Things are tricky as of late in American health care, thanks to political uncertainty and the shakiness of the insurance marketplace. While people have easier access to insurance, many Americans — particularly those in rural areas — are finding it harder and harder to access primary care doctors who serve their community as well as dentists who can provide adequate oral care.
In this recent article in Slate, Nisarg A. Patel, a fourth-year student at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, argues there’s a two-part solution that could solve the problem for rural Americans: allowing adequately trained dental therapists and hygienists to provide affordable dental care in rural areas, while full-fledged dentists can use their more extensive knowledge to provide primary medical care to those people who don’t have access to any other primary care physician.
Patel explains an experience in his office, where a patient came to visit him because she had a rare inflammatory condition of her tooth pulp. He did a routine blood pressure check and discovered that she had extreme hypertension, signaling a potential medical emergency. This experience caused Patel to realize that dentists are trained to do the most basic preventative medical care, so why not use them as doctors in places where people don’t have access to other medical care?
The solution Patel proposes has two benefits: People get better dental care, and at the same time, they get regular healthcare. Combining dental and medical care is becoming more and more common these days, with medical practices offering integrated dental and medical records regularly. Allowing dental therapists and hygienists to practice in areas of need will free up time and energy for dentists to provide more medical care — and have a positive impact on multiple communities.
If your dental care is costing you too much, or you find it hard to access a dentist you can afford, there is a solution: DentalSave. DentalSave can lower the cost of visiting your dentist for preventative care or if you have a problem you need to get treated. You can use DentalSave’s Dentist Search tool, and find the dentist who serves the area closest to you.
