Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease, responsible for 51 million missed school hours nationally each year.
In Michigan, almost half of Head Start children have tooth decay with close to a third untreated.
Cavities can cause distracting pain, affecting a child’s ability to eat and sleep well, which affects learning, says Joann Hoganson, Director of Community Wellness for the Kent County Health Department.
“For many families when they look into the little one’s mouth, they think, ‘Oh those are just baby teeth. I'm not going to worry about it,’ but the truth is that cavities in the mouth can create chronic health problems and its a source of a tremendous amount of pain to children, so it is worthwhile to make sure that your child gets dental care early in life.”
Similar to Michigan’s school-based hearing and vision screening programs, the dental program is carried out through local health departments for free and takes only a few minutes.
“I want to make sure that all parents know: please don't hesitate to enroll your child into kindergarten because you don't have this oral health assessment done. It can be done after the child starts kindergarten and we are also going into schools to be able to do them right in the school.”
Parents can also check with their county health departments for other free screening opportunities, or help finding a dentist and insurance through Michigan’s Healthy Kids Dental Program.
Kent County Health Department partnered with The My Community Dental Centers team to offer free dental screenings for children at select community events.
