| ■ No Annual Dental Care for 1 in 5 U.S. Children | 2010.02.26 |
| At least 20 percent of American children don't see a dentist once a year, says a new study. It also found that most states don't have policies to guarantee access to cost-saving preventive dental treatments. Only six states received an "A" grade for their dental health policies, USA Today reported. The study by the non-profit Pew Center on the States graded states on eight policies. Among the findings: Only 26 states have at least 75 percent of residents on community water supplies with adequate fluoride to prevent tooth decay. Just 17 states have programs to apply cavity-preventing dental sealants to children's molars in at least 25 percent of schools with low-income children. |