End disparities in oral health care

Oral health is more than just a pretty smile; it’s about having adequate ability to chew, speak and keep our mouths disease free to aid in the health of the rest of our bodies.

I have seen firsthand extensive and painful dental conditions in many third-graders. These schoolchildren have difficulty concentrating, low self-esteem, low test scores, and they are often malnourished because it’s hard to properly chew their food.

It is sad when I have tell children and adults that their neighborhood clinic is closed to new patients. Cook County must increase access to oral health services — preventive and urgent — so the most vulnerable of county residents need not live with pain and infection.

The current county oral health program puts a burden on community clinics and area emergency rooms. Studies have demonstrated the exorbitant cost of dental treatment that is provided in emergency rooms. In most cases, these costs could have been prevented if there was an effective area-wide strategy to educate, prevent and address the oral health needs of the population. Cook County needs to do right by its residents and address the significant disparities in public dental treatment.

February is Children’s Dental Health Month. We need to work together to improve the lives of our most precious and vulnerable citizens: our children.

Anne Clancy

Director

Chicago Community Oral Health Forum