Abstract

It is the position of the Florida Dental Association that every Floridian should understand that good oral health is important to overall health and well-being. Good oral health does not just happen; it is the result of both personal responsibility and professional care. The great majority of Floridians (more than 70 percent) receive high quality dental care. Unfortunately, that is not where the story of Florida's oral health ends. For the other approximate 30 percent of Floridians, the system is broken. Only 23.5 percent of Medicaid enrolled children and 11 percent of Medicaid adults receive any dental care annually. This White Paper explains the barriers to accessing dental care in Florida, what is currently being done to address the problem, and what solutions exist that, if implemented in totality, could improve the oral health of millions Floridians. Lack of access to care is the result of many factors, including patients' preceived need for care, lack of oral health literacy, geographic distribution of dentists and dental teams, financial support for care and transportation challenges to name a few. It is important that government, dental professionals, and advocates work together to identify and address the many barriers to access to care.