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Dental health study gives New York ‘C’

State meets just half of eight benchmarks; access to dental care needs improvement. New York is average when it comes to improving dental health and its access for children, according to a recent report from the Pew Center on the States.

The state received a “C” grade because it met only half of the eight benchmarks the center set forth in measuring children’s dental health needs.

One of the biggest hurdles for the state to tackle is reaching more Medicaid-enrolled children for dental services. Judith R. Overton, North Country Children’s Clinic’s director of dental services, said that’s difficult to accomplish in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties due to families’ lack of transportation to dental services.

More: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com

Interfaith Clinic teaches kids dental hygiene

RIVER VALLEY and OZARK AREA — Health educator Thea Spatz was recently reminded that an education about dental health is a privilege.

Spatz’ program fit in well with the second-grade curriculum, and she said secondgrade teachers and administrators were cooperative and enthusiastic.

The program began last year at Ida Burns Elementary School. Spatz said many of theschool’s second-graders had never had access to regular dental treatment.

Spatz and her team of volunteers tested students at Ida Burns Elementary Schoolbefore engaging them in a seven-week series of lessons about dental health. At the end of the program, the students were tested again.

More: http://www.arkansasonline.com

Iowa Starts Dental-Only Coverage Plan for Kids

Thousands of children who’ve missed out on a routine check-up or have never been to the dentist at all, will now have that chance. Iowa has started the country’s first dental program for under-insured kids. Dental care will be available for kids whose family income qualifies them for the Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa program, or hawk-i, and whose health insurance does not include dental care. As many as 22,000 children could take advantage within a year, meaning thousands of healthier and brighter smiling kids.

The new program in Iowa is designed to help low-to-moderate income families: those who qualify for hawk-i, and those who have health insurance, but can’t afford dental. Iowa dentist Dr. Melinda Hochgesang says there are a lot of families in Iowa that fall in that range. “Those kids can have those needs met even though they may have health insurance, they just don’t have dental.”

It’s not just important for a white smile. Good dental hygiene is vital to a child’s overall health.

More: http://www.kwqc.com

When it comes to fluoride, education is better than medication

Recognizing fluoride’s powerful impact on human biochemistry, even the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics agree that babies less than 6 months old should not receive any fluoride, yet formulas and baths will soon be fluoride-laden if the state has its way. How will busy parents of newborns find the time, energy, money and education necessary to protect the health of their children? What will happen to all of us at the other end of the age spectrum when every city in the USA is fluoridated?

Why do we proceed down this dangerous path, knowing that adding fluoride to the community water supply will not halt dental decay? Collectively analyzed, studies comparing decay rates in fluoridated vs. non-fluoridated communities have routinely shown conflicting results.

More: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com