WASHINGTON — Some areas that top the nation for unemployment also face another challenge: access to dental care.
According to USA Today, more than one-third of working-age adults in the U.S. do not have dental insurance. The article points out the Affordable Care Act doesn’t require health plans to cover dental services for adults.
The lack of dental care is leading to tooth loss. USA Today reports that nearly one in five working-age adults in some Southern and Appalachian states have lost teeth.
That’s prompting younger Americans in some of the highest-unemployment areas to look into dentures and other cosmetic procedures to improve their appearance.
Organizations such as Remote Access Medical work to provide dental services to people in rural and low-income areas, but the waiting lists can get very long.
