Thousands Still Heading To ER For Urgent Dental Treatment In Ohio
Thousands of people are still heading to the ER for urgent dental treatment in Ohio, despite the fact that costs are higher and in many cases, doctors are unable to treat the underlying cause of pain.
Statistics show that more than 80,000 people visit the ER each year for dental issues, including abscesses, tooth pain, gum disease, tooth pain and infections. Often, the ER is a last resort for people who are unable to afford to see a dentist on a regular basis and those who struggle to access affordable dental care.
A new study, which was published on Wednesday, showed that Medicaid pays out thousands of dollars for emergency dental care. In many cases, doctors are unable to treat the cause and patients are given short-tern pain relief and advised to see a dentist, meaning that a huge amount of money is wasted.
David Maywhoor, from Dental Access Now, which is part of UHCAN Ohio, said that most of the patients who use emergency rooms have not seen a dentist for a long time. Without regular access to a dentist, the risk of dental disease increases and people are left in a situation where they unable to pay for a dentist and have nowhere else to go but the Emergency Room.
Sadly, the problem is not restricted to Ohio and millions of people across the USA are struggling to afford routine dental care. In 2011, this problem was underlined when Kyle Willis, a 24 year old from Cincinnati, died from a dental infection; he had been avoiding going to the dentist because he didn’t have dental insurance and couldn’t afford to see a dentist.
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