Portland, OR

The Oregonian recently published an article on the fact that Oregon children’s teeth are decaying! You tell your children to brush their teeth, and the teeth are still falling out of their head? Well, maybe this is why!

A survey done by the state of Oregon shows that among 4,000 first- through third-graders are living with worsening dental health! Every five years, the Oregon Smile Study is done on children’s dental health, and this year, Oregon’s score has decreased on “every measure of oral health” for children. Rampant/untreated decay (classified as decay - past or present - in seven or more teeth) has increased since 2002. The survey found that one in three children in Oregon aren’t receiving the treatment they need for their tooth decay - 25% of them had not been to a dentist in the past year. (I wonder what the adult numbers look like.)

There were 32 states that conducted similar surveys, and Oregon is seventh from the bottom. SEVENTH! Washington, California, Idaho & Alaska all show better rates than Oregon does. This 2007 Smile Survey was started over a year ago in 73 public schools in Oregon - reaching almost 4,000 students. A dental hygienist looked at the teeth while parents answered questionnaires about frequency of dental visits, health insurance and demographic information.

This bad dental health in children often progresses into adulthood, leading to preventable pain and low-level inflammation throughout the entire body. This low-level inflammation is a risk factor in all cardiovascular diseases! These cavities, if left untreated can lead to tooth loss, bacterial infections, severe pain, and other problems as well.

Thankfully, for the children in the Portland Metro area, their dental disease rates are lower than those in rural Oregon, however, it is still a problem! This rural-urban gab is very clearly show in emergency situations. 1% of Portland Metro children may need emergency dental care in their lifetime as compared to 6% of rural children.

The report made four recommendations for parents of Oregon children:
“*Fluoridation of water supplies. Oregon ranks 48th — ahead of Hawaii and New Jersey — among states in the percentage of residents using fluoridated water. Most dental experts tout fluoridation as a safe, cheap and effective way of preventing tooth decay, but in Oregon a coalition of anti-government conservatives and environmental groups has blocked statewide fluoridation.
*Early prevention, beginning as soon as age 1.
*School-based fluoride supplements for children in communities without fluoridated water.
*A school-based dental sealant program.”

For those parents reading this, who want to include their children in this entry, I’ve embedded this “How to brush your teeth” video for you. Spend some time teaching your children, or even yourself on exactly how to brush your teeth fully. Children live by the “monkey see; monkey do” method! Enjoy, and now go brush!

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