03/20/2012

Dental Health of North Dakota Children Continues to Deteriorate
PNS features Dr. Savage of Family HealthCare Center

Audio File

(03/20/12) FARGO, N.D. - A longtime dentist in the Red River Valley says the teeth of young children there are in the worst condition he's ever seen. Dr. William Savage, dental director of the Family HealthCare Center in Fargo, says it's no longer unusual for kids to have cavities before they start kindergarten.

"We're finding kids having a much higher rate of decay than they used to. In fact, here we do our own little study, and I think we run about 39 to 40 percent of preschoolers having decay the first time they see us."

Dr. Savage says there are many reasons for the increase in cavities in children, from a shortage of providers to a lack of dental insurance to a change in eating habits.

"Over the period of that time you have an increased intake in soft drinks. There's an increased intake in sugary materials. And I think there's just less care from adults, their parents."

Savage says the issue is especially acute in rural areas, and without regular dental care, other issues can develop.

"It can impact their permanent-teeth eruption pattern. And then I suppose school and eating and nutrition, just like adults, they have similar problems."

Savage says that, for many low-income families in rural areas, the emergency room is often the first and last resort for dental-care access.

It's estimated that there were more than 830,000 visits to ERs in the U.S. last year, for dental conditions that were preventable.

The Community Health Centers in Fargo, Grand Forks and Turtle Lake provide primary dental care and offer discounted rates for both children and adults who are eligible based on a sliding fee scale.