Ill. cuts adult dental care from Medicaid

Illinois has ended adult Medicaid dental services as part of $2.7 billion in cuts and taxes designed to fix the state's Medicaid program, according to an Associated Press (AP) news story.

The move could end up costing the state more money in the long run, Dave Marsh, director of government relations for the Illinois State Dental Society, told the AP. Illinois' three dental schools and dental clinics across the state also will be affected by the cutbacks, according to Marsh.

"You're going to see a lot of people waiting when they have tooth decay, toothaches, waiting until it gets to a point where they're going to go to the emergency rooms," he said. "And the cost of emergency care, as you're well aware, skyrockets over the cost of dental care."