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Water Fluoridation: Many Still Don’t Receive Its Benefits

Millions of Americans do not have access to fluoridated water in their communities, leading to higher rates of tooth decay and greater costs to taxpayers.

Dental Therapists in New Zealand: What the Evidence Shows

This brief provides an overview of New Zealand’s use of dental therapists to provide care for children, and offers insights for U.S. policymakers about how midlevel providers can expand children’s access to dental care, prevent and treat tooth decay, and improve public health.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota Dental Therapy Model Goes Nationwide

Christy Fogarty was certified Feb. 15 as the state’s first advanced dental therapist, which is reason to cheer unless you’re 7 year old Tia Seaberry. Tia, wearing pink sequined boots and bluejeans on a recent Wednesday morning, will be forgiven

Baltimore Sun: Advocates, Insurers Duel Over Cost of Child Dental Coverage

Health advocates are concerned that new guidance from the Obama administration could make it more expensive for some low- and middle-income parents to pay for dental insurance for their children once the new health care law takes effect next year.

The News Tribune: Fluoridation: Where the Real Tax Savings Are

Our editorial today argues for restoring Medicaid dental coverage for poor adults. That would cost the state something on the order of $30 million and the federal government more, since it would be paying for a further expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Politico: 'Dental Therapists' Spark Debate

Some state lawmakers think they've found the solution to the nation's severe dental care access problem, but so far, only two states are using the touted "dental therapists" — and dentists aren’t thrilled about the idea.

Concord (N.H.) Monitor: Proposal to Expand Hygienists' Role Met With Opposition From Dental Society

One year after New Hampshire lawmakers passed a bill expanding the role of some dental hygienists, another bill proposes further reform of the state’s oral health system.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Prior Exam Rule Hinders Prevention of Child Tooth Decay

We can improve oral health for Hawaii's children. And we should — because the numbers tell a disturbing story.

Honolulu Civil Beat: Bill to Prevent Dental Decay at Hawaii Schools

And a recent Pew Center report gave the state an F for its efforts to prevent decay by improving access for low-income children to dental sealants — clear plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of molars. Hawaii was one of five states to receive a failing grade.

California Healthline: More Calif. Adults Seek Dental Care at Hospital Emergency Departments

More Californians in recent years have sought dental care at emergency departments because of cuts to Medi-Cal dental benefits or the loss of private dental insurance, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

KBIA Public Radio: Why Missouri Is Falling Short on Children's Dental Health

The Pew Charitable Trust recently released a report or oral health that didn’t speak too highly of Missouri. On an A through F scale, it gave the state a D for its efforts to provide access to dental sealants for high-need kids.

The Yakima Herald: Declining State Dental Benefits Create Issues of Access, Cost

Washington state ended its basic dental coverage for Medicaid-eligible adults in January 2011. Proponents for restoring the coverage say the lack of preventive care for the uninsured has driven up costs for those who have coverage, and forced those without coverage to have their dental health deteriorate into even more costly situations.

The Patriot-News: Pennsylvania Gets a D for Programs to Prevent Tooth Decay in Children

Pennsylvania has received a D for its efforts to protect low-income children from tooth decay. The grade comes from the Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-profit that identifies problems within the states and promotes solutions.

The Gazette: Iowa Receives 'C' Grade in Dental Health Report

Iowa scores right in the middle in a new report that grades states on preventing tooth decay, according to a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The Denver Post: More Colorado Kids Need Preventive Dental Care

Colorado, like most states, isn’t doing enough to prevent tooth decay in children, according to a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: State Among 5 With High Grade on Child Dental Sealants

Wisconsin is among the five states in the country with the most extensive programs to place dental sealants - plastic coatings applied to the chewing surface of molars to prevent tooth decay - in children, according to a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The Times-Picayune: Report Gives Louisiana a 'D' for Quality of Dental Care for Poor Kids

Louisiana got poor marks for the availability of programs to provide crucial dental care to low-income children, according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

WLRN Public Radio: Amazing Sealants Defeat Childhood Tooth Decay But Does Florida Care? Study Says 'No'

Florida is missing a cheap and easy bet for improving the dental health of its children, according to a new survey from the Pew Charitable Trusts

WFSU Public Radio: Poor Access to Kids' Dental Care Costing Fla. Taxpayers

Florida, along with most U.S. states, is failing to prevent tooth decay in children in a key way, according to a report the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts released on Tuesday.

Dr. Biscupid: Most U.S. States Fall Short With Dental Sealant Programs

A new report released today by the Pew Center on the States found that 40% of all U.S. states earned either a D or F grade when it comes to providing children with dental sealants, missing a key opportunity to help prevent caries and reduce Medicaid and other health-related costs.

Falling Short

Pew’s 50-state report finds that most states are not doing enough to use a proven strategy for preventing tooth decay, unnecessarily driving up health care costs for families and taxpayers.

The Sun Sentinel: Flordia Earns 'D' in Kids' Dental Health Report

Florida needs to put more teeth in its policies to protect children's dental health, if the results of a new national report by the Pew Children's Dental Campaign is any judge.

Dr. Bicuspid: A Response to ADA's 'Scientific Study' of Dental Therapists

Opinion: The results of the ADA study published in the January 2013 Journal of the American Dental Association do nothing to discredit the utilization of dental therapists in the workforce in their traditional role of providing care for children in school-based programs.

The Deseret News: No Teeth Means No Job

How poor oral health impacts job prospects and why the poor have a hard time getting adequate care.

Dental Problems Affect School Performance

In this video, a teacher and a high school student share their experiences with how dental problems affect the classroom. Community water fluoridation and dental sealants are two of the cost-effective ways for states to prevent decay so children are more likely to stay in school and perform better in class.

New Hampshire Takes Strong First Step to Improve Access to Dental Care and Overcome State's Dentist Shortage

Last week, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed into law Senate Bill 284, which enables the state to take a strong first step toward reducing the barriers to dental care by expanding the scope of services that dental hygienists can perform after they are certified by the Board of Dental Examiners..

Medicaid Fraud Busters Learn From Experience

For years, it’s been relatively easy for dishonest doctors to squeeze extra money out of Medicaid programs. Now it’s getting harder.

Water Fluoridation: What the Science Says

Several individuals with extensive knowledge of public health research share their conclusions about water fluoridation based on the scientific evidence.

Slideshow: New Types of Dental Providers in Alaska Help Close the Access Gap

Learn more about how dental health aide therapists (DHATs) serve Alaska’s tribal communities.

State of the States 2012

States face a tough economic climate in the wake of the Great Recession. Sue Urahn discusses the top three challenges for states in the year ahead.

Expanding the Dental Workforce

Expanding the dental workforce is one cost-effective way for states to improve access for underserved Americans. Pew is working with policymakers and advocates in several states to explore creating new types of dental providers.

A Costly Dental Destination

Already stressed state budgets are shouldering an extra burden to cover expensive emergency room (ER) treatment for toothaches and other avoidable dental ailments, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States.

Bill Maas: Water Fluoridation

Dr. Bill Maas, a dental policy expert and advisor to the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, talks about how fluoride helps improve dental health and what’s at stake.

Water Fluoridation: Frequently Asked Questions

The Pew Children’s Dental Campaign supports water fluoridation because it’s one of the most cost effective strategies for states and communities to improve the oral health of their residents. Although a number of communities in the U.S. have been fluoridating their

Shelly Gehshan: The Gap in Dental Care

Shelly Gehshan discusses the gap in dental care and how, nationwide, more than 16 million children go without seeing a dentist each year.

Improving Dental Care in Minnesota

Minnesota is expanding access to dental care with new types of dental health providers.

Reimbursing Physicians for Fluoride Varnish

For young children, the medical office is an ideal place to deliver a set of preventive dental services—including the application of fluoride varnish.

The State of Children's Dental Health

More than 16 million children still lack access to basic dental care despite efforts by states to improve their dental health policies, according to the 2011 50-state report card from Pew.

Fact Sheets: The State of Children's Dental Health

In the face of major budget shortfalls, 22 states were able to improve their dental polices from 2010. See how all the states did in our collection of state factsheets.

Expanding the Dental Workforce

The Pew Children’s Dental Campaign is forming partnerships with states to expand dental care for children by adding new types of dental professionals.

Preventing Dental Disease

Community water fluoridation and sealant programs go a long way in protecting teeth from developing cavities, the most common cause of more severe dental health problems.

Dental Care Remains Largest Unmet Health Need

Hiring new types of providers can be a win-win for private dental practices, allowing them to serve more low-income children while maintaining their financial bottom line.

It Takes A Team

This 2010 report was the first to examine the impact that hiring new types of dental providers—dental therapists and hygienists-therapists—could have on both the productivity and profits of a private dental practice, where more than 90 percent of the nation’s dentists work.

Expanding Children's Access to Dental Care: The Minnesota Story

This 2010 brief explained how advocates campaigned successfully for a law licensing new dental providers, and the lessons this campaign offers to policy makers who want to expand dental coverage to underserved children in their state.

Washington's ABCD Program

This 2010 Pew Center on the States report looked at how dental care remains the greatest unmet need for health services among children.

The Cost of Delay

An estimated one in five children go without dental care each year. States play a key role in ensuring that low-income children have access to basic, preventive dental care. This 2010 report, The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children, found that two-thirds of states are doing a poor job. The report was produced by the Pew Center on the States with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentaQuest Foundation.

Six States Lead in Children's Dental Health

TODAY'S TAKE: New Mexico has fewer dentists per capita than all but one state, and one in five of its residents is uninsured. Despite its challenges, the state is among six national leaders in providing for the dental health of its children, according to a new 50-state report by the Pew Center on the States, the parent organization of Stateline.org. About two-thirds of the states, in fact, do not have adequate policies in place for children's dental health, with nine states receiving failing grades, the study found.

Help Wanted

This 2009 report looked at how access to dental care has become an increasingly serious problem for many people in the United States, particularly for children. There is a shortage of private dentists and a limited availability of affordable, or government-supported dental care. This is further compounded by the small number of private dentists willing to participate in public health insurance programs, or treat young children and other underserved populations, especially in rural areas.