DHS home
July 23, 2002 |
Media Contact: Bonnie Widerburg, 503-731-4180
Technical Contacts: Donalda Dodson (503) 731-4398 |
Oregon receives federal funds to improve oral health
Efforts to improve oral health among Oregonians are getting a boost from the federal government, according to public health officials at the state Department of Human Services (DHS).
DHS has been awarded $200,000 per year, renewable for up to five years, to create a statewide oral health program as part of a cooperative agreement with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Another $85,000, also renewable for up to five years, will be used to develop dental sealant programs in Oregon schools.
"Dental disease is a significant health problem for many Oregonians, and especially low-income children and adults," says Donalda Dodson, manager of DHS child and family health programs. "This is a real concern, because oral health is critical to overall well-being. Even more sobering is the fact that dental caries is the number one chronic disease among children."
Preliminary data from a 2000 DHS survey find that 57 percent of children in grades 1-3 have had cavities, 24 percent have untreated decay and 16 percent have rampant decay. Fifty-one percent of third-graders have had sealants, a protective coating that reduces the potential for decay when applied to a child's molars.
Another problem is that access to dental care is limited, particularly outside the Portland metro area. Three Oregon counties have no dentists and 11 others are severely underserved, according to Dodson. "Fifty percent of Oregon children 12 years and under have never had a dental visit," she says.
"Prevention programs are an important solution," Dodson says. "This funding means we can provide support to community groups that are already mobilizing around this issue."
One area that some communities are already working on is water fluoridation, an area identified in the CDC agreement. Only 24 percent of Oregon's population has access to fluoridated water and the state ranks 45th nationally in water fluoridation.
DHS will also institute a system to measure, over time, the oral health of children, establish a state oral health advisory committee and convene an oral health summit, according to Dodson.
The new dental sealant funds will allow DHS to promote a statewide sealant program among children in grades 2 and 3 who need them. This will be accompanied by a statewide education campaign about sealants. Dodson predicts that within a year, dental sealant programs and projects will be developed in at least 25 communities throughout Oregon, and that the number will increase each year.
Oregon is one of seven states to receive funding to build or strengthen an oral health program and one of only two states to be funded for dental sealant programs.
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