Dr. Remy Eussen hit the nail on the head with his April 24 local view, “Protecting kids’ smiles should be a priority.” Access is paramount in getting children the preventive dental services they need to stay healthy. In the latest Smile Survey for our state, improvements to access are encouraging, with the overall number of kindergartners without sealants down.
Still, there is notable disparity between low-income kids and children of color, and their middle- to high-income counterparts in accessing basic dental care. In addition, a 2010 Pew study stated that Washington needed at least 110 more dentists to address the current shortages in 34 of our 39 counties, and more than one third of the state’s dentists are expected to retire by 2017. The situation calls for more innovative programs such as Access to Baby and Child Dentistry, as well as increasing qualified providers to prevent chronic pain by treating early decay and providing preventive services such as regular check-ups, oral-health education, fluoride treatments and sealants.
At Children’s Alliance, we hope policymakers see the new Smile Survey as a call to greater investment in proven, effective and innovative measures to meet the needs of all children. For more information about proven work-force solutions to oral health care access, visit our organization’s website http://tinyurl.com/3gjteh8.
Jon Gould
Seattle
