Lexington Herald Leader: Let's Start By Saving Children's Teeth Eyes On The Mountains.
Let's start by saving children's teeth eyes on the mountains
Move over, barefoot hillbilly, make room for the offended Appalachian.
Almost any portrayal of Eastern Kentucky poverty these days sets off a chorus of complaints about stereotyping.
But toothlessness is not a caricature perpetuated by the media. It's a real-life epidemic.
And while no one has figured out a cure for Eastern Kentucky's poverty, we do know how to take care of children's teeth.
If nothing else comes from the buzz created by ABC newswoman Diane Sawyer's look at Children of the Mountains, let it be a public assault on "Mountain Dew mouth."
The painful, diseased state of Kentuckians' mouths is as big an obstacle as any to lifting many places from poverty.
And, thanks to Kentuckian Sawyer, it's become enough of a national embarrassment that someone in power might do something.
Are you listening, Gov. Steve Beshear? House Speaker Greg Stumbo? University of Kentucky President Lee Todd? Congressman Hal Rogers?
The residents of Rogers' district have the nation's lowest average life expectancy. Attacking the roots of disease and disability is complicated, but there's no better place to start than the mouth.
Yet, fewer than 400 dentists are significant providers of care for an estimated 300,000 poor Kentucky kids. No wonder chronically poor Eastern Kentucky has the nation's highest rate of tooth loss.
Tooth decay is the most common infectious disease among the state's children, and dental pain one of the main reasons they miss school. Dental infections sicken other organs, especially the heart.
But most dentists can't afford to treat poor people because Medicaid pays so little. Medicaid coverage is also limited, paying for extractions but not much else.
While getting more Kentuckians to the dentist earlier and more often has to be a priority, education is also critically important.
Dr. Edwin Smith, the Barbourville dentist and hero of ABC's 20/20 segment, who spent $150,000 of his own to outfit a mobile dental clinic, has developed a school-based model in Knox County that bears replicating.
To get more kids to the dentist, Kentucky will begin requiring dental exams before entering school in 2011. But one visit to the dentist won't be enough, especially for kids who bathe their teeth daily in soft drinks.
It's not just Appalachian dentists who have noticed the corrosive effects on teeth and gums of regular Mountain Dew consumption.
The mouth's natural defense systems are no match for Mountain Dew's high sugar and acid content when kids drink it continuously. And the drink's high caffeine content assures constant consumption because it's addictive. Despite all that, PepsiCo aggressively markets Mountain Dew to kids.
Schools should absolutely ban soft-drink sales, including after school, and Kentucky should seek a federal waiver to stop paying for soft drinks with food stamps.
Such changes could help educate people, not just about dental health but also about how to prevent obesity.
Finally, at the risk of engaging in stereotypes, let's admit that we're talking about a region where people can't always drink the water. Wells have been contaminated by the coal industry, and municipal water supplies can be dicey.
Most people understand that not everyone in Eastern Kentucky is poor, addicted or toothless. Those who are need help and effective public health policies.
Move over, barefoot hillbilly, make room for the offended Appalachian.
Almost any portrayal of Eastern Kentucky poverty these days sets off a chorus of complaints about stereotyping.
But toothlessness is not a caricature perpetuated by the media. It's a real-life epidemic.
And while no one has figured out a cure for Eastern Kentucky's poverty, we do know how to take care of children's teeth.
If nothing else comes from the buzz created by ABC newswoman Diane Sawyer's look at Children of the Mountains, let it be a public assault on "Mountain Dew mouth."
The painful, diseased state of Kentuckians' mouths is as big an obstacle as any to lifting many places from poverty.
And, thanks to Kentuckian Sawyer, it's become enough of a national embarrassment that someone in power might do something.
Are you listening, Gov. Steve Beshear? House Speaker Greg Stumbo? University of Kentucky President Lee Todd? Congressman Hal Rogers?
The residents of Rogers' district have the nation's lowest average life expectancy. Attacking the roots of disease and disability is complicated, but there's no better place to start than the mouth.
Yet, fewer than 400 dentists are significant providers of care for an estimated 300,000 poor Kentucky kids. No wonder chronically poor Eastern Kentucky has the nation's highest rate of tooth loss.
Tooth decay is the most common infectious disease among the state's children, and dental pain one of the main reasons they miss school. Dental infections sicken other organs, especially the heart.
But most dentists can't afford to treat poor people because Medicaid pays so little. Medicaid coverage is also limited, paying for extractions but not much else.
While getting more Kentuckians to the dentist earlier and more often has to be a priority, education is also critically important.
Dr. Edwin Smith, the Barbourville dentist and hero of ABC's 20/20 segment, who spent $150,000 of his own to outfit a mobile dental clinic, has developed a school-based model in Knox County that bears replicating.
To get more kids to the dentist, Kentucky will begin requiring dental exams before entering school in 2011. But one visit to the dentist won't be enough, especially for kids who bathe their teeth daily in soft drinks.
It's not just Appalachian dentists who have noticed the corrosive effects on teeth and gums of regular Mountain Dew consumption.
The mouth's natural defense systems are no match for Mountain Dew's high sugar and acid content when kids drink it continuously. And the drink's high caffeine content assures constant consumption because it's addictive. Despite all that, PepsiCo aggressively markets Mountain Dew to kids.
Schools should absolutely ban soft-drink sales, including after school, and Kentucky should seek a federal waiver to stop paying for soft drinks with food stamps.
Such changes could help educate people, not just about dental health but also about how to prevent obesity.
Finally, at the risk of engaging in stereotypes, let's admit that we're talking about a region where people can't always drink the water. Wells have been contaminated by the coal industry, and municipal water supplies can be dicey.
Most people understand that not everyone in Eastern Kentucky is poor, addicted or toothless. Those who are need help and effective public health policies.
Labels: Public health
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 9:54 AM
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