State agency needs to act so more underserved residents can get dental care

Sixty-three percent of Chicago residents do not have dental insurance, 64% of Illinois residents list cost as a barrier to receiving oral care, while an estimated 40% of Illinois adults reported not visiting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year, according to data from the state, American Dental Association Health Policy Institute and the United Health Foundation. (stock.adobe.com)

Oral health is essential to our overall health and well-being. But for so many underserved communities, it’s simply not a realistic option to maintain routine dental visits. Delayed dental care can allow potentially dangerous conditions to remain untreated and can be linked to other serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. 

Given the glaring disparities in access to care and patient outcomes that so many were awakened to during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is concerning to me that our state regulators have not maintained a sense of urgency and efficiency in bringing critical care to patients who need it the most.