Jackie Pata: Bridging the dental care divide in Indian Country

The “dental divide”—the absence of services and access to dental health services in low income communities—is real, especially in Indian country.

Native people represent America’s most rural communities and those communities struggle to find dentists who will practice in their clinics and health systems. In fact, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), there are 45 million people who live in areas where they can’t get dental care. It’s estimated that an additional 6,600 dental providers are needed nationwide to meet the current need. At the Indian Health Service (IHS) 17 percent of all dentist positions are vacant and IHS providers carry a patient load nearly twice as high as dental providers in the general population.

In Indian Country this lack of access to dental health is having a profound impact on those smiles we so often flash when we’re laughing and joking around. For some, the smiles are not as bright or may be covered behind a hand. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Native children have three times the rate of untreated cavities compared to other kids; over 50 percent of Native children have untreated decay and 75 percent to 97 percent of adults have untreated decay.