Community Dental Care

Recognized as the “silent epidemic,” tooth decay is now the most common chronic childhood disease – five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. Dental disease is most prevalent among poor children, who have twice as many cavities and are more likely to go without treatment than their more affluent peers.

An unhealthy smile results in:

Increased absenteeism in schools
Decreased job opportunities
Decreased resistance to secondary infections
Decreased ability to eat

Among employed adults, dental-related illness is one of the leading causes of absenteeism from work – 164 million hours lost each year – with the poor much more likely to have teeth decay and gum loss. Increasingly, research is proving that poor dental health has a negative impact on overall, long-term health.

The need for dental care among low-income individuals is growing much faster than Community Dental Care can provide care. In fact, the 2007 Community Needs Assessment update conducted by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, states that lack of access to dental care for low-income children and adults is of critical concern, and the trend is worsening.

Additionally, fewer providers are willing to treat low-income families with Medicaid coverage because of the low provider payment rates and the associated paperwork. According to local United Way estimates, area dental providers such as Community Dental Care, will be able to treat only five percent of those in need unless funding increases.