Dental care appears to be the most common sacrifice when cost of living rises, according to a  Zillow Real Estate Research by Aaron Terrazas, Senior Economist.

When rents rise faster than incomes, as they have in recent years, renters are forced to tighten their belts elsewhere.

Among the highest rent burdened households, 40 percent said they skimped on the dentist, compared to 26 percent of the lowest rent burden households. Dental care appears to get cut first, followed by routine check-ups and prescription medication.

Read the full report at: https://www.zillow.com/research/rent-burden-sacrifices-9969/

Don’t despair. The American Dental Association offers a few options to help keep dental care available when problems arise:

* Assistance programs vary from state to state. Locate your state on this list and contact your state dental society to find out about care in your area.

*Another possible source of lower-cost dental care is a dental school clinic. Generally, dental costs in school clinics are reduced and may include only partial payment for professional services covering the cost of materials and equipment. Your state society should be able to tell you if there is a clinic in your area.

* Additionally, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides free or low-cost health coverage for more than 7 million children up to age 19. CHIP covers U.S. citizens and eligible immigrants.

*  Oral Health America’s Tooth Wisdom offers for a list of the resources by state available to those over age 60  in need of dental care.

For more resources, visit the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors.