Life is better With Teeth

An estimated 16.5 million children go without dental care each year. Tennessee has improved its role in ensuring that low-income children have access to basic, preventive dental care, however Tennessee can still do better for low-income poor children under the age of three.

A new report, The State of Children's Dental Health: Making Coverage Matter finds that more than half of states are doing a poor job. This report was produced by the Pew Center on the States with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentalQuest Foundation.

Tooth decay is a disease and is so preventable and cost effective. For every $1.00 we spend on fluoridation of community water we save $38.00. January 25 will mark the 67^th anniversary of Community Water fluoridation, which is the practice of adjusting the naturally occurring level of fluoride to an optimal level to prevent the occurrence of tooth decay. One leading Dental expert in Tennessee summed the cost up per person as about the same cost of a candy bar, also stating that water fluoridation reduces dental decay disease by about 40%. That's a lot of bang for a buck!

Currently 91.4% of Tennesseans have access to optimally fluoridate water, however three water departments in Tennessee have eliminated fluoridation from their water supply, costing the taxpayers and it's citizens a great deal more for treating dental diseases than it would have cost preventing the disease.

You can be an advocate for Tennessee's children by contacting your elected officials, letting them know you want them to support polices and resources that have been proven to prevent dental decay diseases in Tennessee's children.

For more information:

ilikemyteeth.org