Emergency Departments Are No Place for Dental Care
The Issue
Millions of Americans lack access to routine dental care and resort to visiting hospital emergency departments (EDs) for non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDCs).
Most patient needs could be addressed more effectively in a dental office at a much lower cost. To expand oral health access for those (and all) patients, we need policy changes at the federal and state level.
Stats
1.8M
In 2019, there were more than 1.8 million ED visits for NTDCs.
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$3.4B
Estimated total charges for ED visits for NTDCs was nearly $3.4 billion in 2019.
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70%
Nearly 7 in 10 ED visits for NTDCs among patients ages 21-64 are made by those enrolled in Medicaid or who are uninsured.
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4
Only the District of Columbia and 3 states — Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Alaska — offer extensive Medicaid dental benefits for adults.
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Trends in ED Use for Dental Conditions
Recent Trends in Hospital Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions
Patients most likely to visit the ED for an NTDC are 25-34 years old, uninsured or have Medicaid coverage, live in a rural area, or have an income below $48,000 per year. These trends reflect persistent inequities in Americans’ access to dental care. Â
Children’s Use of Emergency Departments for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions
Florida had the highest rate of ED visits for children compared to all other states for which data is available.
Spotlight on the States
Use of emergency departments for dental conditions varies by state and is dependent on factors such as the level of dental benefits available in the state Medicaid program. These reports analyze data at the state level.