Twenty-five percent of poor children have not been evaluated by a dentist before starting kindergarten. About 26 million American children lack dental insurance. Uninsured children are 2.5 times less likely to receive dental care than insured children. Fewer than twenty percent of Medicaid-covered children receive a dental visit in any given year. Finally, more than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental problems.
Many systemic diseases have oral manifestations.
The report gives examples of how the mouth may signal the presence of disease, and how cells from the mouth or samples of saliva, may be used as diagnostic tools for fighting disease. In spite of the importance of water fluoridation for oral health, over 100 million people in the U.S. have no community water fluoridation. Children need appropriate diet, nutrition, oral hygiene, and health-promoting behaviors. The report found that anticipatory guidance provided during early dental visits, as well as risk assessment and management, are beneficial for children. Modifying the medical school curriculum to include more information on oral health and disease.