Fla.'s Kids in Need Have Little Access To Dentists | TheLedger.com

Fla.'s Cavities Kill and Sicken Dentist-Deficient Children | TheLedger.com:

"Since 2006, three children have died in the U.S. because of a dental infection that went untreated because the parents weren't taking the kid to the dentist," Catalanotto said. "In one case in Maryland, the parent couldn't find a dentist who would take Medicaid. We estimate 200 or more children a year are actually admitted to the hospital for a life-threatening dental infection in the state of Florida."

In April, 5-year-old Dylan Stewart died after being anesthetized for dental work. His death shocked and saddened the community, along with the dentist, Dr. Ronnie Grundset. She closed her practice for a short while. Grundset is one of eight dentists in Alachua County who serves the area's most impoverished patients, taking Medicaid for pediatric patients while nearly 275 of her colleagues in the county do not."

"About 70 percent of people in Florida drink fluoridated water. In 1949, Gainesville was the first city in the state to fluoridate its water to prevent tooth decay."