Survey reveals disparities in dental care among children

Researchers have uncovered higher rates of dental decay among children aged 2 to 5 years residing in Kentucky.

In the 2023 Kentucky Early Learners’ Oral Health Surveillance Project survey, researchers at the University of Kentucky’s College of Dentistry analyzed the prevalence of dental decay and needs among children, according to a news report from News Medical. Local dental hygienists screened 6,660 children across 106 Kentucky counties for treated and untreated dental decay.

The researchers found that the rates of dental decay were higher among children residing in Kentucky compared with the national average and were comparable to rates found among children living at or below the poverty line. They noted that demographic, geographic, social, economic, racial and ethnic factors may have affected the rates of tooth decay identified in this patient population.

Read more: News Medical

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