Emergency department (ED) visits for non-traumatic, often preventable, dental conditions are a large burden on the US health care system with 1.3 million ED visits each year costing more than $1 billion. This article by CareQuest Institute investigates characteristics of “superutilizers” — people who visit the ED for dental care four or more times per year.
The authors found that dental superutilizers are more likely to be white, have insurance coverage through Medicaid, Medicare, or be uninsured, and have one or more medical comorbidities.
The authors write:
Expansion of dental services for adults, particularly those on Medicaid, is needed to ensure they can access timely preventative and restorative services and avoid the burden of dental crisis requiring a visit to the ED.”
Read the article in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (open access)
You may also be interested in:
- Dental Care in Crisis: Tracking the Cost and Prevalence of Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions, a visual report finding an alarming increase in ED visits by children for dental conditions.
- The Need for Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Across All States, a fact sheet outlining the health risks and economic consequences of Medicaid’s varying adult dental benefits across states.
- Medicaid Dental 360, a dashboard providing a clear, consolidated view of Medicaid dental coverage data across the US.