Health Centers Make Dental Care accessible

Dental care can be hard to find for many low-income families, which can cause a long-term accumulation of problems, including broken teeth, tooth abscesses, and periodontal conditions that worsen cardiovascular disease. 

Unfortunately, there are not enough dental clinics that serve low-income patients in Washington. This year, more than 1.2 million Apple Health enrollees are expected to go without dental care because they can’t find a provider that takes their insurance. This leaves costly emergency room visits as their only option, which is more expensive for the patient and the system. 

Community health centers help close the dental access gap. Health centers serve all patients, including people with Apple Health Medicaid and people with no insurance at all. 

Since 2017, health centers have worked with Washington state’s legislature to build or expand 43 dental clinics. These efforts have expanded access to more than 150,000 dental patients, but more work is needed to decrease wait times and get more Washingtonians care.