The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides veterans with coverage for medical care, but routine dental care only garners partial coverage, being available only to those veterans on 100% disability or with oral health problems related their service. In the United States, approximately one in five adults has some form of tooth decay. Research supports the provision of dental as well as general health care, given that gum disease and systemic conditions are strongly correlated. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis have all been linked to oral issues, with strokes and depression potentially also related. The risk factors for these diseases are increasingly higher for the older population of Vietnam and Korean War veterans, and as nearly half of the 20m US veterans are over the age of 65, the problems will continue to worsen without intervention. For senior citizens, seven in ten have gum disease; one in five have untreated cavities, and almost one in five have no teeth remaining. Despite these facts, only 28 states offer adult dental benefits through Medicaid, and even this coverage only covers particular services, with few providers willing to offer them. That includes the public and the private sector, as well as private philanthropy. As it stands, 70% of seniors do not have dental insurance, and low-income seniors generally go without basic care for their oral health.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides veterans with coverage for medical care, but routine dental care only garners partial coverage, being available only to those veterans on 100% disability or with oral health problems related their service. In the United States, approximately one in five adults has some form of tooth decay. Research supports the provision of dental as well as general health care, given that gum disease and systemic conditions are strongly correlated. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis have all been linked to oral issues, with strokes and depression potentially also related. The risk factors for these diseases are increasingly higher for the older population of Vietnam and Korean War veterans, and as nearly half of the 20m US veterans are over the age of 65, the problems will continue to worsen without intervention. For senior citizens, seven in ten have gum disease; one in five have untreated cavities, and almost one in five have no teeth remaining. Despite these facts, only 28 states offer adult dental benefits through Medicaid, and even this coverage only covers particular services, with few providers willing to offer them. As it stands, 70% of seniors do not have dental insurance, and low-income seniors generally go without basic care for their oral health.