Good Dental Health Hinges on Insurance, Income

Cost is the largest factor in delaying or skipping care, according to 69 percent who had put off or who did not get needed dental care in the past two years. Other discouraging influences were far less significant, including fear (20 percent), finding time to go (18 percent), finding a dentist (14 percent) and getting an appointment (9 percent).

The survey also found that those with higher incomes are more likely to be focused on prevention. For example, 74 percent of individuals with an annual income above $60,000 reported getting regular preventive care, compared with 32 percent whose income was below $30,000. In addition, just 12 percent of people with income above $60,000 said they are “problem-only” dental care consumers, but 47 percent of those with income below $30,000 reported going to the dentist only when they have a problem.

Whether insured or not, 97 percent of those polled agreed, “Dental care at my age is important to prevent dental problems when I am older.”

About a quarter of respondents said that when they reach 65 they plan to either have dental insurance through their job or other private dental insurance. Eight percent said they’ll go without dental insurance, and another 13 percent believe that Medicare or Medicaid will cover their dental care, which is unlikely.

“Traditional Medicare does not cover dental care, and many states offer very limited or no dental coverage for adults with Medicaid,” says poll director Preeti Malani, a professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School. “Even those who were diligent about seeing the dentist and had dental insurance throughout adulthood may find it harder to afford dental care as they get older, and coverage options may be more limited.”

The poll, based on a nationally representative sample of 1,066 people ages 50 to 64, was conducted by the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, with support from AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center.