USA - VNA: Children's dental care substandard
By Mike Lawrence
Originally published April 18, 2010 at midnight
Steamboat Springs — Local health officials said last week that the struggles of many Northwest Colorado families to provide oral care for their children are being compounded in the economic recession, potentially worsening an already alarming amount of dental disease in local youths.
“People don’t think about (oral health), especially when, financially, things are really tough,” said Janet Pearcey, executive director of Northwest Dental Coalition in Craig. “That’s kind of last on the list.”
Northwest Dental Coalition is one of few practices in the region that accept Medicaid for dental care. Bear River Dental Associates in Hayden is another. They might be the only two. Pearcey said Northwest Dental is “the only provider within five counties that offers discounted services” such as a sliding fee scale. In 2009, Pearcey said, Northwest Dental served about 1,200 patients. About 60 percent of them were younger than 18, she said, and about 360 were from Routt County.
“We have more kids from Routt County than we do adults,” Pearcey said.
Sue Birch, CEO of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, spoke about local children’s dental health in a presentation this month to the Steamboat Springs City Council. Citing figures from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Birch said an estimated 66 percent of Routt County third-graders in the 2006-07 school year had a history of cavities, compared with about 57 percent statewide. Nearly 32 percent of those third-graders had untreated tooth decay, Birch said, compared with less than 25 percent statewide.
“Thirty to 50 percent of our kids have serious dental disease,” she told the City Council. “This is 2010, and we’re seeing Third World conditions right here.”
She added that Routt County fails to meet any standard oral health measure.
“It’s pretty scary,” Birch said............
Steamboat Springs, most of Routt County and 74% of Colorado is fluoridated:NYSCOF
Originally published April 18, 2010 at midnight
Steamboat Springs — Local health officials said last week that the struggles of many Northwest Colorado families to provide oral care for their children are being compounded in the economic recession, potentially worsening an already alarming amount of dental disease in local youths.
“People don’t think about (oral health), especially when, financially, things are really tough,” said Janet Pearcey, executive director of Northwest Dental Coalition in Craig. “That’s kind of last on the list.”
Northwest Dental Coalition is one of few practices in the region that accept Medicaid for dental care. Bear River Dental Associates in Hayden is another. They might be the only two. Pearcey said Northwest Dental is “the only provider within five counties that offers discounted services” such as a sliding fee scale. In 2009, Pearcey said, Northwest Dental served about 1,200 patients. About 60 percent of them were younger than 18, she said, and about 360 were from Routt County.
“We have more kids from Routt County than we do adults,” Pearcey said.
Sue Birch, CEO of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, spoke about local children’s dental health in a presentation this month to the Steamboat Springs City Council. Citing figures from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Birch said an estimated 66 percent of Routt County third-graders in the 2006-07 school year had a history of cavities, compared with about 57 percent statewide. Nearly 32 percent of those third-graders had untreated tooth decay, Birch said, compared with less than 25 percent statewide.
“Thirty to 50 percent of our kids have serious dental disease,” she told the City Council. “This is 2010, and we’re seeing Third World conditions right here.”
She added that Routt County fails to meet any standard oral health measure.
“It’s pretty scary,” Birch said............
Steamboat Springs, most of Routt County and 74% of Colorado is fluoridated:NYSCOF
posted by Bill at
9:29 AM
1 Comments:
When a child learns good dental care habits at a young age, the child tends to maintain those habits into adulthood. Therefore, teaching your child proper oral health habits now can mean a lifetime of healthy teeth.
child dental care
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Unknown, at 15 August, 2013
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