Ensure All Massachusetts Children Can Access the Dental Care They Need
Lack of access to dental care is a serious problem for many low-income children and adults, seniors living on fixed incomes, rural and inner-city residents, and people with disabilities or special needs.
Without adequate access to dental care, people are forced to seek relief through expensive visits to hospital emergency rooms. The cost to the state is high, as is the cost to working families.
The good news is that Massachusetts state legislators are considering an innovative and effective solution to address access to dental care shortages.
S.2076 is a common-sense solution that will help increase access to dental care for those who need it most. The legislation authorizes a new type of dental professional, similar to a nurse practitioner on a medical team, called a dental hygiene practitioner (DHP). Working under the supervision of a dentist, a DHP will deliver basic but critically necessary care to underserved populations in the state, performing procedures such as filling cavities, placing temporary crowns, and extracting loose teeth.
It's time to make sure children, seniors, and other vulnerable people across Massachusetts have access to the dental care they need. Urge your state legislators today to support the needs of children, seniors, and working families by voting in favor of S.2076.
Dear [Representative],
I am writing to express my support for S.2076, which would allow dentists in Massachusetts to hire a new type of dental care provider known as a dental hygiene practitioner. Similar to nurse practitioners in a doctor’s office, these dental professionals will help deliver basic but critically necessary care to underserved populations in Massachusetts.
[Your comment will be added here]
Lack of access to dental care is a serious problem for many low-income children and adults, seniors living on fixed incomes, rural and inner-city residents, and people with disabilities or special needs. Forty-seven percent of young people on MassHealth did not see a dentist in 2014, and 59 percent of seniors in long-term care had untreated dental problems in 2009.
Without adequate access to dental care, people are forced to seek relief through expensive visits to hospital emergency rooms. The cost to the state is high, as is the cost to working families.
I respectfully ask you to support the needs of children, seniors, and working families by voting in favor of S.2076
Sincerely,
[Your name]
