LANSING, Mich. — Millions of Americans can not afford to see a dentist right now. It was a part of a health crisis long before COVID and now with people losing their jobs and their insurance things are only getting worse. Chris Conte takes a closer look at why doctors are so concerned and how some are stepping up to help.
If a smile changes everything then you can understand why Anna Eubanks cares so deeply about her teeth. That’s part of my health, it’s part of your health, but affording a trip to the dentist is often as painful as a cavity.
Both Anna and her husband are among the million of Americans who do not have dental insurance. You do think about, you just hope you never have to use it.
There were great disparities that existed in the American healthcare system long before COVID hit, the last few months have only made things worse. You think you can put it off and it just catches up to you. Dr. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasi oversees interfaith dental in Nashville, Tennessee, a non-profit made up of dentists who volunteer their time so that people like Anna Eubanks, can get care at little or no cost.
A need more critical now than ever. There’s new groups of people that they were making it before and were right on that edge and are now struggling. Since February an estimated 12 million Americans have lost their healthcare coverage.
Most lost their insurance when they lost their job. Compare that to the number of people without dental coverage which is now closer to 40 million.
COVID exposed further we are all in this together. At the Your Health Effects My Health This Clinic, typically sees about three thousand patients a year and they now have seen call volume increase 20%.
We are seeing a big increased need where people are suffering from job loss, where they may have had three jobs and they’re now down to one, or one down to none.
Nationwide, there's also a backlog for dental care. In this office alone they were cancelling one thousand appointments a month during the shutdown. Something that worries Dr. Switzer-Nadasi during COVID, because most dentists are also checking a patients overall health.
People that come see us don’t just need a check up and cleaning, most of the time they’ve reach the end of their rope and what they need it critical but for now they are doing their best to help whoever they can and preserve as many smiles, as possible.
It’s just like the weather you have to adjust yourself to that.
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