Cavities can be prevented, but
not enough children get early preventive care. Children with cavities
can suffer from pain, have difficulty eating, be distracted from learning,
and feel less confident. Providing preventive care, like fluoride varnish
applications, is critical as soon as teeth erupt and regularly thereafter.
Some children are at a greater
risk of getting cavities. Some of the risk factors are:
- Having a mother, father,
brother, or sister with cavities
- Having special health care
needs
- Having already had a cavity
or weakened tooth enamel
- Frequently eating sugary
and starchy foods
- Sleeping with a bottle or
nursing throughout the night
- Not having regular dental
visits
- Wearing braces or having
other appliances in the mouth
- Not having enough exposure
to fluoride
Severe decay for a very young
child often results in treatment in an operating room and can cost
more than $10,000. The cost for three fluoride varnish applications
in a year, highly effective in preventing cavities, is just $44.
In 2007, more than half of all
Medicaid-enrolled children in Iowa received NO dental care. Just under
66 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children between ages 1 and 5 had no
care. The I-Smile program is a plan to prevent cavities and to ensure
that at-risk children have access to dental care.
You can help at-risk children
in Iowa by becoming a part of the I-Smile provider network. Please
contact your regional I-Smile Coordinator to
become part of the solution to this epidemic. |
