CDHP's Edelstein Tells Congress to Back Holistic Approach to Dental Care

In recent testimony before the U.S. House Government Reform and Oversight Domestic Policy Subcommittee, Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) Chairman Burt Edelstein advocated for continued work by Congress and the federal agencies to eradicate the "scourge" of childhood tooth decay.

"[We] can work together...by identifying those at greatest risk early in their lives, providing families with the tools to manage that risk, ensuring ready access for all children to comprehensive prevention-oriented dental care, and allocating our resources where the needs are greatest."

CDHP has been working to strengthen dental care for children in the U.S. since 1997. Click here to view Dr. Edelstein's full testimony.

GAO Finds Dental Care Improvement in States, But Barriers Remain

The GAO recently issued a report that examined how the states track the effectiveness of Medicaid dental care for children. The report recommends that CMS develop a plan to review dental services in states with low utilization rates and ensure that states share best practices nationwide.

The report also contained interesting data on children's dental care, including:

• CMS reports that dental utilization rates have improved since 2000 from a national average of 27 percent to 35 percent in 2007.

• Utilization rates remain low: only 1 state in 2007 reported a dental utilization rate among Medicaid kids above 50 percent.

• 12 states reported utilization rates below 30 percent.

• Fewer than half of all states reported undertaking initiatives to improve children's access to dental care.

• Nearly all states reported that the barriers contributing to low use of dental services in 2000 by Medicaid beneficiaries still exist today.

Clearly, more work needs to be done to improve children's dental care. The network of Small Smiles dental centers will continue to work with states and communities to increase access to quality dental care for low-income children.

Dentistry IQ: Recession affects dental care for youth from low-income families

In a new article featured in Dentistry IQ titled "Recession affects dental care for youth from low-income families", Dr. Steve Adair discusses the results of a recent survey which demonstrate that the recession is having a significant impact on dental care for many kids across the country.

The article states:

The national online poll surveyed 210 parents of young children in households with annual incomes of $35,000 or less. It revealed that one in five (20%) take their children to the dentist less than once a year, well below the American Dental Association’s recommendation of two annual check-ups. About 16% said their children are not insured, and more than 40% said their family receives government health assistance from programs, such as Medicaid and CHIP. Approximately 18% said they have trouble locating a dentist who will treat their children, a finding that reflects a national problem, Dr. Adair said.

“The numbers in the survey are not surprising given the overall challenge the nation faces with regard to dental care for low-income children,” [Dr. Adair] said. “The information reinforces what many of us suspected about the impact of the economy.

Adair goes on to say, "Through events such as health fairs and free dental screenings at schools and day care centers, Small Smiles helps spread the message about the need for establishing an oral health routine to their community,” he continued. “As a profession, we can do a better job educating parents and children of all socioeconomic levels about the importance of good oral health and their options for receiving the dental care that they need.”

To read the Dentistry IQ article, please click here.

To read more about the survey conducted, please click here.

Survey: Recession Endangering Dental Health of American Children

A recent survey of low-income parents has found that financial stress caused by the economic recession is forcing many families to choose between basic necessities such as food, transportation and housing, and routine dental care for their children – exacerbating an epidemic of poor dental health among children from underserved communities.

“There is an overwhelming need for dental care for economically-disadvantaged children across the country,” said Dr. Steven Adair, a faculty member of the Medical College of Georgia.

Small Smiles of Greenville Sponsors Head Start Golf Tournament

On June 20th, Small Smiles of Greenville, SC sponsored and participated in SHARE's 2nd Annual Golf Tournament.

SHARE, the Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources, Inc., is a private non-profit organization that provides a wide range of services to low and moderate-income residents in Anderson, Greenville, Oconee and Pickens counties. SHARE was chartered in 1966 and is headquartered in Greenville, SC. SHARE strives to help low-income individuals, families, and neighborhoods become self-sufficient.

Small Smiles of Greenville partners with SHARE to provide dental services to 90% of the pre-school children who SHARE assists.

In addition to sponsoring the tournament, teams from Small Smiles of Greenville also won 2nd and 3rd place!

Congratulations to the teams and to the dentists and staff in Greenville who are working with SHARE to teach children the importance of a dental routine at an early age.

Dr. Steve Adair Addresses Soda Mouth Crisis in USA Today Letter to the Editor

In a Letter to the Editor that appeared in USA Today on June 18, Dr. Steve Adair highlights the problems associated with soda consumption by children. Dr. Adair's letter, written in response to an article on a potential soda tax which is being considered by Congress and the Administration to help pay for health care reform, states:

"USA TODAY's coverage of a potential soda tax highlights the link between soda consumption and obesity, but there is another soda-driven health problem that is just as prevalent: tooth decay among children ("Pour on taxes, pour on change?," Life, Monday).

Tooth decay affects five times more children than asthma and is the most common chronic childhood disease; 80% of tooth decay among American kids is found in just 25% of all children, a majority of whom come from low-income families. Additionally, children with untreated tooth decay are more likely to have chronic pain and problems eating and sleeping.

This epidemic is driven in part by sugared soda consumption and other unhealthy habits children learn at home, but more needs to be done in communities as well. Nationwide, only about 30% of low-income children receive adequate dental care.

Whether a tax would reduce soda consumption is debatable, but what is certain is that parents and children need to be aware of the risks. Through education and expanded care access, we can help ensure that our nation's children grow up with healthy smiles."

To read the letter on USA Today's website, please click here.

Small Smiles of Roanoke Helps Children Learn to Read

Small Smiles of Roanoke is pleased to be partnering with Smart Beginnings of Roanoke and the United Way to help children in the area learn to read.

Smart Beginnings works with you children to prepare them to enter the classroom. The United Way is also participating in the program has dontated books to help encourage children to read at home.

Small Smiles of Roanoke is pleased to be distributing books from the program to their patients. Office Manager Mandy Dilley reports, "The children are excited to get a book of their own that they can take home."