December 7, 2024

How a Cleaning Today Keeps the ICU Away

In an ideal healthcare system, patients and providers would be the ones making medical decisions. Treatment recommendations would be based on diagnostic information, followed by an informed discussion about benefits, risks, and alternatives. But in reality, third-party payors and regulators often dictate patient care. This misalignment can lead to delayed treatments, increased suffering, and skyrocketing costs.

A prime example of this mismanagement occurred in Illinois when adult Medicaid benefits were slashed. In 2012, the Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together (SMART) Act limited adult public dental benefits to emergency-only care. The results? A cascade of preventable dental emergencies and a massive strain on the healthcare system:

Emergency Department (ED) visits for dental issues increased by 48%
Operating room interventions surged by 83%
Hospital admission days jumped by 128%
ICU stays rose by 76%

These statistics reveal the downstream consequences of cutting preventative dental care. The SMART Act may have reduced upfront spending on Medicaid dental benefits, but it ended up creating a larger, costlier problem downstream.

𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲

Odontogenic infections—serious infections originating in the teeth or surrounding tissues—are a startling example of how dental neglect spirals into severe medical emergencies. A study spanning a decade revealed that one in four patients (25%) with an odontogenic infection requires ICU admission¹. When routine dental care like cleanings, fillings, or non-surgical interventions is inaccessible, minor issues escalate into life-threatening conditions that demand hospitalization.

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Here’s the kicker:

These costly and preventable hospitalizations were the direct result of patients being unable to access preventative care.

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𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴

Decisions made by payors to save money in the short term often lead to disastrous outcomes:

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Delayed Care: Patients are forced to wait for emergencies before care is covered. By this point, interventions require more resources, specialists, and complex treatments.
Financial Waste: A single ED visit for dental pain costs an average of $3,948–$4,729². With dental-related ED visits making up 1.5% of all emergency visits, these costs add up quickly³.
Human Cost: Beyond the financial burden, there’s a human toll. ICU stays, surgeries, and longer recovery times lead to unnecessary suffering for patients.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹-𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Preventative dental care is the answer. Regular cleanings, timely fillings, and accessible routine care can reduce the burden of costly, avoidable emergencies. A study showed that integrating dental and medical care reduced hospital admissions by 22%⁴.

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Combined dental-medical plans have also led to a 5% reduction in medical claims⁴.

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At Toothsome, we advocate for patient and provider empowerment, cutting out unnecessary third-party interference. By integrating dental and medical health, we ensure that preventative care becomes the norm, not the exception. It's time to recognize that oral health is systemic health.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲

When patients and providers lose control over medical decisions, healthcare costs rise, and outcomes worsen. Preventative care isn’t just about keeping teeth clean—it’s about keeping people out of the ICU. The next time you think about skipping that cleaning, remember: preventative care isn’t just a dental issue—it’s a systemic health issue. Let’s put patients and providers back in the driver’s seat.

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𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀

Fu, B., McGowan, K., Sun, H., & Batstone, M. (2018). Increasing use of intensive care unit for odontogenic infection over one decade: Incidence and predictors. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 76(11), 2340–2347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joms.2018.05.021
Salomon, D., et al. (2017). Does restriction of public health care dental benefits affect the volume, severity, or cost of dental-related hospital visits? Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 75(3), 467–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joms.2016.10.019
American Dental Association. (2022). Recent trends in hospital emergency department visits for non-traumatic dental conditions. CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. https://www.carequest.org/system/files/CareQuest_Institute_Recent-Trends-in-Hospital-ED-Visits_6.7.22_FINAL.pdf
Aetna. (2018). It's all connected: Better health outcomes for members, lower costs for employers. Northeast Business Group on Health. https://www.neebc.org/assets/White-Papers/Dental-%20Medical%20Integration-%20White%20Paper2018.pdf

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How a Cleaning Today Keeps the ICU Away