Low income struggle to get dental care amidst wealth

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Lower-income Northern Virginians struggle to get dental care, report finds By

Lena H. Sun, Published: September 8, WAPO

In Northern Virginia, 16 percent of lower-income adults have not gone to a

dentist in more than five years, according to a report that looks at disparities

in oral health in one of the most prosperous regions in the country.

Among lower-income adults who have health coverage, only one-fourth have

coverage that includes dental care, compared to 64 percent for higher-income

adults.

Those were among the key findings in a survey of oral health in Northern

Virginia released Thursday. The survey was commissioned by the Northern Virginia

Health Foundation, a nonprofit group that focuses on health-care safety nets.

" For people with limited means and no insurance, routine dental care is often

out of reach, " said Mathews, president of the Northern Virginia Health

Foundation. " Because of costs, they are more likely to suffer severe pain from

untreated dental problems, miss time from work or school, or wind up in a

hospital emergency room, which increases health-care costs for everyone. "

Despite the image of Northern Virginia as a wealthy enclave where median

household income exceeds $100,000 in some places, the region has growing numbers

of uninsured low-income people in every jurisdiction, Mathews said.

Poor oral health is linked to serious health conditions later in life, including

heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

And it can make employment that much more difficult for lower-income adults.

" If you're looking for an entry-level job at a fast-food restaurant and you've

lost your front teeth, what's the chance that you would get hired to greet the

public? " Mathews said.

Health experts say people tend to put off dental care until there's a real

problem. In addition to cost and lack of dental coverage, lower-income adults

cited lack of transportation and child care among other factors that kept them

from the dentist.

In Virginia, Medicaid covers only " medically necessary oral surgery " for adults

but not checkups or root canals, the report said. There are only a handful of

nonprofit safety-net organizations for the under-insured or uninsured, and they

have long waiting lists.

Three months after the Northern Virginia Dental Clinic's Loudoun site opened in

October, it had a waiting list of 300 patients, Mathews said. Although some area

dentists volunteer at clinics or provide their services at reduced rates, the

need far exceeds the number of dentists willing to provide those services, the

report said.

The foundation has given $800,000 in grants in the past five years to

organizations that provide oral health for lower-income residents. Mathews urged

more providers to take advantage of a program that provides tax credits for

providers who treat dental patients at reduced costs.

The survey was based on a poll of 1,300 adults in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun

and Prince counties and the cities of andria, Fairfax, Falls Church,

Manassas and Manassas Park. Those whose households made less than $40,000 were

considered lower-income. Using 2009 Census data, the survey estimates there are

186,000 such adults and more than 1.5 million adults who earn more than $40,000

in Northern Virginia.