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Kentucky's dental disaster begins before kindergarten
By Sarah Vos - svos@herald-leader.com
JENKINS — Dr. Nikki Stone received her patients in the gym. Her lap formed half the dental chair and an assistant's made the other half.
On this October morning, there was a 4-year-old whose two front teeth were rotting, a 3-year-old with six cavities, and another 4-year-old with 10. It's not unusual for Stone to see preschoolers with cavities in all 20 teeth.
Dr. Nikki Stone, a dentist in Hazard, conducted a dental exam and a fluoride treatment on Mason Ballou at the Head Start program in Jenkins last month.
"These are the kids who haven't been to the dentist at all," Stone said.
Stone brings dental care to Head Start preschool programs in four Eastern Kentucky counties. Her work provides a snapshot of how early Kentuckians' dental problems start, how much they hurt the state and its children, and how much more needs to be done.
Last fall, almost 60 percent of the 418 children Stone saw at Head Start programs in Letcher, Perry, Leslie and Knott counties had cavities. Twenty percent had urgent needs — more than six cavities, pain or infection.
Even in a state with measurably bad teeth — Kentucky regularly tops the list of states with the most toothless adults — the high rates of decay are notable.
"We're finding lots of disease, little treatment," said Dr. Raynor Mullins of the Center for Oral Health Research at the University of Kentucky, which sponsors the program. "And we're beginning to understand the magnitude of the problem."
Treating kids with urgent needs isn't easy. It requires an operating room and anesthesia and costs $5,000 to $10,000.
But not treating them is worse. Kids with tooth decay have a hard time learning. They can't concentrate because of the pain, and they miss class often.
Decay in baby teeth can transfer to adult teeth when they come in. In the most severe cases, decay can lead to serious infections and even death.
Kentucky where fluoridation is required:NYSCOF
By Sarah Vos - svos@herald-leader.com
JENKINS — Dr. Nikki Stone received her patients in the gym. Her lap formed half the dental chair and an assistant's made the other half.
On this October morning, there was a 4-year-old whose two front teeth were rotting, a 3-year-old with six cavities, and another 4-year-old with 10. It's not unusual for Stone to see preschoolers with cavities in all 20 teeth.
Dr. Nikki Stone, a dentist in Hazard, conducted a dental exam and a fluoride treatment on Mason Ballou at the Head Start program in Jenkins last month.
"These are the kids who haven't been to the dentist at all," Stone said.
Stone brings dental care to Head Start preschool programs in four Eastern Kentucky counties. Her work provides a snapshot of how early Kentuckians' dental problems start, how much they hurt the state and its children, and how much more needs to be done.
Last fall, almost 60 percent of the 418 children Stone saw at Head Start programs in Letcher, Perry, Leslie and Knott counties had cavities. Twenty percent had urgent needs — more than six cavities, pain or infection.
Even in a state with measurably bad teeth — Kentucky regularly tops the list of states with the most toothless adults — the high rates of decay are notable.
"We're finding lots of disease, little treatment," said Dr. Raynor Mullins of the Center for Oral Health Research at the University of Kentucky, which sponsors the program. "And we're beginning to understand the magnitude of the problem."
Treating kids with urgent needs isn't easy. It requires an operating room and anesthesia and costs $5,000 to $10,000.
But not treating them is worse. Kids with tooth decay have a hard time learning. They can't concentrate because of the pain, and they miss class often.
Decay in baby teeth can transfer to adult teeth when they come in. In the most severe cases, decay can lead to serious infections and even death.
Kentucky where fluoridation is required:NYSCOF
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