Two weeks ago, I wrote about more New Jersey residents needing to visit the hospital emergency room for dental treatment because they lack dental insurance. 
According to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, the University of California-San Francisco, Truven Health Analytics, and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, dental coverage for patients with Medicaid may not prevent tooth-related ER visits, since many states don’t provide dental coverage for adults under their Medicaid programs.
"It is likely that ERs will continue to provide care to individuals without adequate access to community-based dental care unless new dental service delivery models are developed to expand access in underserved areas, and unless more dental providers begin to accept Medicaid under the ACA," the researchers wrote in their study, published Aug. 4 in Health Affairs.
The study also found that from 2001 to 2008, emergency room visits increased by 41% in the United States, while emergency room visits for all conditions rose by only 13%.
What’s your take on this ongoing issue and this idea of developing new dental service delivery models? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments below.