skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Experts: Dental Health Vital to a Child’s Development

play audio
Play

Tuesday, February 16, 2021   

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The pandemic has upended many aspects of life, but experts say it shouldn't stop Ohio families from continuing regular dental visits.

According to state data, almost one in four Ohio kids have experienced tooth decay by age five.

Dr. Richard Gesker, chief dental officer for UnitedHealthcare, said National Children's Dental Health Month in February is a reminder dental health is an important component of a child's overall development.

"It's not separate from the rest of the body," Gesker explained. "Good oral health leads to good systemic health. And you need a balance of both."

Data from the American Dental Association found spending on dental care dropped by nearly 40 % in 2020. However, it also found in a new poll that 88 % of respondents already had returned to the dentist, or are ready to go.

Gesker noted dental offices have strict safety and disinfectant practices in place, but added visits still may not be possible for everyone.

"The American Dental Association recommends checkups, cleanings, routine care. However, depending on what region you're, in please avoid any non-emergency care if you're living in a place with uncontrolled community spread of COVID 19."

Ohio has nearly 60 dental health professional shortage areas where there are not enough providers to meet the community need.

Marla Morse, program director for the statewide coalition Oral Health Ohio, said the state's youngest residents are especially impacted by a lack of access to care.

"If we could get more primary care providers looking the mouth, doing screenings and applying fluoride varnish, that would be a really, really powerful thing to impact equity around oral health in Ohio," Morse contended.

Oral Health Ohio will release its State Oral Health Plan on Feb. 26, which will address the oral health needs and challenges for all Ohioans.

Disclosure: UnitedHealthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021