More than 43% of the children seen during the first year of a university program in West Virginia that offers free dental care at schools had untreated dental decay, according to a report by West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB).
The West Virginia School Community Partnership, now in its second year, offers exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants. The Robert C. Byrd Center for Rural Health at Marshall University runs the program, which is funded by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
In 2009, 10 West Virginia counties received grants to treat more than 2,300 children, according to the report. Of these, nearly half failed to see a dentist regularly, even though 62% were on Medicaid, 8% were in the Children's Health Insurance Program, and 8.3% had private insurance, WVPB reported.
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