The Economic Toll of Inequitable Dental Care Access: A Welfare Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Disparities.

Researchers quantified economic losses from unequal dental care access across racial and ethnic groups using national survey data from 2014–2023, finding that Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial adults experienced lower access and higher per-visit costs than White adults, resulting in estimated annual welfare losses totalling $19–$30 billion.

A plain-English summary of the study's own findings — we don't add our own claims or interpretation. Read the full paper for the complete methods and results, and apply your own clinical judgement.