Many Americans Say They Forgo Routine Dental Care; Job Loss And Hard Times Compound The Problem
<b></b>Copyright 2009 Gannett Company, Inc.All Rights Reserved <span id="x_hitDiv1"> <b>USA</b> <span id="x_hitDiv1"><b>TODAY</b> <br> <br> <b></b><span id="x_hitDiv2"><b>March</b> 11, 2009 Wednesday FINAL EDITION <br> <br> <b>SECTION: </b>LIFE; Pg. 4D <br> <br> <b>LENGTH: </b>852 words <br> <br> <br> <b>HEADLINE: </b>Many Americans say they forgo routine dental care; Job loss and hard times compound the problem<br> <br> <b>BYLINE: </b>Mary Brophy Marcus <br> <br> <p></p> Skipping regular dental visits could land Americans in "the chair" down the road with far more serious and costly tooth and gum problems, say experts, as new data reveal many Americans chose not to see a dentist last year. <p></p> "The message of the value of your teeth is not getting through," says Matthew Messina, consumer adviser for the American Dental Association and a dentist in Cleveland. "If people consider dental care a luxury item, they're shorting themselves. Prevention's always cheaper than fixing problems later." <p></p> Results out this week from a Gallup-Healthways poll of 355,334 Americans indicate that more than one-third of the population, 34% to be exact, did not visit a dentist last year at all. A recent American Dental Association survey shows dentists' incomes are dropping, too, and some dentists say patients who've lost dental <span id="x_hitDiv3"> <b>insurance</b> are asking about alternate payment plans or skipping appointments. <p></p> The 2008 Gallup data report that in nine states, close to half of residents did not visit a dentist last year, even though the ADA recommends twice-yearly cleanings and check-ups. Men, African Americans, Hispanics and seniors were more likely to skip, an historic pattern, Messina says. Over half of those making less than $2,000 a month reported omitting visits as well, according to Gallup. <p></p> A 'silent epidemic' <p></p> The worst state was Mississippi, with 47% of residents reporting no dental visits. "We cannot speculate on the actual reasons behind this silent epidemic," says dentist Nicholas Mosca, director of the Office of Oral Health with the Mississippi State Department of Health. <p></p> Studies show there is widespread ignorance in the state about the importance of good oral health -- that without treatment, over time oral diseases can lead to serious health problems, Mosca says. Only 54% of the state's public water supplies have water fluoridation programs, he says. <p></p> Best dental report cards: Washington and Massachusetts. In both, over 75% of the population visited the dentist last year. <p></p> At play are lost jobs and dental <span id="x_hitDiv4"><b>insurance</b> plans, as well as fear of taking time off of work and jeopardizing a job, says periodontist Hilton Israelson, president of the Texas Dental Association. <p></p> In Texas, where 42% of the population did not visit the dentist last year, its border-state status draws large numbers of new residents who live on lean migrant worker salaries, Israelson says. <p></p> "Less than 38% of Texans currently have some type of dental <span id="x_hitDiv5"> <b>insurance</b>," he says. "For a lot of people, dental care is just not viable." <p></p> A February survey of more than 1,700 dentists by the American Dental Association indicated that 51% of dentists reported declining incomes in the third quarter -- July, August, September -- of last year. <p></p> For people with tightening budgets, other expenses come first. "I didn't go to the dentist last year at all," says Peggy Jones, of Charleston, S.C. Self-employed, Jones says ponying up for the mortgage, household bills and other medical needs comes first. <p></p> Low-cost clinics can help <p></p> Lower-cost options exist, says Thomas Sollecito, interim dean of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia. There, patients can receive low-fee cleanings from dental students overseen by professors. <p></p> States also often offer clinics and programs for people who can't afford dental care. The Texas Dental Association runs Texas Missions of Mercy. "Volunteer dentists go to underserved areas throughout the year and treat hundreds of underserved patients," Israelson says. <p></p> Sollecito encourages patients to talk with their dentist about modified care and payment plans, too. At the very minimum, he says, keep up meticulous home care such as brushing and flossing. <p></p> Messina says to keep in mind that the $100 you spend now on a cleaning and filling may be the $3,000 you save later on a root canal and crown. <p></p> Some patients agree. "We would not cut back, even if our budget tightened. The prospect of dental tragedy gone too far is so horrid," says Kathy Callahan, a mother of two from Alexandria, Va. <p></p> *Economic toll on health, 1A <p></p> TEXT OF BIO BOX BEGINS HERE <p></p> Have you visited a dentist in the past 12 months? <p></p> Percentage who answered yes: <p></p> Rank/state Yes <p></p> 51. Mississippi 53% <p></p> 50. Arkansas 55% <p></p> 49. West Virginia 56% <p></p> 48. Texas 58% <p></p> 47. Oklahoma 58% <p></p> 46. Louisiana 58% <p></p> 45. Tennessee 59% <p></p> 44. Kentucky 59% <p></p> 43. Missouri 60% <p></p> 42. Montana 61% <p></p> 41. Alabama 61% <p></p> 40. Nevada 62% <p></p> 39. South Carolina 62% <p></p> 38. New Mexico 63% <p></p> 37. Florida 63% <p></p> 36. Indiana 64% <p></p> 35. Georgia 64% <p></p> 34. North Carolina 64% <p></p> 33. Kansas 64% <p></p> 32. Arizona 65% <p></p> 31. Wyoming 65% <p></p> 30. Idaho 65% <p></p> 29. Ohio 65% <p></p> 28. Alaska 65% <p></p> 27. Delaware 66% <p></p> 26. Maine 66% <p></p> 25. Oregon 66% <p></p> 24. South Dakota 66% <p></p> 23. North Dakota 66% <p></p> 22. Nebraska 66% <p></p> 21. Iowa 67% <p></p> 20. Colorado 68% <p></p> 19. Illinois 68% <p></p> 18. Pennsylvania 68% <p></p> 17. Washington, D.C. 68% <p></p> 16. California 68% <p></p> 15. Virginia 68% <p></p> 14. Washington 69% <p></p> 13. Michigan 70% <p></p> 12. Maryland 70% <p></p> 11. New York 70% <p></p> 10. Utah 71% <p></p> 9. New Jersey 72% <p></p> 8. Vermont 72% <p></p> 7. Wisconsin 72% <p></p> 6. New Hampshire 73% <p></p> 5. Minnesota 73% <p></p> 4. Rhode Island 75% <p></p> 3. Connecticut 75% <p></p> 2. Hawaii 76% <p></p> 1. Massachusetts 76% <p></p> Source: Gallup-Healthways AHIP Congressional Report <br> <br> <b>GRAPHIC: </b>PHOTO, B/W, Photos by William Thomas Cain for USA TODAYPHOTO, B/W <br> <br> <b>LOAD-DATE: </b>March 11, 2009 <br> <br> <div> <div class="x_nshr"> <center></center> <center><a href="http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/about/copyrt.html" target="_new" class="x_pagelinks">Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved. </a><br> <a href="http://www.lexis-nexis.com/terms/general" target="_new" class="x_pagelinks">Terms and Conditions</a> <a href="http://www.lexis-nexis.com/terms/privacy" target="_new" class="x_pagelinks"> Privacy Policy</a> <br> </center> </div> </div> </span></span></span></span></span></span>
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