Thousands of Californians are getting set up with dentalinsurance through the Golden State’s Patient Protection andAffordable Care Act marketplace.

The executive director of Covered California, the state’sinsurance exchange, told Kaiser Health News that 33,000 adultshave signed up for dental insurance.

Although California has embraced most of PPACA, accepting thefederally-funded Medicaid expansion and setting up its ownexchange, it is one of the last states to offer dental insurancethrough its exchange. Washington State, another strongly Democraticstate, remains the only state without a dental plan in itsmarketplace. However, PPACA mandates that dental be included inhealth plans for children.

Only those who have purchased health plans through the exchangeare eligible to add a dental plan. Kaiser reports the averagemonthly premiums will range from $11 to $65. The premiums fordental care will not be subsidized, unlike the core healthplans.

The 33,000 who have purchased dental insurance make up but asliver of the more than 1.3 million who have bought health plansthrough Covered California. But of the 34,000 who signed up forhealth plans during the current open enrollment period, 6,000 haveadded dental care.

Although there are five insurers offering dental plans, morethan two-thirds of current enrollees have gone with plans offeredby Delta Dental.

“Covered California has done a very good job preparing itswebsite with comments on how to purchase and prepare for coverage,”Jeff Album, a Delta Dental spokesman, told the Sacramento BusinessJournal. “Hats off to them in the third year of openenrollment.”

Studies have shown that many with health insurance often forgostandard dental care. A recent survey from the Urban Institutefound that a fifth of those with health insurance said they couldnot afford basic dental services. Another survey showed that kids go tothe dentist more frequently than their parents.