Dental Health Among Low-Income Children
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Children ages 6-11 from low-income families are three times more likely to have untreated tooth decay compared with children in higher income families.
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Compared to children in higher income families, children in low-income families are also five times more likely to have cavities, have three times the number of decayed teeth and are only half as likely to see a dentist over the course of a year.
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According to Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, poor dental health in young children has the potential to affect speech, nutrition, social development and quality of life.
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Oral diseases in young children have been linked to ear and sinus infections and weakened immune systems, as well as diabetes, and heart and lung disease.
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Studies have found that children with oral diseases are restricted in their daily activities and miss more then 51 million hours of school each year.
Access to Care
- More than 20 million children in the United States lack health insurance for dental services.
- Nationwide, only 25% of low-income children receive adequate dental care.
- In some states, fewer than 25% of dentists are willing to treat children from low-income families receiving Medicaid.
About FORBA & Small Smiles
- FORBA Dental Management is the management company for the Small Smiles network of associated dental care providers. FORBA’s current executive leadership team has been in place since September 2006.
- Small Smiles has invested more than $70 million to build dental centers in low-income communities, and operates 68 centers in 22 states that serve more than 500,000 low income children each year.