The California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
For Immediate Release
October 3, 2022
Contact: Monika Lee, (858)-353-7271
Sacramento, CA – A new report by the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network brings to light the racial and ethnic disparities in oral health. “Addressing the Root: Dismantling Systemic Barriers to Oral Health Equity” calls to attention key policy recommendations that can advance oral health equity.
Oral health is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of overall health. Poor oral health can contribute to chronic disease, chronic pain, difficulties obtaining employment, and school absences. Nearly a third of Californians report that they avoid smiling due to the condition of their mouth and teeth and 1 in 4 feel embarrassed due to the condition of their mouth and teeth.
At the federal level, Medicaid dental benefits are optional for each state. This has resulted in California having limited and restored dental benefits within Medi-Cal three times in the past decade, which has caused great confusion among providers and consumers alike, some of whom have delayed or forgone care altogether. Medicare, federal health insurance for older adults and people with disabilities, also does not include dental benefits.
According to the California Health Interview Survey, in 2020, adults of color were less likely than white adults to report the condition of their teeth as good, very good, or excellent. Additionally, adults enrolled in Medi-Cal were less likely than those who are commercially insured to report good, very good, or excellent teeth condition.
CPEHN worked with key partners in oral health: Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education, Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño, Asian Health Services, Ravenswood Family Health Network, and Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers to highlight policy recommendations that can advance oral health equity, including:
- California and the federal government should work together to establish permanent, full scope dental coverage for adults in Medi-Cal.
- Integrate oral health with primary health care and improve accountability.
- Approach care with both cultural competence and cultural humility.
- Improve timely access to quality interpretation and translation services.
- Conduct effective community outreach and education through trusted messengers and use of multiple mediums, including visual materials.
- Support efforts to expand the oral health care team to include dental therapists and community health workers.
- Establish incentives to increase the number of diverse dental providers.
- Collect and report utilization, quality, and outcome data that is disaggregated by race, ethnicity, preferred language, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability status, and county.
“Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities care greatly about their oral health, yet often face systemic barriers to achieving good oral health. Policymakers can take steps to ensure everyone – regardless of their race, ethnicity, income, spoken language, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, immigration status, disability status, or zip code – can achieve the best possible oral health outcomes,” said Ruqayya Ahmad, CPEHN Policy Manager and one of the report’s authors.
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