Health Affairs: How Access, Advocacy, And Innovation Can Help Us Achieve Health Equity

It’s the night before the country shuts down amid a deadly pandemic. A father brings his four-year-old child—in severe pain from a toothache—to a dentist, begging for help. The father is out of work and cannot afford to pay for treatment. Fortunately, they have visited one of the only providers in the city who welcomes all patients. The child is treated that night and feels better...

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated deep disparities that have existed for generations—disparities that will not fade with the pandemic if we do not act with urgency. Results of a recent CareQuest Institute for Oral Health consumer survey revealed that six million people lost their dental coverage as a result of the pandemic. This points to serious challenges ahead as our recovery continues.

In many ways, this new data reinforce what we already know, what we’ve known for a century: Low-income individuals, seniors, those living in rural areas, and families and communities of color are being left behind. In the past year, these same groups have been disproportionately impacted by direct and indirect consequences of the pandemic. That is why we must address the longstanding barriers to dental care and affordable health coverage that have created significant unmet oral health needs, disproportionately felt by these historically marginalized communities.

Oral health advocates are fighting this fight every day. We all need to join them.

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