Rhode Island ranks fifth in nation for senior dental care

CHICAGO – Rhode Island’s composite score of 84 percent – addressing several dental care factors for residents 65 and older – ranks as “good,” according to the Oral Health America report “A State of Decay: Are Older Americans Coming of Age Without Oral Healthcare?” The nonprofit organization ranked Rhode Island as fifth best in the country, bested by Minnesota, North Dakota, Connecticut and Wisconsin.

Two states – Minnesota and North Dakota – received an “excellent” ranking and a total of only 10 states received a “good” ranking. One of 38 states that received a ranking of “fair” or “poor,” Massachusetts, perhaps surprisingly, earned a “poor” ranking, with a composite score of 37 percent.

The composite score, the report notes, is based on data from five variables: edentulism (tooth loss), adult Medicaid dental benefits, community water fluoridation, basic screening surveys and state oral health plans. Among Rhode Island’s older adult population, 83.9 percent had access to community water fluoridation, 13.8 percent had edentulism and 69.2 percent had access to Medicaid dental benefits. Rhode Island is completing an older adult basic screening survey for 2016 and has a state oral health plan that mentions older adults, but which lacks a strategic set of objectives for that population.

Among Massachusetts’ older adult population, 70.4 had access to community water fluoridation, 14.4 had edentulism and 53.8 percent had access to Medicaid dental benefits. Massachusetts had completed an older adult basic screening survey more than five years ago and has not done one since, and lacks a state oral health plan.

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Significant challenges exist for this population cohort and medical providers caring for them: Since 2011, another 250,000 Americans turn 65 each month. By 2030, more than 19 percent of Americans (nearly one in five) will be 65 or older, which will represent a 46 percent increase from 2010. More hospital emergency departments are treating older adults’ dental emergencies: There were 2.11 million and 2.18 million such visits in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Total charges in 2012 for such ED visits were $1.6 billion, with an average charge per visit was $749. Medicaid accounts for $520 million or about one-third of total dental ED charges for visits by older adults, the report said.

For a copy of the full report, visit oralhealthamerica.org.

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