Emergency Room Dentists: The High Costs of Life or Death Dental Care

EMERGENCY ROOM DENTISTS THE HIGH COSTS OF LIFE OR DEATH DENTAL CARE Dental and oral diseases have been identified as part of a "silent epidemic" in the United States. And a disturbing and costly trend is emerging-now, more than ever, Americans are visiting the emergency room to treat routine dental problems. A number of factors contribute to this worrisome trend, including a deficiency of dental insurance coverage and a lack of proper mouth-care initiative on the individual's part. THE RISE OF ORAL ER TRAFFIC THE NUMBER OF ER VISITS ER VISITS TEND TO COST FOR DENTAL PROBLEMS 10X MORE THAN INCREASED 16% PREVENTATIVE CHECK-UPS from 2006 to 2009 * X18 2889 WITH MORE THAN 2006 800000 VISITS NATIONWIDE IN '09 TWO STATES THAT DEMONSTRATE STAGGERING STATISTICS ARE FLORIDA AND TENNESSEE In 2010, Florida saw over 115,000 ER dental visits resulting in charges of Tennessee hospitals saw $88 MILLION 5x more dental-related ER visits than That's an average of $765 per Florida ER dental visit burn-related injuries $765 $179 X5 A routine dental exam and cleaning in Florida costs around $179 THE DECREASE IN DENTAL CARE ONLY HALF OF AMERICANS HAVE DENTAL BENEFITS SPONSORED BY THEIR EMPLOYER. Dental problems account for 164 million hours of lost employee productivity each year OUT OUT -OF - -OF- EVERY EVERY Americans have at least children does not have one cavity before their 18th birthday dental insurance. There are 2.6x more 56% of children enrolled children without with Medicaid received dental insurance than no dental care in 2009 with medical insurance 2.6X 56% WITHOUT INSURANCE Dental problems account for the loss of over 51 million school hours each year D+ THE DECLINE OF PERSONAL ORAL CONSIDERATION 68% Sixty percent of surveyed adults knew little to nothing about gum disease and its THE AVERAGE PERSON SPENDS SYMPTOMS 45-70 SECONDS BRUSHING TREATMENTS RATHER THAN THE RECOMMENDED CONSEQUENCES 2-3 MINUTES BRUSHING In West Virginia, 43% of adults aged over 65 have had their natural teeth extracted after suffering from gum disease, decay and bone loss Consumers spent more on candy for one holiday than an entire year on toothpaste $2.025 BILLION ON HALLOWEEN CANDY $1.8 BILLION ON TOOTHPASTE Individuals buy 1/7 of the floss recommended for them 122 YARDS RECOMMENDED PER YEAR 18 YARDS BOUGHT 2x as much is spent on hair care than dental care $100 BILLION FOR HAIR $50 BILLION FOR TEETH THE NECESSITY OF DENTISTAY "The mouth is a gateway to the human body, so dentists are in a position to detect diseases early on" Dr. West Tufts University School of Dental Medicine 4 OUT 90% of symptomatic diseases, including: -OF- EVERY HEART DISEASE Americans have a DIABETES periodontal disease CANCER STOS have oral health symptoms EVERY HOUH OF ORAL CANCER SOMEONE DIES When diagnosed and treated in the early Dental check-ups include screening stages, oral cancer for oral cancer is highly curable The first-ever Surgeon General Report on oral health in 2000 found the mouth to be the "mirror for general health and well-being." Clearly, reform must occur at every level and stage of oral healthcare to prioritize preventative dental healthcare. Treating routine dental problems in the ER will continue to cost the country more and add to the thousands of life-threatening diseases that go undetected annually. END Brought to you by FRUGAL DAD SOURCES http://news.yahoo.com/more-americans-seeking-dental-treatment-er-051200183.html http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/02/28/147587896/dental-visits-to-ers-are-on-the-rise http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id-85899372244 http://www.myflorida.com/mybenefits/Retiree/calculator/DPCE.htm http://www.dentalplans.com/press-room/dental-care-facts.asp http://news.yahoo.com/more-americans-seeking-dental-treatment-er-051200183.html http://www.dentalplans.com/press-room/dental-care-facts.asp http://www.valleydentalgroup.net/id6.html http://www.statemaster.com/graph/hea_ora_hea_los_of_nat_tee-health-oral-loss-natural-teeth http://www.todaystmj4.com/features/specialassignment/139576943.html http://news.yahoo.com/more-americans-seeking-dental-treatment-er-051200183.html http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalhealth/tp/dentalfacts.htm http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/pressreleases/pr_oral_52000.htm %24