Reply to this peer discussion. I chose to review CDC data related to the number of dentists per 100,000 resident population by state from 2019…

Question Reply to this peer discussion. I chose to review CDC data related to the number of dentists per 100,000 resident population by state from 2019 (National Center for Health Statistics, 2021). I thought this data would be incredibly interesting as I am starting clinical rotation in a dental hygiene clinic. This new collaboration between graduate level nurses and dental hygienists is an outreach program for underserved and vulnerable families. In my short time at this clinic, I have learned how important oral health is and the systemic impact oral hygiene is to an individual’s overall health. I found this data interesting as the states with the highest rates per 100,000 residents were District of Columbia (104.00), Massachusetts (83.38), Alaska (80.51), New Jersey (79.47), and Hawaii (78.33). Conversely on the lower end was Alabama (40.97), Arkansas (41.82), and Mississippi (42.91). I had a challenging time finding a potential theme or reason as to why these particular states had a higher rate of dentists. I looked at several websites to find correlations including Medicaid dental coverage (Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc, 2019), percent of residents on Medicaid (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.b), population density, educational attainment (World Population Review, 2021a), and race (World Population Review, 2021b). The higher rates do not appear to be located near each other regionally, but it is noteworthy that the lower rates appear to be congregated vastly in the South and Southeast. After some digging, I did find a slight correlation between states that had a higher percentage of residents on Medicare, had a lower rate of dentists, although this was not perfectly correlated (Kaiser Family Foundation, n.d.). This could imply that Medicare does not adequately cover dental services. According to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serves (n.d.a), “Medicare doesn’t cover most dental care,” which supports the previous implication. These findings could strongly suggest that Medicare should cover dental services, at least in part, such as cleanings and fillings. As Medicare does not currently cover those services, individuals on Medicare may not seek dental expertise, thus a lower number of dentists are required or necessary per 100,000 residents. Lower income individuals or families are not accessing dental care as potentially necessary which supports the need for not only expanded Medicare coverage, but also dental clinics such as the clinic where I am completing my clinical rotation. The ideal policy update would be to expand Medicare coverage to include dental services.   ReferencesCenter for Health Care Strategies, Inc. (2019, September). Medicaid adult Dental Benefits Coverage by State.https://www.chcs.org/media/Medicaid-Adult-Dental-Benefits-Overview-Appendix_091519.pdfCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.a). Dental Services. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/dental-servicesCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.b). Percentage of Population Enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP by State. Retrieved September 8, 2021, from https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/scorecard/percentage-of-population-enrolled-medicaid-or-chip-state/index.htmlKaiser Family Foundation (n.d). Medicare Beneficiaries as a Percent of Total Population: 2018.https://www.kff.org/medicare/state-indicator/medicare-beneficiaries-as-of-total-pop/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Medicare%20Beneficiaries%20as%20a%20Share%20of%20Total%20Population%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7DNational Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Health, United States, 2019: Figure 017. Hyattsville, MD. Retrieved September 8, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2019/fig17-508.pdfWorld Population Review (2021a). Educational Attainment by State. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/educational-attainment-by-stateWorld Population Review (2021b). States by Race. https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/states-by-race Health Science Science Nursing NURS 604 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)