LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Informal reports from Kentucky dentists pointed to growing dental decay numbers among Kentucky kids since the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a recent state-funded survey, the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry found data to back up these claims.
“We really wanted a very broad look at what’s going on with all children in Kentucky,” said Dr. Pam Stein, professor of Oral Health Sciences in the Division of Public Health Dentistry at UK.
For the first time since 2001, the College of Dentistry partnered with the Kentucky Department of Public Health in the 2023 Kentucky Early Learners’ Oral Health Surveillance Project. The state-funded survey involved 6,600 kids ages 2 through 5 across 106 counties.
“It needed to be done,” said Dr. Stein, “and we’ll be able to do a lot of good things because we now know what’s going on and we can design interventions and partnerships to address this problem now strategically because we have the data.”
The survey found that the dental decay rate for all kids across Kentucky ages two through five is 35%. That compares to a 23% national average.
“That meant either they have a cavity that had been filled, or they have current decay that needs to be treated,” Dr. Stein shared.
The study split Kentucky into eight regions, showing the highest decay rates in eastern and south-central Kentucky.
“When over half of those very young children have experience decay, those are areas where we are actually planning focus groups with parents,” said Dr. Stein. “We’re supposed to be having preventive visits every six months for our children, but for some reason, they’re not accessing the care. And that’s a complicated issue.”
Along with these planned focus groups, data from this survey has given dental and health leaders across Kentucky a foundation to begin building better dental health habits.
“Number one, they need to get their child to the dentist by the time they’re one year old,” said Dr. Stein. “When the first tooth comes in, or at the latest, when they’re one.”
After the first checkup, kids should see the dentist every six months. Diet and caring for teeth at home are the other two steps to get ahead of dental decay.
“Children can have very serious consequences if a tooth infection is not addressed,” Dr. Stein said. “It can cause fever; it can cause trouble with their airway.”
Using data from the survey, along with other outreach programs through the UK College of Dentistry, Dr. Stein is confident Kentucky can take a bite out of the high decay rates.
“Dental decay is completely preventable, and it’s not hard to prevent it, and it’s not expensive to prevent it. This really kind of lights a fire in me and others,” said Dr. Stein. “I’m hopeful. I’m hopeful that we can improve this situation for our youngest Kentuckians.”
You can find more about the 2023 Kentucky Early Learners’ Oral Health Surveillance Project here.
