( CNN ) -- If you doubt there 's a dental health crisis in America , walk into any emergency room . Every day , thousands of people without access to a dentist are looking for dental care in our ERs , most of which can not provide the care these patients need . We 're experiencing this alarming trend right here in Greensboro , North Carolina . For example , one of our local hospitals , the Moses Cone Health Center , finds that about 10 % of ER cases are related to dental issues . Nationally , more than 2.1 million people , the vast majority of them adults , showed up in ERs with dental pain in 2010 , double the number just a decade prior , according to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey . Those ER visits for largely preventable issues cost the health system more than $ 2 billion that year . And the majority of dental ER visits , nearly 80 % , were for common and preventable conditions like abscesses and cavities . The reason for this ? The percentage of working-age adults -- particularly young adults -- with private dental benefits continues to decline . And more than half of lower-income adults say they have n't seen a dentist in a year or longer . So patients go without proper cleaning and examinations and end up at the ER when a problem strikes . But most ERs are not staffed or equipped to diagnose and treat dental problems . Typically , they provide antibiotics and pain medication only . This results in patients returning to the ER to treat the same dental issues as soon as the pain returns . Unfortunately , the Affordable Care Act will provide little relief . The new law has no substantive dental provisions for low-income adults , despite the fact that dental health is critical to overall health . Dental crisis could create 'State of Decay ' What 's the solution ? Foremost , it 's prevention . We need programs to get patients proper preventive care . And when patients have dental issues that need immediate attention , they need access to a dentist to treat the underlying problem . The good news is that we are beginning to tackle this issue , one hospital ER at a time . I 've seen it in my hometown of Greensboro , and it may be happening in yours , too . Hospitals and dentists across the country are collaborating on programs that address this issue at the community level , offering models other communities can replicate . Greensboro 's Moses Cone Health Center has one such program . Recognizing that dental emergencies are better handled in a dental office , Moses Cone created a program to refer these patients to staff dentists . The hospital covers the cost of care if the patient is uninsured . The end result : The dental patients get the care they need , and the hospital is able to free up the ER staff to handle more urgent emergencies , saving time and money . Other communities are creating their own ER referral programs . At Maine 's Waldo County General Hospital , about one in five patient visits to the emergency department involved dental pain . To relieve the strain on its facilities , Waldo County General created an in-house dental clinic that offers screenings and preventive care , with local dentists providing treatments such as fillings and extractions at substantially reduced fees . To qualify , patients must not have seen a dentist in the past 12 months and must meet certain federal income requirements . Most patients pay $ 10 to $ 20 for a dental visit , but no one is turned away if they ca n't . The Bronson Battle Creek hospital system in Calhoun County , Michigan , is partnering with a local nonprofit , Community HealthCare Connections , on a program that refers patients suffering from dental pain from the ER to dentists . Since the program began , dental cases in the ER have dropped by 70 % . The dental screening that could save your life . More than 60 % of the community 's private practice dentists have signed on to provide free treatment , resulting in more than $ 1 million in care donated to 4,000 people . In return for care , patients volunteer service hours with local organizations , giving back to the surrounding community . All Americans deserve good dental health , and we need more collaborative approaches like these to take on America 's dental crisis . That 's why dentists are working with health and community leaders across the United States through Action for Dental Health , the American Dental Association 's nationwide , community-based movement to provide care now to people suffering with dental disease , strengthen the public-private safety net and bring disease prevention and dental health education into underserved communities . The campaign comprises numerous initiatives , each with specific goals , one of which is to implement ER referral programs in all 50 states by 2020 . With bold goals like this and a commitment to join together locally and nationally , we can all but eliminate routine dental problems clogging ERs by providing the right care in the right place : the dental chair . The opinions expressed are solely those of Dr. Charles H. Norman .
Most emergency rooms are not staffed or equipped for dental problems . The percentage of working-age adults with dental benefits is declining . The Affordable Care Act provides little relief . Hospitals are creating referral programs to get patients to dentists .