Roanoke MOM � Roanoke Mission of Mercy Project

Virginia is 95% fluoridated:  Roanoke MOM � Roanoke Mission of Mercy Project: In Southwest,Virginia, there is a profound need for access to affordable dental services for low-income, uninsured, and underserved adults. For the past four years, the Roanoke Mission of Mercy Project has provided $2.7 million in free dental services to over 4000 adults in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas. The Roanoke Mission of Mercy Project is conducted one weekend each year and uses portable dental equipment for cleanings, x-rays, oral surgery, and fillings.

Hundreds stand in rain for Mission of Mercy dental clinic tickets | WSLS 10

Roanoke, Virginia, is fluoridated: Hundreds stand in rain for Mission of Mercy dental clinic tickets | WSLS 10: "I think it's just indicative of the times we're in. People don't have access to dental care, don't have access to dental insurance, or simply can't afford their co-pay," said Alison Jorgensen, with Mission of Mercy.

More Americans seeking dental treatment at the ER | The Asbury Park Press NJ | APP.com

More Americans seeking dental treatment at the ER | The Asbury Park Press NJ | APP.com: “Emergency rooms are really the canary in the coal mine. If people are showing up in the ER for dental care, then we’ve got big holes in the delivery of care,” said Shelly Gehshan, director of Pew’s children’s dental campaign. “It’s just like pouring money down a hole. It’s the wrong service, in the wrong setting, at the wrong time.”

The typical emergency room treatment for a dental disorder is an antibiotic and pain reliever.

Al Smith | Step to aid oral health | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com

In Kentucky, where fluoridation is state-mandated: Step to aid oral health | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com: With nearly a fourth of Kentucky’s 1 million children living in poverty and suffering some of the worst oral health in America, the state Board of Dentistry has voted to develop regulations to permit hygienists to treat children in a public health setting, perhaps stemming a near-epidemic of tooth decay in the very young

Growing numbers of people heading to emergency rooms for dental problems | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com

Michigan is 91% fluoridated. Yet, growing numbers of people heading to emergency rooms for dental problems | Lansing State Journal At least two or three patients pass through the doors of a local emergency room every day with throbbing, unbearable toothaches.

 It’s a growing problem in Michigan and across the country. Locally, there aren’t enough dentists in Ingham County who provide care for those without insurance or on Medicaid.

Some officials estimate that figure is now as high as 100,000 visits per year in Michigan, with more than 1,000 hospitalizations annually for preventable dental problems.

In [mostly fluoirdated] Ingham County, at least 1,500 trips are made to hospital emergency rooms annually for toothaches that could have
been treated with proper preventive care. Sometimes, those trips turn into weeklong hospital stays if an infection
has spread.
In Ingham County alone, 51 longer-term hospitalizations for preventable dental problems were recorded in 2008, with
patients averaging a stay of 2½ days at a cost of $19,074, according to the latest data available from the Michigan Oral
Health Coalition.

 At Sparrow Hospital, part of [fluoridated] Lansing’s Sparrow Health System, an average of three to five patients and sometimes as many as 10 seek dental care help each day, said Dr. Tony Briningstool, executive director of emergency services at Sparrow.

 Nationally, the lack of dental care for these people led to more than 800,000 trips to the emergency room for dental pain in 2009 — a 16 percent increase from 2006,

Preventing cavities in preschoolers | MedBeat - roanoke.com

Preventing cavities in preschoolers | MedBeat - roanoke.com: Virginia is 95% fluoridated. Data from Virginia’s Head Start program showed that more than one in five children 5 years old and younger had dental decay.


And it isn’t just a problem in toddlers. By third grade, 47.4 percent of children had tooth decay, with 15.4 percent of that decay untreated, according to a 2009 state survey. Southwest Virginia had the greatest proportion of children with untreated dental decay at 25 percent.

Cavities in baby teeth - MariettaTimes.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Ohio, Community Information - The Marietta Times

Cavities in baby teeth - MariettaTimes.com | Marietta, Georgia, is fluoridated: A typical preschooler has 20 teeth, and Dr. Gandee Licklider, a Marietta dentist, has seen children with tooth decay in 10 of them.


Licklider said she's noticed the trend at her own practice, Licklider Family Dentistry on Second Street in Marietta. She believes a variety of factors are in play.
"I attribute it to more kids drinking pop and sweet tea and Gatorade, sports drinks, at an earlier age," she said.


At Nationwide Children's Hospital in [fluoridated] Columbus, Ohio, chief of dentistry Dr. Paul Casamassimo has observed worse than that. "We've had kids in there between 2 and 3 years of age where all 20 of their teeth need to have something done to them," he said.

 Casamassimo said other theories involve children from low-income families having weaker teeth because of poor diets and even a mother's high-sugar diet during pregnancy "programming" her child to crave more sugar. The exact cause of the increase has not been determined, he said.

Guest Editorial: For children, the gift of a healthy smile | DL-Online | Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

Guest Editorial: For children, the gift of a healthy smile | DL-Online | Detroit Lakes, Minnesota: Nationwide, fewer than half of children enrolled in Medicaid — the health insurance program for the poor — get any dental care at all. And that’s not just the parents’ fault: “Only about 20 percent of the nation’s dentists provide care to people with Medicaid, and, of those who do, only a small percentage devote a substantial part of their practice to serving those who are poor, chronically ill or living in rural communities,” a recent U.S. Senate report declared.

Moreover, even children from more affluent families are turning up with toothaches, face pain and a startling number of cavities. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted an increase, the first in 40 years, in the number of preschoolers with cavities in a study five years ago,” The New York Times reported earlier this week.

“But dentists nationwide say they are seeing more preschoolers at all income levels with 6 to 10 cavities or more. The level of decay, they added, is so severe that they often recommend using general anesthesia because young children are unlikely to sit through such extensive procedures while they are awake.”

Dentists Reveal Alarming Cavity Problem Among Preschool Children

Dentists Reveal Alarming Cavity Problem Among Preschool Children: The CDC reports that over 19% of children ages 2-19 have untreated cavities — the first increase in 40 years, with the largest increase in the number of preschoolers with cavities since the last study completed five years ago.

LCC Helping Dentists Fight Increase In Toddler Tooth Decay

LCC Helping Dentists Fight Increase In Toddler Tooth Decay: Lansing, Michigan is fluoridated: Many of the students had never seen a dentist and half were suffering from decay.

"One gal was so swollen they couldn't even touch that side of her mouth she was so sore," Hershey said.

Tiny Mouths Found Filled With Rotting Teeth - Staying Healthy News Story - KMGH Denver

Tiny Mouths Found Filled With Rotting Teeth - Staying Healthy News Story - KMGH Denver: Colorado is 74% fluoridated. AURORA, Colo. -- The operating rooms at Children's Hospital Colorado are packed with preschool kids needing dental procedures.

"We're booked five months out in the OR, and that's three days a week, two rooms a day. And it just keep increasing," said Janine Costantini, ambulatory practice director at Children’s Hospital Colorado. "The more we do the more we need."

Report: Dental woes sending more Arizonans to emergency rooms – Cronkite News

Report: Dental woes sending more Arizonans to emergency rooms – Cronkite News: PHOENIX is fluoridated – The emergency room at Copper Queen Community Hospital in Bisbee is dealing with more toothaches these days.

“Patients are coming in with infections and abscesses, looking for antibiotics and pain medication,” said Jim Dickson, the hospital’s CEO.

From July through February, 58 people arrived at the hospital complaining of dental problems, he said, compared to 27 cases from July 2010 through June 2011.

More dental patients seeking care in Lubbock emergency rooms | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

More dental patients seeking care in Lubbock emergency rooms | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock, Texas, is naturally fluoridated.  Tavia Hatfield, director of community outreach at Covenant Health System, said emergency room doctors at Covenant say they’re seeing patients come in for dental care every day. A majority have toothaches related to an abscess or a tooth that needs to be extracted, she said. Some of the cases are accident related, but most are untreated, long-term dental problems.

“I think they go to the emergency room because they’re uninsured, they’re in pain, and they don’t have anywhere else to go,” Hatfield said. “Even though the emergency room does not have dentists on staff, at least they can get pain medication and antibiotics.”

Growing trend in national ER dental visits | KMOV.com St. Louis

Growing trend in national ER dental visits | KMOV.com St. Louis: St. Louis Missouri is fluoridated.  Dr. Joseph DeLucia of SLU Hospital,  sees three patients a day for dental reasons in the emergency room.

Dental care in America: A system in decay | MailTribune.com

Dental care in America: A system in decay | MailTribune.com: In Illinois, fluoridation is state-mandated  Pekin Hospital in the central Illinois town of Pekin has seen a significant increase in ER patients with "very poor dental health," said Cindy Justus, the hospital's ER nursing director. They include uninsured patients and drug abusers, and many are repeat patients.

Shortages of dentists, especially in rural areas, have contributed to the problem, as well.

Dental Professor to Congress: Oral Health is Vital | LifeHealthPro

Dental Professor to Congress: Oral Health is Vital | LifeHealthPro: Subcommittee members reviewed the work of researchers from the Pew Center on the States, Washington, who reported earlier this week that patients with dental problems are flooding into emergency rooms, and that about 20% of emergency room visits in Minnesota [where fluoridation is state-mandated] are the result of dental problems.

An oral health reform idea in New Hampshire is rooted in controversy - SentinelSource.com: Editorial

An oral health reform idea in New Hampshire is rooted in controversy - SentinelSource.com: Editorial: Untreated dental conditions led to 830,590 visits to emergency rooms nationwide in 2009, up 16 percent from three years before, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States, a non-profit agency that focuses on public policy. A New Hampshire report several years ago tracked emergency room visits for eight health conditions and found dental ailments accounted for the “most notable increase.” Often, those showing up at hospitals with oral health problems are children enrolled in Medicaid whose families can’t find a dentist willing to take their insurance.

What Parents Need to Know About Primary Teeth Care - Well Being (washingtonian.com)

What Parents Need to Know About Primary Teeth Care - Well Being (washingtonian.com): Washington DC is 100% fluoridated:

During her residency, Austin recalls setting aside every Thursday and Friday for at least four surgeries for patients. “Usually, the kids were four and under,” she says, “and sometimes as young as one.”

Austin says her youngest patient was 18 months old, while her worst case involved a child who had to undergo surgery for all 20 teeth. “It’s so heartbreaking,” she says, “and it’s usually because parents just don’t know the importance of primary teeth care.”

More cavities being found in preschoolers, dentists say | News - Home

More cavities being found in preschoolers, dentists say | News - Home: "We are seeing a ton of dental decay on children at a very early age," said Dr. Kristin Gordos, a pediatric dentist.  Bern Township, Pennsylvania, is fluoridated.

A mouthful of trouble

Burlington, Iowa is fluoridated:

A mouthful of trouble: Amy Groeltz, whose South Fifth Street dental clinic, the Smile Shoppe, opened in 2007, has noted some increase in severe cases of decay. So has Bill Daws, a physician at Burlington Pediatrics, where well-child checkups take dental health into account.

"It seems to be getting worse and worse," Daws said.

EDITORIAL: For children, the gift of a healthy smile | GK Health

EDITORIAL: For children, the gift of a healthy smile | GK Health: Nationwide, fewer than half of children enrolled in Medicaid -- the health insurance program for the poor -- get any dental care at all. And that's not just the parents' fault: "Only about 20 percent of the nation's dentists provide care to people with Medicaid, and, of those who do, only a small percentage devote a substantial part of their practice to serving those who are poor, chronically ill or living in rural communities," a recent U.S. Senate report declared.

Rising number of child cavities called a "disturbing" trend | kens5.com San Antonio

Rising number of child cavities called a "disturbing" trend | kens5.com San Antonio: [fluoridated] SAN ANTONIO -- Dentists are noticing a disturbing trend. More and more children are showing up with multiple cavities, often needing expensive treatment.


Dentists at the U.T. Health Science Center Dental School showed images from a typical case. A San Antonio patient has 11 cavities. He’ll need major intervention, including a root canal. The patient is only five years old.

Tooth Decay in Toddlers on the Rise

Tooth Decay in Toddlers on the Rise: Tooth decay in children as young as four is on the rise and it's rising at an alarming rate.

More dentists in the Valley are having to put kids under anesthesia just to operate.

"It's an astounding amount of decay," said Dr. Joseph Greene, a pediatric dentist in [fluoridated] Harrisonburg.

Bad teeth: Kids need general anesthesia to fix cavities | KWGN.com – Denver, Colorado News & Weather from KWGN-TV Colorado's Own CW Channel 2

Bad teeth: Kids need general anesthesia to fix cavities | KWGN.com – Denver, Colorado News & Weather from KWGN-TV Colorado's Own CW Channel 2: [fluoridated] DENVER — More and more children are going to the dentist’s office with cavities, and the problems are so bad, they have to go under general anesthesia to fix it.

Dr. Chris Roberts is a pediatric dentist in Green Valley Ranch who’s had several patients in this situation.

“A lot of these kids have 6, 8, or 10 [cavities],” Roberts said. “Sometimes you have kids that have cavities on all 20 baby teeth.”

Oral_Health_Maine_ESandRep120209.pdf (application/pdf Object)

 Maine is 80% fluoridated. In 2006, dental complaints were the number one reason why MaineCare patients or uninsured patients between the ages of 15 and 44 years went to an ED for services (Kilbreth et al., 2010). In that year, there were 3,430 ED visits related to a dental diagnosis among ED patients age 15 years to 24 years (Kilbreth et al., 2010). Forty-five percent of visits for dental problems in this age cohort were by frequent users of ED services (Kilbreth et al., 2009). Also in 2006, there were 4,949 visits for dental problems among ED patients age 25 years to 44 years, and a dental problem was also the primary reason for an ED visit for this age cohort. In all, there were 8,379 visits to EDs in Maine in 2006 for dental pain and related diagnosis by people age 15 to 44 years.

MaineCare patients are more likely to use ED services. MaineCare insured about 17% of the state’s population, but MaineCare insured individuals generated 32% of all ED visits in 2006 (Kilbreth et al., 2010). While 56% of the state’s population is privately insured, only 33% of ED visits were made by privately insured individuals in that year (Kilbreth et al., 2010). ED care is more expensive than dental care provided in other outpatient settings. The various reasons for the disproportionate use of EDs by MaineCare eligible patients include patient preference, lack of knowledge about appropriate ED use, lack of dental insurance or patient resources to cover the cost of care, and lack of availability of routine dental care.




Oral_Health_Maine_ESandRep120209.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Report Highlights Maine's Unmet Dental Needs

Report Highlights Maine's Unmet Dental Needs: Maine is 80% fluoridated. "We think that we're in a bad place and we're about to go over a cliff," says former Maine House speaker Michael Saxl. ..

Saxl says Maine already has a dental crisis, and it's going to get worse if nothing is done. "We have this huge problem in Maine," he says. "Right now we have a dental crisis, we have a shortage of dentists and in the next 10 years, 40 percents of our dentists are over 55, and in the next 10 years we expect many of them to retire."

Report: Toddlers with 10 cavities or more on rise | KBZK.com | Z7 | Bozeman, Montana

Report: Toddlers with 10 cavities or more on rise | KBZK.com | Z7 | Bozeman, Montana: HealthPop spoke to Dr. Stanley Alexander, chair of pediatric dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in [fluoridated for decades] Boston, who said his dentists are in the operating room at least two mornings a week seeing up to nine preschool-aged patients in need of surgery for cavities. He's seen this problem dating back to when he was a resident in the 1970s.

"It's not new - it's been going on quite a while," Alexander told CBS HealthPop.

Dentists Send More Kids to Hospital for Dental Work

Dentists Send More Kids to Hospital for Dental Work in fluoridated Rochester, NY: It's a disturbing trend, local dentists are sending more kids to the hospital to have their teeth fixed. Dentists said they're seeing preschoolers with 10 and sometimes or more rotten teeth that they're forced to fill, cap and even pull.

It happened to two of the Adams' children. Eileen and her husband are average parents playing and trying to keep their kids healthy by making sure they brush regularly.

But it wasn't enough to keep 8-year-old Emily and 3-year-old Derek out of the operating room.

"It finally got to the point where I was brushing her teeth and she was screaming in pain," Eileen Adams, mother of threes, said. "I decided that that was the time to get to a dentist."

Emily and Derek had a total of 16 teeth worked on before age 2.

Local Dentists See Cavity Increase In Pre-School Aged Children � CBS Philly

Local Dentists See Cavity Increase In Pre-School Aged Children � CBS Philly: [fluoridated] PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Local dentists are noticing an increase in pre-school age children coming into their office for a check-up with numerous cavities.

Investing in Dentistry: Cavities in Toddlers on the Rise

Investing in Dentistry: Cavities in Toddlers on the Rise: dentists nationwide say they are seeing more preschoolers at all income levels with 6 to 10 cavities or more.

Tooth Decay in Children Continues to Rise - YNN, Your News Now

Tooth Decay in Children Continues to Rise - YNN, Your News Now: According to a nationwide survey, dentists are seeing more preschoolers with 6 to 10 cavities, or more.

Locally, the Eastman Center in [fluoridated] Rochester, treats 500 kids a year for severe decay. Since 1967, Eastman Dental has been using mobile dental units to reach out to kids in the Rochester City School District and more rural areas.

Waterloo, Iowa is fluoridated. Cavities in Children

Mouthful of cavities in young children: Dr. Benham of Family Dental in [fluoridated] Eau Claire says that after being there for sometime now, all he sees are kids with decay.

Hospitals struggle with patients using emergency rooms - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock: [naturally fluoridated] LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -

Growing health care costs and stressed state budgets are now sending more people to the emergency room for dental care. This is leaving hospitals with a hefty bill and slowing down care for others.

Both University Medical Center and Covenant Hospital are seeing 30 people a week with everything from a toothache to a broken tooth. The problem? Hospitals don't have emergency dentists on staff.

Preschool Mouths: Dental Disaster Zones - ABC News: During an interview, he said he’d just received a phone call from an [fluoridated] NYU pediatric dental resident who had examined a 4-year-old with several cavities, including one that had caused major facial swelling. “The infection had gone through the tooth, down into the surrounding bone of the jaw and spread up into the face under the eye,” Moursi said.

The child was going to be treated with powerful antibiotics, but might still require a trip to the operating room to extract the tooth, he said. In rare cases, such dental infections can spread to the brain, or into the heart and lungs, he said.

“When you have a 6-month wait to get into the O.R. and they’re all 3-year-olds, we know we have a problem,” Moursi said.

Preschool Mouths: Dental Disaster Zones - ABC News: Just this morning, Dr. Jonathan D. Shenkin, a pediatric dentist in [fluoridated] Augusta, Maine, found six small cavities between the teeth of a 4-year-old girl during her first-ever appointment with a dentist, who should have been seen by her first birthday. The girl’s mother was at a loss to account for all the decay in her daughter’s mouth, telling Shenkin that she thought she had her children doing everything right: “We don’t drink soda. They brush their teeth twice a day.”

More preschoolers showing up to dentists with 10 cavities or more, says report - HealthPop - CBS News: "The most severe cases have 12 or 16, which is seen several times a week," Dr. Megann Smiley, a dentist-anesthesiologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in [fluoridated] Columbus, Ohio, told the Times. For these children with severe cases of tooth decay, dentists turn to general anasthesia since it is unlikely a child will sit through drillings on multiple teeth.