Potential Costs of Delaying Dental Care

The president and CEO of St. Hope Foundation in Houston, Rodney Goodie seeks to reduce outcome disparities in urban and rural populations. To do so, Rodney Goodie and his team offer preventive care, treatment, and patient education in medical and dental health.

Achieving and preserving dental health can be a costly endeavor for many people. One study published in Health Affairs shows that nearly 13 percent of all adults aged 19 to 64 avoid dental care because of the cost, while nearly 25 percent of adults with below poverty level income avoid doing so. This decision may be exacerbated by the fact that national health policy does not guarantee dental care benefits to those receiving government-subsidized insurance.

Unfortunately, patients who forego dental care for financial reasons may find themselves needing more extensive, and thus more costly, work in the future. Whereas regular care can identify problems that cost no more than a few hundred dollars to treat early in their development, prolonged decay can escalate to require root canals, extractions, and other expensive treatments.

According tot he American Dental Association, adults whose income is below $30,000 per year have a 200 percent higher likelihood of needing to have all of their teeth extracted. Professionals suggest that this stems largely from the fact that patients often do not notice the signs of progressing tooth decay or gum infection until the damage is irreversible.

Many experts do acknowledge that even the relatively lower cost of preventive care can be prohibitive for some patients. For these individuals, a local clinic or dental school can make the needed attention significantly more accessible.