USA Dental  Statistics

USA Dental  Statistics – looks like “C” grade states could do with some extra “preventative” support!

February 23, 2010

By Alison Young, USA TODAY

At least one in five U.S. children go without annual dental care and most states lack key policies to ensure access to cost-saving preventive treatments, according to a study released Tuesday by the Pew Center on the States.

Six states received an “A” grade from the non-profit policy analysis group for their dental health policies. But even children in those states have problems accessing care, the report said.

“Americans will be spending $106 billion on dental care this year,” said Shelly Gehshan, director of the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign. Much of that care pays for costly treatments such as fillings and root canals, which have their origins in poor childhood dental care, she said.

GRADING THE STATES: How does your state fare in dental care?

Among eight policy solutions it graded states on:

• School-based dental sealant programs. Just 17 states have programs to apply cavity-preventing sealants to children’s molars in at least 25% of schools with low-income children.

• Fluoridated water. Only 26 states have at least 75% of their citizens on community water supplies with adequate fluoride to prevent tooth decay.

• Medicaid payments. Many dentists aren’t willing to accept Medicaid reimbursement rates set below the actual cost of treatment. Only 25 states pay dentists at least 60.5% of retail fees. Medicaid is a joint state-federal program serving low-income patients, and state policies vary.

“That is a huge issue,” American Dental Association President Ron Tankersley said. In states covering actual costs, “dentists will step up to the plate and take care of these kids.”

In Rhode Island, which received an “A,” the number of dentists treating Medicaid children increased from 27 to 217 — nearly half of dentists statewide — after the state increased payments and made other program changes in 2006.

South Carolina, which ranked best in the study, has in place seven of the eight dental policies.

“The policies have definitely impacted children’s dental health,” said Christine Veschusio, South Carolina’s oral health director. “But we still have more children than we would like that are in school with untreated tooth decay.”

New Jersey ranked last with only one of eight benchmark policies. Suzanne Esterman, a state Medicaid spokeswoman, said the agency questions some measures in the report. “New Jersey has made great strides … to improve the number of children who receive care,” she said.

Grading the States

The Pew Center on the States scored states on eight policy benchmarks it considers critical to children having access to and receiving dental care. These benchmarks include cost-effective ways to prevent costly dental problems, Medicaid improvements and gathering data to improve performance. The full report is available at www.pewcenteronthestates.org/costofdelay.

“A” states: Met at least six of the eight policy benchmarks and had policies needed to improve dental care

• Connecticut
• Iowa
• Maryland
• New Mexico
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina

“D” states: Met three of the policy benchmarks

• Alabama
• District of Columbia
• Indiana
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nevada
• Utah

“B” states: Met five of the policy benchmarks

• Alaska
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Maine
• New Hampshire
• Ohio
• Texas
• Washington

“F” states: Met only one or two policy benchmarks

• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Louisiana
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

“C” states: Met four of the policy benchmarks

• Arizona
• California
• Georgia
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

Pre-Schools Add Brush-and-Spit to Day

Dr. David Samuels – periodontist, Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Sherri Killins – commissioner, Department of Early Education and Care.

January 29, 2010

New York Times: By KATIE ZEZIMA

Preschools Add Brush-and-Spit to Day

HAVERHILL, Mass. — The twelve 4-year-olds sat in a corner, small hands clasping toothbrushes. Isaac and Aaron brandished them like swords, stabbing each other in the side. Jacky rubbed his into the carpet. Abigail squirmed, and Chayleece jumped up and down.

“You ready? Start brushing!” said Massiel Diaz, their teacher at the Basic Beginnings day care center. “Brush, brush your teeth — at least two times a day. Clean, clean, clean — fighting tooth decay,” Ms. Diaz sang out, as the children moved the brushes up, down and around, connecting with teeth occasionally but also with their face and nose.

And then they swallowed the pea-size dots of toothpaste — bubblegum-flavored “Dora the Explorer” Colgate.

Massachusetts is the first state to add toothbrush time to the color-nap-snack-and-play routine of preschools, requiring that all children who eat a meal at day care, or attend for more than four hours, brush their teeth during class and be educated about oral health.

The regulations, which went into effect last week, are being praised by some parents and caregivers while causing a tempest in a toothbrush for others, according to schools and chat rooms.

“I don’t want someone’s hand in my child’s mouth,” said Sarah Brodsky, a teacher at First Path Day Care in Watertown and mother of 4-month-old Noah. “It’s a little too much” government intervention, Ms. Brodsky added.

“JG,” posting on Boston.com’s blog Moms Nation, agreed that the government might have overstepped its bounds: “We don’t need the state mandating every little thing in our lives. Let parents be parents,” adding, “The kids can’t even reach a sink.”

Parents who feel strongly about the regulation can opt out, said Sherri Killins, commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care, which oversees day care centers and established the regulations to help stem dental disease. According to a 2003 state study, one in four Massachusetts kindergartners have dental disease.

“Poor dental care is the most common, chronic childhood ailment, and if untreated can result in pain, infection and other devastating impacts on a child’s health,” Ms. Killins said.

At the Basic Beginnings Learning and Development Center here, about 40 miles north of Boston, the director, Deborah Ramos, started training her charges in early January, so glitches would be worked out by the time the regulations went into effect.

Staff members use a soft bristle to swab the gums of infants. Like other day care centers statewide, Basic Beginnings is choosing to apply so little toothpaste that it is safe for children to swallow, a practice used in Head Start programs, which mandated tooth brushing in 2006.

Ms. Ramos said there was some apprehension, but teachers quickly worked brushing into the postlunch routine.

Dr. David S. Samuels, a periodontist in Andover and president of the Massachusetts Dental Society, which supports the rule, said in order for the program to be effective, teachers need to help children without the motor skills do it correctly. He is also worried about the spread of germs through toothbrushes and spitting.

Alexandra Picus, director of the First Path Day Care in Watertown, said she was still working out the details of how they will herd 60 preschoolers into position. “We need to start early,” Ms. Picus said. “We’re supposed to have rest time, and now we have to eat a little earlier so there’s enough time for the children to brush their teeth. It’s not the happiest moment

Instruction Brush Your

Teeth

Causes Stained Teeth

DATING THE INSTRUCTION “BRUSH YOUR TEETH”

The  instruction “Brush Your Teeth” has been a cause of the easily preventable oral diseases such as tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and stained teeth since the year 1498, the year a Chinese Emperor invented the first manufactured tooth cleaning implement which he named  ‘tooth brush’.

At that point of time tooth paste had not been invented.

Assuming the proposed purpose of inventing a ‘tooth brush’ was to brush your teeth with a tooth brush I also assume the instruction would have been “Brush Your Teeth”……. with a tooth brush.

I therefore claim the instruction “Brush Your Teeth” has been an instruction since at least 1498. (more…)

My company’s websites

My company, 4 Your Smile 2 Shine Pty Ltd, ABN 12 089 094 182, has the following websites:

www.OralHealthHelpSite.com

www.AllAboutASmile.com

www.MouthWiseLife.com

www.MouthWiseShopping.com

www.Prevent-Oral-Disease-in-Children.blogspot.com

www.DrGarthPettit.com

Please note: URL’s pointing to www.DrGarthPettit.com are; MouthWiseMouths.com, MouthWiseMembers.com, StopTheRotStopTellingChildrenBrushYourTeeth.com

Vote for Children’s Oral Health

The following You Tube video was an audition video I submitted for The Next Internet Millionaire contest of 2007, the brainchild of internet guru Joel Comm of adsense fame. I failed to receive enough votes to get past the end of the first stage. However it did get a lot of good, free publicity for my cause. Your rating even now will help prevent oral disease in children and would be greatly appreciated.

garths-next-internet-millionaire-audition

Comments by Dr Garth Pettit on The Video Zorba The Greek Yolgnu Style

MouthWise Oral HealthCare education resources had their origins when, in January 1997, I was accepted for the position of District Dental Officer, East Arnhem Land in the North-West of the Northern Territory of Australia.

Until my departure from East Arnhem Land in June 2002 I was kept happily, very busy, visiting the main, remote, greatly-scattered Aboriginal communities in that wonderful, unique part of Australia.

It was during my visit in early 2001 to the Aboriginal community of Numbulwar when I first became aware that the instruction “Brush Your Teeth” was flawed, a cause of oral diseases and needed a major overhaul. So was born my 21st Century oral hygiene instruction “Treat Your Whole Mouth”.

I have many wonderful memories of East Arnhem Land and of it’s inhabitants. When Australian aboriginals live on their natural bush tucker diet they have one of the most beautiful dentitions in the world.

They are wonderful people and have a great sense of humour as you will note in this video. (more…)

I was educated at Port Lincoln Kindergarten, then Port Lincoln Primary School, then Port Lincoln High School. I attended Adelaide High School for the Leaving Honours Certificate before beginning my university career at Adelaide University, Faculty of Dentistry in 1949 and graduated as a dentist in November 1953.

Since then I have practiced dentistry in Australia, then in the U.K. then back in Australia until I retired in November 1992. Shortly before retiring I Received a Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of Central Queensland subjects on economics and finance were my stumbling blocks to continue through to a Master of Business Administration.

But the most interesting years for me have been between January 1997 and coming up to the end of 2008. In these years I have been back at dentistry again for all but 2 years and 6 months. WITH A PASSIONATE PURPOSE!

Over the past 12 years I have devoted my time to creating The MouthWise Oral HealthCare Education Resources. Resources for all age groups to educate how to prevent the easily preventable oral diseases such as tooth decay, gum diseases, bad breath and stained teeth.

I do feel very passionately about condemning the 500 + year old tooth cleaning instruction as a cause of oral diseases and equally passionately about introducing the totally oral, oral hygiene instruction “Treat Your Whole Mouth”. The very first totally oral, oral hygiene instruction ever!

P.S. Wondering about the inventor? You’ll find the information here. At the time there were an estimated 10,000 million vinyl records sold every year. That was also the time when new technology was about to be introduced. Compact Discs were about to hit the market and interest in vinyl records was predicted to dwindle so the invention became a non-profit venture, however not a waste of time, money or effort because I have since then benefited personally from many valuable lessons I learned by attempting that venture. The success of my twelve year-long venture to prevent oral diseases in children will be due in no small way to applying capacities for patience, perserverence and persistence, by applying the abilty to use visionary powers to achieve goals and not the least by recognizing and applying the power of that which is morally correct when setting goals.

(WO/1983/000252) IMPROVED PERIPHERAL RIM FOR DISC RECORDS

Chinese Emperor Invents Tooth Brush

To The Chinese Emperor Who Patented, on 26 June 1498, The World’s First Tooth Brush Made With Bristles and the bristles set at right angles to the handle…..

Dear Chinese Emperor, 

A HAPPY, HAPPY Anniversary Emperor to You Emperor and to Your Wonderful Toothbrush Invention.

Hello Emperor, my name is Dr Garth Pettit, I am dentist and specialize in oral healthcare education. You will be very happy to know that your invention is still going along strongly in 2008, but with minor changes….your bristles were from a hog’s neck whereas now bristles are a synthetic named nylon….and your handle was either bone or bamboo whereas now handles are synthetic plastic. (more…)

Two Revolutions Will Start on Thursday 1 May 2008

Thursday 1 May 2008 is book release date for:

SENSATIONAL SMILES

SIMPLE ADVICE 4 YOUR SMILE 2 SHINE

FROM TEENAGE TO OLD AGE

ISBN: 978-1-60037-282-7

AUTHOR: Dr Garth Pettit

PUBLISHER: Morgan James Publishing, New York

DISTRIBUTOR: Ingram Publishing Services

WORLWIDE INTERNET DISTRIBUTORS: Amazon

REVOLUTION # 1. The Death Knell For The 500+ Years Old, Past-It’s-Use-By-Date, Instruction “Brush Your Teeth”

The simple advice in SENSATIONAL SMILES will revolutionize the way everyone thinks about their oral hygiene and have everyone wondering…..why didn’t someone tell me this before?

The advice IS simple. So simple, that everyone I tell reacts with…that makes sense…that’s so logical….I never thought of it like that before…. why didn’t someone tell me this before?

SIMPLE? Yes very simple….It’s simply HOW to use bristles and HOW to use paste to achieve TOTAL ORAL HYGIENE. Just simple things you will never have been told of before. I wonder why?

TOTAL ORAL HYGIENE is the only way you will ever prevent the easily preventable oral diseases such as; tooth decay, gum diseases, bad breath and stained teeth.

The advice given in SENSATIONAL SMILES is never follow the 500+ year old tooth cleaning instruction “Brush Your Teeth”, for total oral hygiene follow my advice and “Treat Your Whole Mouth”.

REVOLUTION # 2. Mandatory Oral HealthCare Education for Children Based on “Treat Your Whole Mouth”

The “Sensational Smiles Petition” announced in SENSATIONAL SMILES is a petition to gather support for, as the petition reads, “Oral Health Education Based on “Treat Your Whole Mouth”, Not Based on ‘Brush Your Teeth’ Should be Mandatory For All Children”.

I am convinced that readers of SENSATIONAL SMILES , after switching to “Treat Your Whole Mouth”, will be as enthusiastic and passionate as I am about helping children to prevent easily preventable oral diseases ….to enjoy oral health, with all it’s benefits, for life.

Dr Garth Pettit BDS GDM

Oral HealthCare Educator

Author of MouthWise Oral HealthCare Education Resources.