Stock Image | Photo by Drazen Zigic/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News
Contributed Content—— The mouth is a mirror of the body. It’s a sentinel for disease and critical to overall health, yet oral health is the hardest area of health care to get, especially for low-income and uninsured Americans.
In Utah, thousands of people visit emergency departments each year for oral health care, and emergency departments are often understaffed. Most of these patients are treated for pain and/or infection, but the root cause of the actual dental disease remains untreated.
In addition to the high cost of emergency room visits for oral emergencies, access to affordable oral health care is an economic concern in other ways. Nationwide, 18 percent of working-age adults and 29 percent of low-income individuals report that the appearance of their mouth and teeth affects their ability to successfully interview for jobs.
Currently, 62% of older Americans do not have dental insurance. Traditional health insurance does not cover routine dental care; therefore, many people lose benefits in retirement.
In southern Utah, home healthcare dental providers see patients regardless of their financial, insurance or background circumstances, and they often care for patients who have not been to the dentist in years because of attendance and affordability concerns. However, villages are known to need help for those most in need.
Family Healthcare relies on donations from community members and works closely with the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. A philanthropic arm of Delta Dental in California, the foundation is one of very few foundations that support low-income patients’ access to oral health care.
“We are proud to partner with Family Healthcare and support their important mission of providing beneficial oral health and preventive care services to communities in need throughout southern Utah,” said Kenzie Ferguson, Vice President of Delta Dental Foundation and Corporate Social Responsibility. California State. “This partnership allows us to achieve our broader shared goal of increasing access to oral health care, especially for underserved populations, and helping make the communities we serve stronger, healthier and more resilient. “
Maria Amelia, a single mother who faced chronic economic vulnerability due to low income and other cultural and social barriers, came to Family Healthcare more than 10 years ago, where she received medical and dental care. In 2022, she needs bridge surgery on her front teeth. The costs associated with the surgery were well beyond her financial means.
Family health care providers were able to help Maria Amelia with generous financial support from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. She is grateful for the financial support that has allowed her to restore her oral health and the smile she is so proud of.
Together we can make life better.
Written by LORI WRIGHT, CEO, Family Healthcare.
• Sponsored Content•
resource
- Home Healthcare | Address: 25 N. 100 East #102, St. George | Phone: 435-986-2565 | website.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, All rights reserved.