The leading reason for Americans avoiding the dentist , whether healthy or not , is the prohibitive cost , leading to issues of medical costs for preventable general health conditions down the line . Growing research has found that treating dental issues such as gum disease can aid diabetics in lowering blood glucose levels and in lowering medical costs . The beauty of the initiative is that it's designed to use resources efficiently, according to Dr. Peter Milgrom, a professor of oral health sciences at the University of Washington and principal investigator for the project. Dental pain is a common cause of emergency room visits , with 2.1 m visits to the ER in 2010 alone being caused by dental problems , according to the American Dental Association . The effects of poor dental care is even reflected in the working sector as well , as poor dental conditions lead around 30 % of low - income citizens to be unaware that it affects their employability . There is a lack of national progress in addressing this issue and including it in general healthcare practices , rather than treating it as a specialty treatment . Separate practices hinder the healthcare system in treating patients effectively , as well as leaving many patients with skyrocketing bills . The Health Care Act , now under fire , does mandate that children up to 10 years old are eligible for dental care , but adult health insurance through Medicare and Medicaid does not cover dental . New methods of providing dental care are being explored throughout the country on a local level , but the fundamental lack of cohesion between dental care and general health care is even down to an administrative level , as record systems are different for health and dental .
The leading reason for Americans avoiding the dentist , whether healthy or not , is the prohibitive cost , leading to issues of medical costs for preventable general health conditions down the line . Growing research has found that treating dental issues such as gum disease can aid diabetics in lowering blood glucose levels and in lowering medical costs . Dental pain is a common cause of emergency room visits , with 2.1 m visits to the ER in 2010 alone being caused by dental problems , according to the American Dental Association . The effects of poor dental care is even reflected in the working sector as well , as poor dental conditions lead around 30 % of low - income citizens to be unaware that it affects their employability . There is a lack of national progress in addressing this issue and including it in general healthcare practices , rather than treating it as a specialty treatment . Separate practices hinder the healthcare system in treating patients effectively , as well as leaving many patients with skyrocketing bills . The Health Care Act , now under fire , does mandate that children up to 10 years old are eligible for dental care , but adult health insurance through Medicare and Medicaid does not cover dental . New methods of providing dental care are being explored throughout the country on a local level , but the fundamental lack of cohesion between dental care and general health care is even down to an administrative level , as record systems are different for health and dental .