Inequity Along the Medical-Dental Divide

Abstract

It's obvious that our mouths are part of our bodies. Yet within the modern health care system, it's hard to imagine any other body part that is treated as distinctly. The isolation of oral health affects how we pay for oral health care, who provides that care, and, most importantly, how patients access it. Although the separation of medicine and dentistry in the United States stems from decisions made decades and even centuries ago, it continues to have lasting and meaningful impact on the lived experiences of millions of Americans, especially those from at-risk communities already poorly served by the medical system. 1