Study: 1 in 5 Children Don't Receive Dental Care
By: Stephanie Castillo
Updated: December 14, 2011
When it comes to receiving dental care, New
Jersey has its share of under served children, according to a new Rutgers
study.
In 2009, more than one-fifth of the state's children between 3
and 18 received no dental care within the previous year. While
an improvement over 2001, when almost one-third of the state's children
received no care, the study found that foreign-born children and those
without health insurance were still likely to forgo visits to the
dentist.
The Facts & Findings report, "New Jersey Children without
Dental Services in 2001 and 2009," was prepared by Rutgers's Center
for State Health Policy.
Many groups recommend regular trips to the dentist for children.
An American Dental Association report calls for regular
dental checkups, including a visit to the dentist within six months of
the eruption of the first tooth and no later than the child's first
birthday. An American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advisory calls for a
dental check-up at least twice a year for most
children.
"Tooth decay remains one of the most
preventable common chronic diseases among children," said Jos Nova,
research project coordinator and lead author of the study.
He cited a U.S. Surgeon General report that tooth decay affects more
than 25 percent of American children ages 2 to 5 and 50 percent of those
ages 12 to 15.
(Copyright: Gannett) read more
(Copyright: Gannett) read more
