USC School Of Dentistry Takes The Lead In Addressing The "Silent And Neglected" Epidemic Affecting Children In Los Angeles

Main Category: Dentistry
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 12 Jun 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Healthcare professionals including those from the USC School of Dentistry, elected officials and community leaders came together to seek out solutions to a silent epidemic that is targeting disadvantaged groups in Los Angeles County. Nationally, tooth decay remains the most prevalent childhood disease. It is five times more common than asthma, and can be just as debilitating. In Los Angeles, cavities and oral infection are the number one reason children are missing school. Untreated, the problem can lead to serious infection and even death. Tragically two young boys lost their lives earlier this year after developing a serious infection that was caused by an abscessed tooth. "These young boy's deaths could have been prevented by simple oral hygiene. Identifying children most susceptible to dental problems and treating cavities as soon as they are detected is an investment we should be willing to make before another child's life is lost", adds Harold Slavkin, Dean of the USC School of Dentistry.

The Oral Health Forum held on Friday, June 8th at the California Endowment's Center for Healthy Communities prompted a dialogue between health professionals and government officials to address the disparity in funding for oral health services to underserved children and their families. According to Dean Slavkin, "For every dollar spent through Medicaid on children's health care, just five cents go toward dental care. Five times that amount is spent on the dental care of more affluent children." Children from families with incomes below the poverty level are three times more likely to have untreated tooth decay. A recent report released by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics showed 31 percent of Mexican-American children aged 6 to 11 years have tooth decay in their permanent teeth, compared to 19 percent of non-Hispanic Caucasian children.

The USC School of Dentistry is taking the lead in stopping the "silent and neglected" epidemic by providing services to children from Bakersfield to the Mexican border. During its 40 year history, USC's Mobile Dental Clinic alone has provided dental treatment for more than 100,000 children from low-income families throughout the state of California.

http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental

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