Lower-income families paid 7.4 times more in out-of-pocket costs for dental care compared to higher-income families between 2007 and 2021, according to a new report from the Carequest Institute for Oral Health.
The report, published June 25, analyzes dental care spending and dentist visits among families with various incomes. Data used for the report represents nearly 500,000 individuals surveyed between 2007 and 2021 in the national Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.
The report also shows that in 2021, 55.3% of individuals living at 400% or more of the federal poverty level had a dental visit within the past year, compared to 27% of individuals living at 100% or less than the Federal Poverty Level.
CareQuest concluded that more solutions are needed to improve dental care accessibility in the U.S. Some of these solutions include expanding adult dental coverage under Medicaid and increasing provider participation in Medicaid, CareQuest said.
To view the full report, click here.