Wednesday, June 17, 2009

A Look at Oral Health Disparities in Appalachia

A Look at Oral Health Disparities in Appalachia:

"In many parts of Appalachia, tooth decay remains an unfortunate rite of childhood that too often leads to a lifetime of poor oral health. In [92% fluoridated] West Virginia, population 1.8 million, dentists pulled an estimated 31,800 children’s teeth in 2006. By age 65, about 40 percent of the state’s retirees have none of their natural teeth remaining."

"COHRA is focused specifically on oral health disparities in parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. "In Pennsylvania... most households [in Appalachia with the most tooth decay] are located in areas with fluoridated water."

"we see similar rates of decay at our West Virginia and Pennsylvania sites...we’ll see individuals from fluoridated communities who still get caries, and people from non-fluoridated sites who have perfect teeth."