Dentists Neglect Low-Incomed 364 Days a Year

One day a year, dentists country-wide celebrate “Give-Kids-A-Smile” day, (GKAS), with much self-promotion and merchandising. But for the rest of the year, most dentists refuse children on Medicaid or other government-sponsored insurance (1).  In a study of 35 state Medicaid programs, investigators revealed that only 16% of dentists, on average, actively participated in state Medicaid programs.(1a)

According to the American Dental Association, “specialists’ average net income was $315,160 ... From 2000-2004 general practitioners’ net incomes increased 11.7 percent, while specialists’ incomes grew by 20.6 percent.” The Wall Street Journal reports dentists work fewer days and fewer hours than most physicians while making more money. Dentists, whose education is government subsidized, should be required to treat more low-income children. If they cry “freedom of choice,” remind them choice is disregarded when they promoted fluoridation.

Instead of treating low-incomed individuals, dentistry promotes water fluoridation as a false remedy for tooth decay disparities between haves and have-nots.

Unfortunately, that’s failing:

New York State Department of Health statistics (2) illustrate fluoridation’s inability to equalize cavity rates between low and high socio-economic-status (SES) groups, and that fluoridation and tooth decay rates are not inversely related (3) See chart: http://www.freewebs.com/fluoridation/chart.htm

For example, non-fluoridated Nassau, Suffolk and Rockland Counties’ third-graders decay rates: 50%, 54% and 46%, respectively.  In slightly fluoridated Albany County 38% have cavities.

Highly fluoridated NYS Counties include Monroe, Erie, Chemung, Broome, Wayne and Jefferson. Third-graders decay rates: 56%, 59%, 55%, 63%,66%,66% and 69%, respectively.. 

Despite fluoridated water reaching about ¾ of New Yorkers, 54% of third-graders have cavities and more untreated decay than third-graders nationally (33% vs 26%). Only one-fourth of NYS dentists submitted Medicaid claims (4).

Third-graders in 100% fluoridated New York City had more untreated cavities (38%) than their state and national counterparts (4).

Before organized dentistry became fluoride fixated, a 1950 Connecticut study, before fluoridation, clearly linked more fruit, vegetable and milk consumption to less cavities (5) Dentist Weston Price reported a similar correlation world-wide in his 1938 book, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.”

Today Connecticut mandates fluoridation. Yet 48% of 4-year-olds suffer untreated cavities (6) partially because 85% of dentists won’t or can’t treat patients with low-paying government-sponsored insurance (7).

A very recent Illinois study (7a) shows that, despite a state-wide fluoridation mandate, 70% of Spanish-speaking-only third-graders have cavities compared to 50% of English-speaking-only third-graders. Clearly water fluoridation had no effect in reducing minority oral health disparities in Illinois just as it hasn’t in New York State, Connecticut and elsewhere.


After 60 years of water fluoridation reaching 2/3 of Americans via public water supplies, virtually 100% via the food supply and fluoridated dental products a multi-billion dollar international business, up to ½ of U.S. schoolchildren sport fluoride overdose symptoms as dental fluorosis – white spotted, yellow or brown, sometimes pitted teeth (8) But tooth decay is still a national epidemic, especially among low-income Americans who can’t find dentists willing or able to fix their rotting teeth.

Regardless of fluoride intake, modern science continues to show that young children with fewer cavities eat more produce (9). Only 12% of US kids eat enough fruits and vegetables.(10) And, the poor are priced out of healthful eating. (10a)

“Will dentists hand out food vouchers and dietary advice on GKAS Day or just more fluoride?” asks Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. “It’s not all about avoiding sugar as most dentists preach,” says Beeber.

“With fluorosis rampant, dentists could make more kids smile by stopping fluoridation,” says Beeber

Dental Health Aide Therapists (DHATs) could be the solution to the oral health crisis.  DHATs are to dentists what Physician’s Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are to Physicians.  DHATs work successfully throughout the world and can drill, fill and pull teeth in the mouths and geographic areas where dentists can’t or won’t go, more cheaply and as effectively. (11)

Unfortunately, organized dentistry is suing to stop the first New Zealand trained U.S. DHAT from supplying much-needed dental care in Alaska where officials are unable to entice dentists to live or work. (12a) Defying organized dentistry, the first U.S. school just opened in Alaska to train more DHATs (12)

Children need dental care not more fluoride.  In fluoridated Arlington, Texas, 61 percent of children examined had active decay After dentists donated their services, tooth decay was cut to less than half of what it was when the program started.(13)

Nationally, up to 48% of poor children, 8-year–olds and under, have unfilled cavities, whether their water is fluoridated or not. (13a).

Fluoride varnish is now used on children as soon as teeth emerge.

Fluoride varnish contains a highly toxic 22,600 parts per million (ppm) fluoride (14) compared to one ppm in fluoridated drinking water that’s not advised for under one-year-old babies (15) and 1,000 ppm in toothpaste that’s not to be used by children less than two years old. (16)

“Fluoride. It just doesn’t make sense anymore,” says Beeber.

References:

More evidence that fluoridation fails New York State:

http://fluoridedangers.blogspot.com/2005/12/fluoridation-fails-new-york-state.html

(1) U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “Dental Care Improving Access and Quality”

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/dentalcare/dentria.htm#poor

And

U.S. General Accounting Organization, “Oral Health Factors Contributing to Low Use of Dental Services by Low-Income Populations,” September 2000

http://www.gao.gov/archive/2000/he00149.pdf

(1a) “Disparities in Oral Health and Access to Care: Findings of National Surveys,” by Edelstein Ambulatory Pediatrics, March-April 2002

(2) New York State Department of Health, Community Health Assessment Indicators (Oral Health) http://www.health.state.ny.us/statistics/chac/chai/index.htm

(3) Fluoridation rate of NYS Counties provided by Tim Cook, DDS, former NYS Dep’t of Health employee

(4) The Impact of Oral Disease in New York State,” New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Dental Health, December 2006, Green et al (page 8)

http://www.nyhealth.gov/prevention/dental/docs/impact_of_oral_disease.pdf )

(5) Potgieter, M., Morse, E.H., Erlenbach, F. M., and Dall, R.: The food habits and dental status of some Connecticut children. J. Dent. Res., 35:638. 1956

http://tinyurl.com/2lagfg

(6) Connecticut State Department of Public Health, “Open Wide Curriculum – Lesson 1: Dental Decay,” http://www.dph.state.ct.us/bch/oralhealth/publications_reports/openwide_curriculum/OW_Lesson_1.pdf

(7) “Elements of effective action to improve oral health & access to dental care for Connecticut’s children & families,” Commissioned by Connecticut Health Foundation and Children’s Fund of Connecticut, Prepared by James J. Crall, DDS, ScD and Burton L. Edelstein DDS, MPH (page 4)

http://www.cthealth.org/matriarch/documents/oralhealthsum.pdf


(7a)
http://www.voices4kids.org/KC07chap1.pdf (page 7)

(8) http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/figures/s403a1t23.gif

(9) “The relationship between healthful eating practices and dental caries in children aged 2-5 years in the United States, 1988-94,” J. Am Dent Assoc, January 2004, by Dye et al.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=14959875&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

(10) “U.S. Kids’ Health Habits Put Them at Risk,” Healthscout.com, Jan 26, 2007 http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/601319/main.html

(10a) http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0129-06.htm

(11) http://www.anthc.org/cs/chs/dhs/

(12) http://www.anthc.org/cs/chs/dhs/upload/UAATheNothernLight-DentalDebateGoesToCourt_2-21-06_AFleming.pdf

(12b) http://www.adn.com/front/story/8566500p-8459175c.html

(13) http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/16566335.htm

(13a)http://drc.hhs.gov/report/dqs_tables/dqs_1_1_1.htm

(14)

http://www.colgateprofessional.com/app/ColgateProfessional/US/EN/Products/ProductItems/ColgateDuraphat.cvsp

(15) http://groups.google.com/group/Fluoridation-News-Releases/browse_thread/thread/51981fb711662057

(16) http://www.aapd.org/pediatricinformation/faq.asp


Fluoridation 101
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

Fluoridation News Releases
http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu

Tooth Decay Crises in Fluoridated Areas
http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/

Fluoride Action Network http://www.FluorideAction.Net

Fluoride Journal http://www.FluorideResearch.Org