New Ca. Kids Dental Action Plan: 'Halting a Neglected Epidemic'.

News/Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--May 25, 2000

A groundbreaking new report by a coalition of children's dental health experts has identified five actions needed to halt a neglected epidemic of dental disease in California. The California Children's Dental Health Initiative (CDHI), funded by The California Endowment, today released its five-step action plan for halting children's dental disease. In 1993-94, the first ever statewide oral health needs assessment (The Neglected Epidemic), revealed that California children are experiencing an epidemic of oral disease. Dental disease is the most prevalent disease affecting California children, and also the most prevalent untreated disease of children in the United States. For many children, tooth decay severely interferes with eating, sleeping, speaking, learning, and playing.

"California's children are plagued with oral diseases that cause them pain, distract them from play and school, disfigure their smiles, and make it hard to eat," said Dr. Jared Fine, Chair of the blue-ribbon CDHI Advisory Committee that identified five actions that can help halt the dental disease. "Many other childhood diseases -- for example, measles, mumps, and whooping cough -- are well managed, or have been nearly eliminated by aggressive prevention programs. But oral diseases remain unchecked. No wonder one in ten Americans over age 18 no longer have any of their natural teeth."

The action plan is the result of two years' work, by a coalition of public, private and philanthropic health leaders to pinpoint long-term solutions to the epidemic. The CDHI work was funded by The California Endowment.

The Advisory Committee pinpointed five (5) actions to help halt the dental disease epidemic:

1.  Improve access to community water fluoridation
2.  Increase access to dental care
3.  Expand school- and community-based dental programs
4.  Expand efforts to prevent tooth decay in very young children
5.  Involve the dental profession in programs to prevent children's
    use of tobacco

"Oral diseases are not minor annoyances -- just a cavity that can be filled or a tooth that can be extracted," Linda Davis-Alldritt, President of the California School Nurses Organization told a State Capitol news conference. "For many children, tooth decay severely interferes with eating, sleeping, speaking, learning, and playing. Millions of school days are lost each year because of dental-related illness."

Oral diseases are also very costly. A study of data from the 1989 National Health Interview Survey found that children missed more than eight million school days because of dental problems. Low-income children are especially vulnerable: They miss nearly twelve times as many school days because of dental problems as higher-income children.

"California's children have twice as much dental disease as the national average," said Dr. Howard Pollick, Clinical Professor of Dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco. "California's children are walking dental disasters. Over the past decade, the oral health of the nation's children has improved. But in California, often the pacesetter and innovator in public health efforts, the trend has gone the opposite direction."

--  California's children have twice as much untreated decay as their
    national counterparts.
--  Only 10 percent of California 8-year-olds get sealants for their
    first permanent molars.
--  One-third of the parents of California preschoolers report giving
    them nighttime bottles, a practice that promotes tooth decay.
--  Only 30 percent of Californians currently receive the benefits of
    fluoridated water.

Dr. Fine called upon legislators, state agencies, philanthropies, medical and dental organizations, school districts and physicians to implement the five recommended actions, "We have the resources and the technology to halt this epidemic. What we need now is the commitment to do it. Like any strategic campaign, this one requires sustained commitment. Some actions to improve the oral health of California's children can take place now. Others will happen over the next 2-5 years. But we must begin today. The cost of delay -- in terms of human suffering and wasted potential -- is too high. California should lead the nation in efforts to improve children's oral health just as it leads in so many other areas."

The Advisory Committee said it looked forward to working with all interested parties to implement the five recommended actions.

The California Endowment was established in 1996 as a private foundation and has assets of approximately $3.7 billion. The Endowment is the largest health foundation in California and one of the largest foundations in the United States. It has program staff working throughout the state, and maintains offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno and San Diego. The mission of The California Endowment is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well being of the people of California. More information on The California Endowment may be obtained by visiting www.calendow.org.