A bipartisan commission says New Hampshire lawmakers should consider adding comprehensive dental benefits to the state's Medicaid program for adults.
The commission, which was created last year to analyze barriers to dental care in New Hampshire, released its final report on Monday. It found that the state does well on some measures, such as having the lowest percentage of third-graders with untreated tooth decay, but did worse on others. For example, about a quarter of New Hampshire adults haven't visited a dentist in the last year.
Currently, Medicaid covers only treatment of dental trauma, pain and infection. The commission said the state should consider expanding that coverage to include preventive and restorative services, if funding is available.