USA - Childhood Tooth Decay On The Rise

Childhood Tooth Decay On The Rise
By Colorado Public News and Carol McKinley
.......Dental disease is the number one chronic health problem for American children - more common than hay fever and asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Colorado mirrors the nation. The state’s latest health report card, compiled by The Colorado Health Foundation, indicates that parents in Colorado are often slacking when it comes to caring for their children’s teeth. Some 23 percent of Colorado kids didn’t go to the dentist for a preventative visit last year, ranking the state 38th in the nation.
Among uninsured families, only a third of 2- to 4-year-olds went to the dentist, the report card found.
By age 17, nearly 80 percent of Colorado kids have had at least one cavity. Nearly 10 percent have lost a tooth because it rotted out.
“This is not surprising,” says pediatric dentist Mark Koch. He has seen an alarming increase in the amount of cavities in young children. His worst case ever: a 4-year-old who lost all 20 of his teeth to decay. “They were so far gone, we couldn’t repair them.”
Koch adds that oral surgery is a serious proposition for preschoolers, as they almost always have to go under anesthesia. Children’s Hospital reports nearly 3,000 pediatric dental surgical cases last year, at a cost of $8,000 to $10,000 per child.....

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