The Senate HELP Committee, led by Chairman Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), convened a full hearing on the dental care crisis in America and how to make dental care more affordable and available to all. “In America today we have a dental crisis that we have got to address,” said Senator Sanders. “Dental care in America is way too expensive. We don't have enough dentists, dental hygienists, or dental therapists. Far too many Americans, especially in rural areas, do not have access to a dentist, which forces them to either travel long distances or go without the care they need. Very few dentists accept Medicaid preventing the most vulnerable people in America from getting the dental procedures they need. And there is a major lack of transparency in the prices dentists charge. The results have been tragic: One out of five seniors in our country are missing all of their natural teeth. Over 40% of children in America have tooth decay by the time they reach kindergarten. And about half of Americans with dental insurance skip getting the dental care they need because they cannot afford it. That is unacceptable and has got to change.”
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