UK - More Ohioans turning to ERs for dental procedures
More Ohioans turning to ERs for dental procedures
Published on Sunday Jun 15, 2008
More people without dental insurance are showing up in emergency rooms across the state to have infected teeth pulled, bleeding gums treated and other problems that could have been prevented with routine cleanings, doctors and health care officials said.
Emergency rooms aren't designed to provide routine dental care but are often the only option for some of the roughly 4 million Ohioans who don't have dental coverage. Doctors usually provide pain medication or antibiotics and refer patients to go to a dental clinic.
"Generally, we don't pull teeth in the emergency department," said Richard Nelson, vice chairman of emergency medicine at Ohio State University Medical Center.
But the state's 120 low-income dental clinics are often crowded and have waits of several days for an appointment.
Demand for dental care has grown while the number of dentists has not, said Mark Siegal, chief of the state's Bureau of Oral Health Services. And many dentists aren't willing to treat low-income patients who get their dental coverage through Medicaid since the state reimburses practitioners for only about half of treatment costs, he said.
Ohio has one dentist for every 1,882 people but the ratio is worse in some of the poorer parts of the state. In southern Ohio, for example, Vinton County has one dentist for every 6,715 residents. Meigs County has one for every 7,744.
Advocates for the dental industry and the poor have lobbied Ohio decision-makers, trying to convince them that cutting coverage for cleanings, crowns and caps for the poor only makes it more expensive for the state in the long-run.
Dental problems that go untreated can worsen diabetes, lead to the spreading of infections or heart malfunctions and, in pregnant women, cause low birth weight for their babies.
Advocates hope that legislators and Gov. Ted Strickland will follow through with a plan to restore cuts next month from the adult Medicaid dental program.
Medical and dental schools are emphasizing the connection between dental and medical issues, said Dr. David Heisel, dental director at Columbus Public Health.
"It's only over the last few years they've found out that the head was attached to the body," he said.
91% of Ohio is served fluoride chemicals in their tap water to prevent tooth decay:NYSCOF
Published on Sunday Jun 15, 2008
More people without dental insurance are showing up in emergency rooms across the state to have infected teeth pulled, bleeding gums treated and other problems that could have been prevented with routine cleanings, doctors and health care officials said.
Emergency rooms aren't designed to provide routine dental care but are often the only option for some of the roughly 4 million Ohioans who don't have dental coverage. Doctors usually provide pain medication or antibiotics and refer patients to go to a dental clinic.
"Generally, we don't pull teeth in the emergency department," said Richard Nelson, vice chairman of emergency medicine at Ohio State University Medical Center.
But the state's 120 low-income dental clinics are often crowded and have waits of several days for an appointment.
Demand for dental care has grown while the number of dentists has not, said Mark Siegal, chief of the state's Bureau of Oral Health Services. And many dentists aren't willing to treat low-income patients who get their dental coverage through Medicaid since the state reimburses practitioners for only about half of treatment costs, he said.
Ohio has one dentist for every 1,882 people but the ratio is worse in some of the poorer parts of the state. In southern Ohio, for example, Vinton County has one dentist for every 6,715 residents. Meigs County has one for every 7,744.
Advocates for the dental industry and the poor have lobbied Ohio decision-makers, trying to convince them that cutting coverage for cleanings, crowns and caps for the poor only makes it more expensive for the state in the long-run.
Dental problems that go untreated can worsen diabetes, lead to the spreading of infections or heart malfunctions and, in pregnant women, cause low birth weight for their babies.
Advocates hope that legislators and Gov. Ted Strickland will follow through with a plan to restore cuts next month from the adult Medicaid dental program.
Medical and dental schools are emphasizing the connection between dental and medical issues, said Dr. David Heisel, dental director at Columbus Public Health.
"It's only over the last few years they've found out that the head was attached to the body," he said.
91% of Ohio is served fluoride chemicals in their tap water to prevent tooth decay:NYSCOF
posted by Bill at
9:52 AM
1 Comments:
That is sad to know. Having teeth problem is such a pain. It's unfortunate for these people to have so little dentists to take care of their teeth. Well, I hope the legislator or the Ohio officials will be able to address this problem soon.
By
Anonymous, at 02 September, 2008
Post a Comment
<< Home