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One in Four Children in California Have Never Visited the Dentist

I was shocked to learn that 25% of the children in California have never seen a dentist -- or should I say I was a little confused...
The study titled "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Dental Care for Publicly Insured Children," published in the July issue of the journal Health Affairs, notes that African American and Latino children with various types of insurance, were less likely than Asian American and white children to have visited the dentist in the previous six months -- or even in their entire lifetime. The study examined data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey. The study contains data on nearly 11,000 children under the age on eleven. Nadereh Pourat, Ph.D., director of research planning at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, stresses that, "The findings suggest that having insurance isn't always enough," adding, "We need to address the other barriers that keep children from getting the help they need."

Alright, you are probably wondering why I am so confused; right? Well, you see, California is one of the few States where new kindergarten students were required by law to have an oral examination prior to attending school. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 1433 in 2006. I am curious to know how the study would differ if UCLA looked at data after 2006? Granted, kindergarten students account for only part of the 11,000 children in the 2005 data, but you would think the number of children that have seen a dentist would be higher in California because of their kindergarten oral health requirement law.

The numbers will undoubtedly change, now that the kindergarten oral health requirement (AB 1433) in California has been designated a Tier 3 program. Funding for Tier 3 programs was reduced, and districts are no longer obligated to participate in Tier 3 programs. Schools are still encouraged to educate students and parents about the importance of regular dental examinations, and collect and submit AB 1433 data but, as far as I understand, it is no longer required by law to have the dental examination. Could this mean that the percentage of children that have never visited the dentist will rise?

One in Four Children in California Have Never Visited the Dentist originally appeared on About.com Dental Care on Sunday, July 18th, 2010 at 23:46:54.

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