Fluoridation Fails Colorado City

Greeley, Colorado is fluoridated but  "many patients come in for emergencies, such as swollen mouths or pain so severe they have trouble sleeping. Sometimes, patients go so long without dental care Johnson can’t save their teeth. Sometimes, the cases are heartbreaking: He sees children come in with decay on every tooth.

Johnson estimated between 60 to 70 percent of his child patients in Greeley need care that goes beyond checkups, such as fillings or other work, which he said is on par with the national average for lower-income communities."

"Lower-income families are
underserved in Greeley. Less than a third of dentists in the area take Medicaid,
leaving few options, such as the Sunrise clinic, for those with lower incomes to
get dental care. And clinics that serve those in poverty such as Sunrise have to
treat so many emergencies, it is difficult to make time for checkups. Yet, the
checkups help prevent emergencies"

 

“There has been no progress, really, in the national decay rates,
especially in people who are living 100 percent below poverty,” he said."

 Low-income families most at risk for dental problems, lack of care access | GreeleyTribune.com: At Sunrise,