Dental treatment is available in most states for low-income families and children.
The government does not give grants to individual people to pay for dental work. It does, however give grants to nonprofit organizations providing health care, including dental, to under-resourced groups such as veterans and low-income families. In addition, many state governments fund community health care programs that include dental treatment, which residents of the states can use.
Dental Reimbursement Program
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursements grant. The purpose of the grant is to reimburse private and nonprofit hospitals, dental schools and community dental programs across the country for oral health care services provided to patients with HIV/AIDS. The programs must document the number of patients treated to claim against the grant, which reimbursed a total of $9 million to eligible applicant organizations in 2010.
Stimulus Program
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was a stimulus package provided by the federal government. The package offered a variety of stimulus options, including reduced premiums for "assistance-eligible individuals" under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly called COBRA. Under this program, individuals can get up to 15 months of dental health benefits.
Alabama Dental Assistance
In Alabama, the ALL Kids-Children's Health Insurance Program, administered by the state's Department of Public Health, provides low-cost health and dental care for teenagers and children from low-income families. If a household's income is high enough to disqualify the family for Medicaid, but is less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, family members under 19 years of age or those with special needs receive dental care under the state program.
Minnesota State Program
Minnesota's Medical Assistance program provides assistance for low- and very low-income families that covers comprehensive health care, including dental work. Eligible applicants include people who are pregnant, under 21 years of age, blind, age 65 years or older, or disabled.
South Dakota Program
The South Dakota Medical Assistance for Low Income Families Program, funded by Medicaid, provides full medical cover for low-income state residents, including those with private health insurance. Very low-income residents only qualify if they are pregnant, caring for children under the age of 19 years or have dependents with disabilities.
Missions of Mercy
The America's Dentists Care Foundation "Missions of Mercy" program provides dental care performed by qualified dentists who offer their services on a volunteer basis at events around the country. The organization is privately funded, although it may well qualify for federal health care grants, and uses its funding to hold events such as the "Smile Iowa" event scheduled for November 2011 in that state. Americans without money for dental work can attend these events and obtain treatment free of charge.
