Medicaid Dental Program Fails to Heal Nation's Toothache

MEDICAID DENTAL PROGRAM FAILS TO HEAL NATION’S TOOTHACHE
Basic Health Need Critical to School Performance, says Oral Health America

Chicago, IL, September 26, 2008—Oral Health America is calling on policymakers to address failures in our nation’s public health insurance system to keep children healthy and ready for school. Tooth decay, a disease that affects almost half of all second graders, and almost 80 percent of 17-year-olds, is the number one unmet health need among children in the United States. A new report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), revealed that a third of all children covered by Medicaid received no dental care, and approximately 6.5 million children in Medicaid have untreated tooth decay.

“A healthy mouth is vital part of overall health,” said Beth Truett, President and CEO of Oral Health America. “Left untreated, tooth decay can cause pain, impact nutrition and school performance, and affect overall health. In the midst of debate about an unprecedented bailout of financial systems, I urge our Congressional leaders not to loose focus on the fact that there are families who are in an ongoing state of financial crisis, and to help them obtain the services they need, including dental care.”
The GAO report, commissioned in 2007 after two young boys died from complications resulting from untreated tooth decay, estimates that in 2005, 1.1 million children aged two through 18 in Medicaid had conditions that warranted seeing a dentist. The report also found that approximately 724,000 children in Medicaid could not obtain needed care.
Oral Health America urges support for the specific oral health measures including:

• School oral health services that include the placement of dental sealants;
• Community water fluoridation;
• Programs that promote “dental homes” providing a routine source of continuous, comprehensive care;
• Programs that engage physicians and nurses in addressing oral disease.

“A number of states are engaged in law suits for failing to provide dental care to families who need it,” adds Beth Truett. “The problem of access to dental care, like tooth decay, is not going to go away on its own. Let us work together to promote oral health and avoid further litigation.”

Oral Health America is dedicated to eliminating oral disease through education and access to care. For more information, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.

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