NYSDA criticizes dental clinic closures

The New York State Dental Association (NYSDA) is criticizing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed closings of New York City Department of Health dental clinics, according to a press release.

The closures, part of sweeping citywide cuts announced recently by the mayor, would impact 44 public health dental clinics serving 17,000 of the city's neediest children.

"Shutting down New York City's dental program exhibits a lack of understanding of the impact of dental disease on the health of New Yorkers, and displays a disregard for the city's most vulnerable populations who most need and benefit from access to these programs," said Stephen Gold, D.D.S., NYSDA president and a pediatric dentist, in the press release.

The NYSDA recently advocated for legislation requiring the state's school districts to request that children receive a dental examination before entering school. New York City schools gained an exemption from the law because the city was already providing sufficient access to children for screenings and services. The city's school-based dental clinics have been the principal resource for ensuring the availability of these dental services.

Transitioning patients from the clinics to a Medicaid-based program as others have suggested would not be the answer, the NYSDA said in its press release. Despite the city's considerable patient enrollment in both Medicaid and Child Health Plus and the exceptionally large number of dentists available to see these children, the NYSDA said it believes that New York City performs poorly with respect to children receiving effective preventive dental care.

New York City's Medicaid program reports the lowest percentages of children receiving sealants in New York state, according to the NYSDA.