Across the United States, particularly in rural areas, countless Americans still struggle to access basic dental care. This stark reality forces many to either travel long distances for treatment or go without essential care altogether. Compounding the issue is the fact that very few dentists accept Medicaid, leaving low-income patients—arguably the most vulnerable—without the necessary dental procedures they require.
Senator Bernie Sanders, known for addressing the nation’s most pressing issues, highlighted this crisis when he introduced the Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2024. This legislation aims to expand government-funded dental coverage for seniors, veterans, and low-income families, while also increasing the number of dentists and dental hygienists, particularly in underserved rural areas.
Sanders, much like the late Rep. Elijah Cummings of Baltimore—who tirelessly advocated for expanded dental coverage in Maryland—urges the federal government to take more significant steps. He calls for enhanced support through Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to address what he describes as a national dental crisis.
The statistics Sanders presents are alarming. Nearly 70 million adults and eight million children in the U.S. lack dental insurance, and many of those who do have it find their coverage woefully inadequate. “One out of five seniors in our country are missing all of their natural teeth,” Sanders points out. “Over 40% of children in America have tooth decay by the time they reach kindergarten.”
Further emphasizing the severity of the situation, research from the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals that half of U.S. adults struggle to afford healthcare, with 60% admitting they have postponed necessary services in recent years. Dental care tops the list of delayed services due to prohibitive costs.
Sanders describes the absurdity of the situation: “Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans travel to countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, India, Thailand, and Hungary to get the dental care they need, even after factoring in the cost of airfare and hotel stays.”
In Maryland, some residents wait for word of free dental clinics, such as the Eastern Shore Mission of Mercy scheduled for September 13-14 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury. The last event, held in 2019, drew over 1,100 people in need of dental care.
This year marks the first large-scale clinic since the pandemic, with over 100 dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants expected to volunteer. “It’s very rewarding, but it’s also very exhausting because there is so much need,” says Dr. Celeste Ziara, president-elect of the Maryland State Dental Association and a longtime volunteer for these missions. “About four or five hours into it, you’re exhausted, but you keep going because the line never stops.”
Doors open at 7 a.m. each day, welcoming hundreds of adults without insurance or those unable to find a Medicaid provider. Patients undergo a medical assessment, dental triage, and an X-ray before being directed to one of the rented dental chairs on the civic center floor. Some need only a cavity filled or a tooth extracted, while others face a multitude of dental issues but can only address the most urgent one due to time constraints.
“Sometimes patients come in worried about a broken front tooth because they don’t like the way it looks,” says Judy Forse, a hygienist in Salisbury. “But they might have another tooth with an active infection, which is far more concerning.” Forse expects the clinic to run non-stop for 10 to 12 hours each day and is calling for more volunteers to reduce the number of patients turned away.
“Many patients arrive very early in the morning and wait all day for an extraction,” Forse explains. “Our goal is to ensure they don’t have any infections that could send them to the hospital. That’s our priority.”
Witnessing so many in need of basic dental care is a humbling experience, Forse says, but it’s incredibly rewarding to provide care that these individuals once thought was beyond their reach.
Reflecting on the situation, one can’t help but feel conflicted—grateful for the dedication of dental professionals who volunteer their time and skills, but troubled that access to essential dental care has become such a challenge for so many. As Sanders powerfully puts it: “Dental care is health care, and health care must be considered a human right, not a privilege.”
You Might Be Interested In
