Top 5 states in kids' oral care? And, HIV patients benefit from early dental care

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Children living in Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are more likely to be insured and receive recommended dental checkups than children living in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, and Nevada, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund.

The report also points to two factors that should continue to address geographic disparities when it comes to kids' oral health: healthcare reform and midlevel providers. Read more.

In related news, third-graders in Minnesota fared pretty well in the state's first survey of their oral health. In a report released February 11, the Minnesota Department of Health found that the percentage of screened third-graders whose teeth are protected by dental sealants is significantly higher than the national norm and that those screened also have fewer untreated cavities than the national average. But the findings weren't all positive. Click here to read more.

And in Hygiene Community news, early intervention can have a significant impact on the oral health of patients who have been newly diagnosed with HIV, according to research to be presented next month at the International Association for Dental Research conference in San Diego. Read more.