Children’s Dental Health Project praise Obama’s reforms
Representatives from the Children’s Dental Health Project have lauded President Obama’s healthcare reform plans and have hailed the plans for oral healthcare as “historic”.
Obama has fought tooth and nail since he was elected to change the structure of healthcare in America; currently, millions of citizens miss out on essential medical and dental care each year because they either don’t have insurance or can’t afford the treatment they need. Unlike in the UK, where medical care is free to all citizens, America has a system which cares only for those with health insurance policies or the cash available to pay for the treatment themselves.
The new healthcare reforms, which were recently passed by the US Congress, will come into play over the course of the next five years, with the most important policies set to be introduced before 2014. Dental and oral health are integral parts of the new plans and experts from the Children’s Dental Health Project say the new measures represent an “unprecedented investment” in dental care for Americans.
Obama’s plans include the introduction of a comprehensive range of new measures to improve oral health, including improved access to affordable dental care, support for low income families and children, preventive dentistry for all and increased education relating to oral hygiene and oral health. The new plans will focus on children, pregnant women and vulnerable groups of people.
One of the most important policies is the increased access to preventive dentistry; this umbrella term refers to measures and treatments that can be used to prevent damage to the teeth, including having access to fluoridated water supplies, fluoride treatment, sealant programmes and educational initiatives to teach children about oral hygiene, diet and healthy living. If done effectively, preventive dentistry could make a real difference to standards of oral health across the country and could save millions of dollars in the future.
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