"Preliminary results from a 2003 survey of Massachusetts 3 rd graders indicate that
48% of all children and 65% of children on MassHealth (low-income children)
have a history of dental disease (cavities and/or fillings); 26% of all children and
40% of MassHealth children have untreated decay (cavities); and 7% of all
children and 16% of MassHealth children have urgent needs and require
immediate care because of large cavities/infection. In another study conducted
in Cambridge, Lawrence and Boston, dental screenings found that 38-48% of
children needed restorative dental care, with 9-14% requiring immediate referral
for treatment. Students at one Boston high school had four times as many
cavities as the national average."

Boston, Cambridge and Lawrence are fluoridated. 62% of Massachusetts is fluoridated