Chicago Tribune | Dental care for poor poses looming crisis:

Fluoridation is mandated in the state of Illionis:

"Despite the expansion of dental coverage for children, 32 percent of 3rd-graders in Chicago had untreated dental decay, according to the latest statewide survey, completed in 2004. The figure was 38 percent in suburban Cook County and 37 percent in rural areas."

Rockford Register Star - Rockford's Newspaper and Website - Local & State News:

Illinois is a fluoridation mandated state:

"In the 2004-2005 school year, the Winnebago County Health Department spot checked more than 11,000 students in Winnebago and Stephenson counties and found 35 percent needed routine treatment and nearly five percent needed urgent attention — meaning they had five or more cavities or had developed abscesses."

South Bend Tribune:


"The number of Michigan dentists willing to accept Medicaid payments has fallen 39 percent in the past six years, putting a significant barrier in the path of poor people who need dental care, advocates say."

Inside Bay Area - IBA - Home:

San Mateo, California:


"In one of the wealthiest counties in the state, residents live in chronic pain due to lack of access to dentists, Silvestri noted.

'You don't have to go to Guatemala or Mexico,' she said. 'It's right here in our back yard.'

Silvestri said she has seen patients who have been without most of their teeth for up to 15 years. A survey of participants in the new program found that 32 percent hadn't seen a dentist in more than five years; Robinson-Gates said she hadn't visited one for 10 years before her troubles began."

Ironton Online | Sunday, March 05, 2006:

Ohio is 91% fluoridated:

"Over the years, Jeter said children’s dental problems have gotten worse. He said kids as young as 18 months old are getting cavities."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/21/2005 | Sound mouth, healthy body:

Philadelphia, PA, is fluoridated:

"Shadeed Lamar is just a little guy but already he's got big problems in his mouth: Ten of his 24 teeth are so badly decayed that they need to be pulled or filled...Unfortunately, Shadeed is not an aberration."

"The extent of the dental crisis among poor children in Philadelphia became clear not long after the Care Mobile launched medical and dental screenings in 2002.

"We were very frustrated. We had a large number of children who had dental problems and nowhere to get treated because they had no insurance," said pediatric cardiologist Iain Black,..."

MuscatineJournal.com:

Muscatine, Iowa, is fluoridated

"The staff at the Muscatine clinic say there is a high incidence of cavities among their patients"

The Columbus Dispatch - Science

Fluoridated since 1973:

"People often ask what the most common complaints are in the emergency department. They expect to hear about injuries, chest pain and pneumonia and are surprised when I say how many toothaches we see."

EarlyChildCaries.pdf (application/pdf Object)

"children with dental caries were more likely to have received a topical fluoride treatment than those without
caries. Pediatric Dentistry 25(6):565–571"