According to the ADA Health Policy Resources Center, more people are heading to the emergency room with dental problems, an increase largely driven by young adults who don't have dental benefits.

The news release states that the number of dental emergency room visits in the U.S. increased from 1.1 million in 2000 to 2.1 million in 2010, according to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The survey also showed dental ER visits as a percent of total ER visits increasing from 1.06 percent in 2000 to 1.65 percent in 2010 – a change HPRC cites as statistically significant.

HPRC cited the survey in a research brief titled "Dental-Related Emergency Department Visits on the Increase in the United States." Lead authors Thomas Wall and Kamyar Nasseh, Ph.D., analyzed dental utilization data and looked at how different age groups approached their dental care.

"The deterioration in private and public dental benefits coverage for adults has clearly created significant financial barriers to dental care – especially among young adults," Wall said. "Our results strongly suggest that the increase in financial barriers to dental care for younger adults could have led to a substitution of dental ER visits for dental office visits."

For complete story and more information about the survey visit ada.org.


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