Foundation puts money where kids' mouths are | Chicago Tribune

Foundation puts money where kids' mouths are | Chicago Tribune: Where the water is fluoridated

"Most weekday mornings, children and their harried parents join a long line at the pediatric dentistry clinic of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. Dr. Indru Punwani sees patients as young as 2 with acute pain and facial swelling. Many have never had regular oral care, or they need a follow-up after emergency treatment elsewhere.

Punwani, head of the college's pediatric dentistry department, sees daily evidence that the incidence of tooth decay in young children is growing"

"Community health services are straining to meet demand. Cook County Bureau of Health Services officials said the county maintains five dental clinics in the suburbs and offers emergency treatment (usually tooth extractions) and oral surgery at Stroger Hospital. But the hospital's routine dental care for children and adults ended this year when three dentists were laid off, primarily because of budget considerations."