51 million school hours per year are missed due to dental-related illness in the U.S. Dental cavities are infectious and transmissible. 21% of California’s tenth graders are in urgent need of dental care for extensive decay, pain or infection; and 61% have gum disease requiring professional treatment. Oral health disease is the #1 disease of children in California and the United States.

Now for the good news: this is all preventable and treatable. On Sept. 16, Health Net and The WIC Program came together to bring important and urgent information to the community about the seriousness of this epidemic and how we can overcome it at a luncheon hosted by Maureen Clark, WIC Program Director. A panel of dental professionals was on hand to provide more information. “I can be a vehicle to get this information out to the people that need it the most. We have the opportunity to see pregnant moms, infants, and children up to the age of five,” said Maureen Clark. “This is just the beginning of how we can all work together.”

Health Net has been a Medi-Cal and Healthy Families medical provider since 1984. In July 2008, it added dental care to its list of benefits. They are the only Medi-Cal option that provides both medical and dental under the same benefit program.
Recent studies now claim that the health of the child’s teeth starts in the womb. Germs in the mother’s mouth can cause bacteria to grow creating cavities and diseases that can pass to her baby. Researchers have also linked pre-term deliveries to gum disease. Pre-natal vitamins and Xylitol (a natural sugar substitute in toothpaste) can help reduce the risk of gum disease during pregnancy. Once your baby is born start implementing a program to get baby used to having his mouth wiped out after feedings and having foreign objects in his mouth.
Never put your child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup. Sharing pacifiers, spoons, and other things your baby puts in his mouth can spread cavity-causing germs. Fluoride drops are recommended once your baby turns six months old.

“The attitude and misconception about baby teeth needs to change,” said Dr. Weideman – a WIC luncheon panel presenter. Getting children comfortable with the dentist is a major key to oral health success. Play with your child letting them be the dentist. Encourage your child to play dentist on dolls, read books about going to the dentist, make it a family trip, and keep charts to track progress. Dr. Weideman also provided information on how to spot a cavity. It begins as a small white spot or line on the tooth. Take your child to the dentist if you notice one. Untreated cavities may become abscessed and infected resulting in extractions, root canals and crowns.

Kate Varanelli of Smile Keepers also gave some eye-opening statistics. Last year over 16,000 dental screenings were done in low-income areas of Sacramento County. 35% of those children needed treatment and 9% had urgent needs. Sadly, only 26% of them received care. In 1999 sealants were implemented to help protect from cavities. In 2001 water fluoridation began in Sacramento County. In 2005 fluoride varnishes started being applied. Smile Keepers is trying to get more medical doctors to help out. A vaccination is currently being worked on to help prevent oral health disease.

“Children seen before the age of one will have 40% fewer dental costs over the next 5 years of their life,” said Robert Shechet, another panel presenter. “4% of the children in the U.S. have active dental issues and one-third of U.S. children have untreated decay.” Children who have an active infection cannot eat right and are in pain resulting in many negative consequences. They miss school, cannot focus in class and even lose weight.

If you do not have insurance, you still have some options available. You can apply for Medi-Cal which is based on no-to-low income. You can also apply for Healthy Families if you do not qualify for Medi-Cal. Both programs have either no or low fees. In California, dental screenings are now required before your child can enter kindergarten.

For more information on medical and dental services please contact:
Medi-Cal (800) 430-4263, Healthy Families (800) 880-5305, or Health Net (800) 213-6991.