Benevis Spotlights Dental Inequities and Poverty's Impact on Oral Health
The dental healthcare and orthodontics delivery organization's new white paper demonstrates how poverty affects children's smiles and oral health habits into adulthood.
Atlanta, GA, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Benevis announced today the publication of a new white paper, "Poverty Shapes Oral Health," which highlights how socioeconomic status continues to drive persistent disparities in dental health access and treatment, ultimately influencing lifelong health. The paper reviews dental health equity for children, adolescents, and adults with evidence that overwhelmingly demonstrates how poverty casts a long shadow over children's smiles, creating profound and persistent dental health disparities into adulthood. As the leading dental healthcare and orthodontics delivery organization committed to providing quality care to underserved communities, Benevis has made it its mission to provide high-quality dental care to children and their families commonly covered by Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plans. It uses its research to advocate for expanded access to comprehensive care for these patients.
Poverty is consistently highlighted as a significant factor in oral health disparities across different age groups in the U.S., as socially marginalized children, including poor, racial, and ethnic minorities, carry the heaviest burden of oral diseases. The paper examines data that reflect America's oral healthcare delivery system, which has been shown to inadequately protect disadvantaged populations from dental disease. Early disadvantages, such as socioeconomic status and other social determinants of health (SDOH), can have a longer-lasting impact on oral health through adulthood. For example, poor children aged two years old to five years old have twice the decay of non-poor children, and, similarly, adolescents from low-income families experience two times the untreated decay of high-income adolescents. Into adulthood, older lower-income adults have triple the amount of untreated decay versus older higher-income adults. The data proves that the cumulative effects of childhood and adolescent dental disparities that are linked to poverty are also evident in adults.
"In dentistry, clinical teams understand all too well that poverty shapes smiles," shared Dr. Dale Mayfield, DMD, Chief Dental Officer of Benevis. "Although programs like Medicaid and the CHIP have made strides in improving access for some children, gaps still exist with new hurdles on the horizon. Benevis advocates to address these inequities to ensure all children and their families have an equal opportunity to access care and oral hygiene education for healthy smiles, regardless of their socioeconomic circumstances."
Over the years, state-based insurance programs such as Medicaid and CHIP have played a crucial role in improving access to dental services for poor and near-poor children and adolescents. However, care resources are limited, as each U.S. state provides different levels of coverage, and data indicates that 67% of dentists in the U.S. do not treat any children with Medicaid benefits. Conversely, Benevis dental providers manage the oral health needs of more than five million patients annually, including 82% adults and children who are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP plans.
To learn more, please read the white paper, Poverty Shapes Oral Health, by clicking here.
About Benevis
Benevis is a leading dental healthcare delivery organization for practices focused on delivering life-changing oral care and orthodontics to underserved communities. Through comprehensive care and operational services that expand access to dentistry, Benevis has a 20-year history of providing the highest quality care to approximately 5 million children and adults. Its network reaches more than 100 locally branded dental practices across the U.S. that deliver treatment through 1.4 million visits each year. Benevis also advocates for programs and legislation that ensure all families have access to the oral healthcare they need and deserve.
Benevis’ dental practices include Allington Dental & Braces, Cortland Dental & Braces, Creston Dental & Braces, Dorsett Dentistry & Braces, Elstar Dental & Braces, Franklin Dental & Braces, Goodland Dentistry & Braces, Jubilee Dental & Braces, Pine Dentistry & Braces, Pinova Dental & Braces, Pippin Dental & Braces, Porter Dental & Braces, Ruby Dental & Braces, Spencer Dental & Braces, Sunnybrook Dentistry & Braces, Sutton Dental & Braces, Taylor Dental & Braces, Topaz Dentistry & Braces, Youth Dentistry Georgia, and Kansas Youth Dental. For more information, visit Benevis.com.
Kay Blazar Benevis 401-490-9700 benevis@svmpr.com
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