Oral health is inextricably linked to overall health in multiple ways. In some cases, the treatment of other health conditions — including heart disease and cancer — must be delayed because of oral health problems. Such delays can have profound health consequences.
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In this visual report, CareQuest Institute researchers found that about 15% of adults receiving one or more medical treatments (joint replacement, immunotherapy, radiation, heart surgery, or chemotherapy) had their medical care delayed by their physician due to oral health problems.
Other key findings include:
- Joint replacement was the most commonly delayed treatment due to oral health problems.
- Younger adults are more likely to have their medical treatment delayed due to oral health problems: more than a third of adults aged 18-29 had their medical treatment delayed (36%), compared to only 6% of adults aged 60 or above.
- Adults identifying as Black (non-Hispanic) reported having their medical treatment delayed in the largest percentage (31%).
- Approximately one in ten adults with private dental insurance (11%) had their medical care delayed due to oral health problems, compared with 43% of adults with Medicaid dental insurance.
These findings underscore the importance of equitable access to both dental and medical care; oral health is not a supplement to overall health but a prerequisite to it. The authors write:
Medical-dental integration, in which interprofessional health care teams provide whole-person care for their mutual patients, can help facilitate both communication between providers and access to dental and medical care for patients.”
You may also be interested in:
- Oral-Systemic Interactions and Medical-Dental Integration: A Life Course Approach, a report providing a comprehensive overview of the bidirectional nature of oral and systemic diseases across different life phases.
- From Silos to Synergy: Integrating Oral Health into Whole-Person Care Through Interprofessional Practice (IPP), a white paper and use cases exploring IPP as a strategy to enhance patient outcomes.
- Treating Dental Patients with Head and Neck Cancer, a self-paced course discussing pre-treatment evaluation, oral health care during treatment, and post-radiation oral care best practices. Eligible for 1 free CE credit.