How to improve dental health of Stanislaus and Merced children and seniors
Oral health is one of the greatest unmet healthcare needs of all Americans and rural Americans. California’s Central Valley exemplifies this crisis, including Stanislaus and Merced Counties. Often, children and the elderly suffer from a lack of affordable and easily accessible dental care services.
Congress has failed to expand Medicare healthcare coverage to include dental care despite tooth decay being the single most prevalent chronic disease for retirees and the known associations between inflammation from periodontal disease and many chronic systemic diseases. As a result, millions of seniors lack dental insurance and remain at risk for declining oral and systemic health.
For children ages five to 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20% suffer from dental decay. Such decay, if left untreated, can have an irreversible impact on a child’s health, since there is a nexus between chronic oral infections and diabetes, heart disease, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Legacy Health Endowment and EMC Health Foundation collaborated with the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry to examine the current and future dental needs of children and the elderly across Stanislaus and Merced counties, and how best to bring more accessible and affordable dental care to people in need.
While most children in our counties have dental coverage and utilize the dental program supported by Medi-Cal, the need for greater and earlier access to preventive care remains paramount.
Disability, common chronic diseases, and medications used to treat them present unique risks to oral health in older adults. Yet millions of older Californians do not qualify for Denti-Cal and have limited or no dental coverage after retirement. In addition, out-of-pocket costs force many to limit or forgo dental care.
The challenges and barriers are not new; in rural California, they are growing exponentially. The intersection between oral health and total health is particularly heightened as more general dentists and specialists are needed to meet the demand in numbers and diversity across the Central Valley.
Our first step: Sponsor local students attending the UOP School of Dentistry with a fellowship that pays 100% of their tuition. In turn, they agree to return to the greater LHE and EMC Health Foundation communities to work as a dentist for three years after graduation, treating all patients’ needs. The number of dentists approaching retirement age outnumbers new dentists coming into Merced and Stanislaus counties.
Improving access to high-quality dental healthcare in Merced and Stanislaus counties will not happen overnight or with one policy. The problems have been ignored for too long, and overnight solutions are not achievable. This will require lawmakers, healthcare professionals, advocates, and charitable foundations to overcome current disparities and bridge the gaps. In addition, we must recognize the need for culturally competent bilingual providers in all areas of medicine and dental care.
As we sponsor local students to have a chance to become dentists and serve their community, our goal is to help ensure they graduate debt-free and ready to address the dental needs of every citizen. Our goal is simple: Build a strong cadre of English, Spanish, Farsi, Punjabi, and Afghan speaking dentists to serve the Central Valley, giving hope and opportunity and valuing children and the elderly.
The return on investment is watching that student walk across the stage as our next dental expert prepared to serve our rural communities.
This story was originally published December 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.