Why Bernie Sanders is targeting oral health: 'Dental care in America is in crisis.'

Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has long championed universal health care coverage through Medicare, has a new goal to expand dental coverage to all Americans.

In May, the Vermont Independent introduced the Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024, a bill to expand dental coverage through Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. The legislation before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, would establish federal funding to increase the number of dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists in the U.S., in part, by training dental students through community-based dental residencies.

More: Imagine if the government offered dental care. New federal rule could make that a reality.

Sanders recently spoke extensively with USA TODAY about the country's dental care system and why he's pushing for expanded coverage for more Americans. The following are excerpts from that conversation.

USA TODAY : The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions you chair recently held a hearing on dental care in the United States. Why are you highlighting this topic?

Sanders : First thing that we are trying to do is to make it clear to the American people that dental care in America is in crisis. I think most people know that our health care system is broken. It's outrageously expensive. Millions of people can't afford insurance. But I think there is not that same consciousness with regard to dental care, and that's what this hearing was about. The reality is that dental care in America is extremely expensive. Many dentists do not accept Medicaid reimbursement because it is too low or for other reasons. We don't have enough dentists in America, and we especially don't have dentists in many underserved areas. So I guess on Park Avenue in New York City you probably have plenty of dentists. But in rural areas, low-income areas, you don't have dentists.

USA TODAY : How has the lack of dental care access affected vulnerable populations?

Sanders : The result of that is 40% of kids in America have tooth decay by the time they reach Kindergarten, which is really quite stunning. And nearly one out of every five seniors in America have lost all of their natural teeth, and many of them cannot afford dentures. I met some people in Vermont (who were) missing front teeth in their mouths. You go out and try to get a job without front teeth in your mouth! It's hard to do. Millions of people are in that situation as well. It's unbelievable that in the United States of America, we have situations where volunteer dentists come together (and) people camp out for hours or sleep overnight in order to get their teeth extracted because they've been in pain for years. So clearly, we need fundamental changes in the way we do dental care in this country. In my view, health care is a human right, not a privilege. And that is certainly true with dental care.

USA TODAY: For those who do have dental insurance, do you think it provides adequate coverage?

Sanders: If you have serious dental work that needs to be done − an implant, a root canal − I suspect that for many people, their coverage only pays a fraction of the cost. The other thing we need to be looking at, which is never discussed, is the high cost of dental care. You walk into a dental office, and the dentist will say you need A, B, C and D. You say, ‘Well doctor, if that’s what you think I need.’ And then a week later, you get a bill for $5,000. So the question, not unlike health care, is why is dental care so expensive?

USA TODAY: The Affordable Care Act extended coverage for medical care to many Americans. Why does dental care not get the same attention?

Sanders: The American healthcare system is broken. It is dysfunctional. It is cruel. The function of the American health care system is not to provide quality health care or dental care to all people. It is to make huge profits for insurance companies, drug companies, and in many cases, providers. That's its function. And in that sense, it does very well. But it is failing ordinary Americans in a disgraceful way. We are the only major country on Earth not to guarantee health care to all people.

USA TODAY: You have introduced the Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024 that would extend dental coverage to Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. What are the prospects for this legislation? And are there any smaller, incremental steps that can be taken in lieu of this ambitious bill?

Sanders: The VA, in my view, provides quite good health care to our veterans, which they deserve. For whatever reason in the VA, as in the overall health care system, dental care is not considered part of health care. So we are trying and we may have some pilot projects to begin moving in that direction. Certainly, all the major service organizations like the American Legion, the VFW and other major veterans groups support what I'm trying to do to expand dental care to VA coverage. I have seen polling which says that over 90% of Americans − an astronomical number − want to see Medicare expanded to cover dental, hearing and vision. It is an enormously popular idea. I've introduced legislation to do that. We had it in Build Back Better recently. It is an issue that the American people want and need for all the reasons that we have been talking about.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Bernie Sanders is targeting oral health: 'Dental care in America is in crisis.'