sometimes offer dental coverage, it varies significantly by plan and often comes with limitations. The 2024 Democratic Party platform supports adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits to Medicare but lacks details on how these changes would be funded.
Meanwhile, the Republican platform does not address dental care at all. Polling in key states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania shows strong support for adding dental benefits to Medicare, reflecting a nationwide demand for better oral health access.
In response to this need, the Biden administration has introduced measures allowing states to add adult dental insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Additionally, two bills currently in Congress, including Bernie Sanders’ Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024, propose extending dental coverage through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Administration. However, these bills have not yet been scheduled for a vote, and their cost is still under evaluation.
Organizations like the American Dental Association (ADA) support expanding dental benefits for low-income adults and seniors. The ADA advocates for comprehensive dental care, particularly for underserved populations, to address health inequities. They also back legislation that would increase the number of dental professionals serving rural and low-income communities, ensuring more widespread access to essential oral care services.
For Sands, having access to credit allowed her to receive necessary dental treatment, but many others in her community are not as fortunate. She has witnessed people enduring years of dental pain without treatment due to the high costs and lack of insurance.
Sands’ story highlights the critical need for improved dental coverage in the U.S., where millions suffer from untreated oral health issues that could easily be addressed with better access to affordable care.
