(Daily Finance) — When times get tough, teeth just aren’t on the top of the “take care of this now” list. And that’s nothing to smile about.  The 2011 Survey of Dental Care Affordability and Accessibility conducted for Brighter.com by Empirica Research in conjunction with Dr. David Neal, professor at the University of Southern California, shows that approximately 50% of Americans lack dental insurance, and in 2010, dental premiums increased at a higher rate than medical insurance premiums.  ”The recession and high unemployment rates have put more of the burden of dental care on the shoulders of already strained budgets,” says Jake Winebaum, founder and CEO of Brighter.com.