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UK Against Fluoridation

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

USA - Dentists visit schools to help low-income

Dentists visit schools to help low-income kids
by Marisa Helms, Minnesota Public Radio
September 13, 2007
Thousands of children in St. Paul will get free or low-cost dental checkups this year. The care doesn't come from a government program, but from a partnership between businesses and nonprofit groups.
St. Paul, Minn. — Arcelia Sanchez, 7, is getting her teeth worked on by dental hygienists, but she's not at the dentist's office. She's in a small administrative office at John A. Johnson Elementary School in St. Paul.
During the visit, Arcelia receives a cleaning, fluoride treatment and has a sealant applied. In the coming weeks, she will be back for some followup visits that include some restorative work.
Learning and hygieneThe hygienists treating Arcelia work for Children's Dental Services, the state's largest nonprofit provider of dental care to low-income children and pregnant women.
"One of the highest unmet health needs for children in Minnesota, and really across the country, is dental care," says Sarah Wovcha, executive director for Children's Dental Services.
Wovcha says dental problems are directly linked to children not doing well in school.
"Tooth decay tends to leave children in acute pain. And so they're unable to concentrate on academics to perform in core skills like reading and writing. There's been a real correlation between those two," says Wovcha. "The crisis comes about when schools try to reach out and connect to that care, and there are no dentists available to provide it."
Minnesota, where fluoridation is state-mandated:NYSCOF

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