Overland Park Dental Practice Services

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 100 million people in the United States today do not have dental coverage. Government-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid do not cover preventive dental care or most other oral health services. This lack of dental coverage options disproportionately impacts elderly and disabled individuals, members of racial and ethnic minorities, and the economically disadvantaged.

Recent studies report that 56% of people without dental coverage do not seek any form of preventive dental care. In fact, a recent survey by the American Dental Association found that only 23% of adult Americans without dental coverage visited a dentist at all within the past year. Dental care without coverage can seem expensive to patients, but it can be far more costly in the long term to forgo necessary treatment.

Without professional dental treatment, patients are at increased risk of developing tooth decay, periodontal disease, and other oral health complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that tooth decay has become the most widespread childhood disease in the United States, affecting more than 25% of children aged 2-5 and 50% of those aged 12-15. In addition, these CDC reports estimate that more than 27% of adults aged 20-44 currently have untreated tooth decay. Leaving tooth decay untreated can lead to even more serious health issues such as periodontal disease and increase the likelihood of needing more costly treatments, such as a root canal or extraction.

Poor oral health affects more than just the teeth. Periodontal disease has been shown to have connections with other systemic health problems. Some of these include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory disease. Oral cancers found in late stages have only a 57% survival rate.

Found in early stage, the survival rate for oral cancers is 80-90%. However, diagnosing oral cancers in the early stage requires patients to be maintaining regular dental checkups and oral cancer screenings.

Offering Private Dental Plan™ can increase your case acceptance and improve your patients’ oral health outcomes. Patients with Private Dental Plan™ can afford to have the preventive care and treatment they need to improve both their oral and overall health.

For more information on offering Private Dental Plan™ to your patients, contact us today.