By Dr. Joseph D. Lim
It is true that in these social media times, reading hard copy may not be the norm. Still, we love the feel and convenience of not turning on a device just for the simple pleasure of reading and manually turning actual pages.
And Time magazine is our favorite hard copy. Here, we share an interesting article published June 5, 2025, and written by Alana Semuels, a senior correspondent at Time magazine. The article is about how “America’s dental health is in trouble.”
“We are already facing an oral health crisis,” the magazine quotes Melissa Burroughs, director of Public Policy for CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of better oral health care.
“Medicaid cuts and water fluoridation rollbacks are the two biggest ways in which the oral health crisis is likely to be exacerbated.”
“Now, dentists say they’re worried that a perfect storm of public-policy changes could further worsen oral health across the country,” Ms. Semuels writes.
“Proposed cuts to Medicaid would mean that fewer people will be able access dental care, as federal government staffing purges target places like the prevention division of oral health at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [US CDC]. What’s more, as states including Florida and Utah vote to ban the addition of fluoride to drinking water and other states consider similar bans, dentists say the oral health of children and adults will suffer.”
Four in 10 American adults who have health insurance don’t get regular dental care, she reports, citing a survey conducted by the health care advocacy organization PAN Foundation.
“Not having dental health care can come with major consequences,” Ms. Semuels points out.
“Tooth decay and gum disease can exacerbate other health conditions and lead to heart disease, low birth weight in pregnancy, and even respiratory disease. Adults who present to emergency departments for tooth pain often end up with opioid prescriptions, which can lead to addiction. If children’s teeth hurt, they may have trouble eating, leading to poor nutrition; if they’re in pain, they’re likely to sleep poorly. The CDC estimates that 34 million school hours are lost each year because of unplanned dental issues.”
The irony of this to many dentists is that providing people with preventative care can actually save states money over time, the Time article continues.
“Children on Medicaid who received fluoride treatments saved between $88 and $156 each for their state programs, one study found. Water fluoridation is another preventative policy that saves money. In 2024, the CDC estimated that providing communities with fluoridated water for one year saves $6.5 billion in dental treatment costs and leads to 25 percent fewer cavities.”
In this country, we don’t always embrace the importance and value of preventative care to prevent disease later on,” Amy Niles, the chief mission officer of the PAN Foundation, tells Time magazine.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De La Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./WDJ