A University of South Carolina study of children's dental health has found that nearly one-fourth of the nation's children have had no dental care in at least a year.
Conducted by researchers at the S.C. Rural Health Research Center at the Arnold School of Public Health, the study found that nearly 32 percent of Hispanic children in rural areas had no dental care in the past year. Twenty-six percent of rural black children had no dental care, followed by 23 percent of "other" children and 22 percent of white children.
"Our nation has a group of children suffering dental disease severe enough to constitute a public health problem," said Dr. Amy Brock Martin, the lead author of "Dental Health and Access to Care among Rural Children: A National and State Report."
Data for the report came from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health, which used parents' reports to measure the health and well-being of children from birth to age 17. The survey asked parents in urban and rural areas about the condition of their children's teeth, utilization of dental care and dental insurance coverage.
The University of South Carolina report looks at dental health from a national perspective and also provides state and regional analyses.
More than 47 percent of all children 5 and younger had not seen a dentist in the previous year. Among rural children, the percentage was more than 48 percent. More than 33 percent of rural children had no dental insurance.
"Dental care is critical for children, even preschoolers," she said. "A thorough dental exam not only helps children have healthy teeth, but also can detect nutritional deficiencies, injuries and some diseases and infections.
"This report gives us a better understanding of children's oral health and the challenges faced by healthcare providers. It also gives us information specific to rural children, particularly rural minority children."
Among the report's other findings: