Floridians share stories of struggles in ‘dental health crisis’

By Trimmel Gomes, Florida News Connection

By listing dental care as the top unmet health care need in Florida, a group is helping Floridians share their stories and challenges in getting that care, hoping to raise awareness of the issue.

This online forum features a collection of stories from across the state, including a Broward County woman who said she was constantly getting infections and taking antibiotics during pregnancy because she couldn’t afford dental care.

Karen Bonsignori, communications director for America’s Children’s Campaign, said her group and Floridians for Access Dental are using the stories to dive deeper into the data behind Florida’s oral health problems.

“There is a mother who has struggled for ten years to get her children to see a dentist. This is absolutely unacceptable,” she said. “There is another story of a man whose teeth are rotting out of his head.”

Bonsinori said all of these stories are collected, analyzed and shared, in person or online, to educate others about what she called “Florida’s oral health crisis.” In 2020, less than half of Medicaid beneficiaries younger than 20 received preventive dental care, including annual exams. In Florida, about two-thirds of children enrolled in Medicaid lost these services.

To add your story or read more about others, the website is floridiansfordentalaccess.org.

According to a workforce survey by the Florida Department of Health, nearly eight in 10 dentists in Florida said they did not accept Medicaid patients. Bonsinori said she believes many people are not fully aware of the magnitude of the health care issue facing the state.

“I think anyone who thinks Florida has a handle on solving the oral health crisis is really out of touch with the experiences of everyday Floridians,” she said.

She added that their main concern is the high cost of dental care, followed closely by limited access to services. Most dentists operate within private practices, with less than 5% working in publicly funded dental offices and community clinics, according to the State Dental Health Workforce Survey.