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June 5, 2018JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. | By: MONS
Summer is a time when kids might get away with less sleep and eat fewer meals, but it's not a time dental health should be ignored. In 2016, Missouri's Kids Count found that 73 percent of the state's kids had teeth considered in excellent or very good condition. Program director Tracy Greever-Rice says this is despite a few big issues.
Greever-Rice also noted that Missouri's low-income kids often lack access to a dentist. In 2016, Missouri had about 48 dentists per 100,000 people, which is below the national average of 60.8; and ranked 41st in the U.S. for the number of residents who saw a dentist.
Kids Count is a project of the Family and Community Trust supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. According to the Missouri Department of Health, dental health can predict overall health, meaning children miss fewer days of school. Greever-Rice says there is another factor in summer dental health.
Greever-Rice added that 40 percent of Medicaid-eligible children in the state do not have access to dental services.
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