[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 54 (Thursday, April 26, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S3982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CHRONIC INFECTIOUS CHILDHOOD DISEASES

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr President, I rise today to bring attention to the 
single most common chronic infectious childhood disease, namely dental 
decay. In fact, it is five times more common than asthma and seven 
times more common than hay fever. Young children with severe decay, 
affecting multiple teeth, may need to be treated in a hospital under 
general anesthesia. This level of treatment is unnecessarily costly. An 
estimated $100 million each year is spent for operating room charges 
associated with treating severe decay in very young children.
  One of the most cost effective ways to reduce the burden of tooth 
decay, before it starts, is community water fluoridation. Since 1945, 
water fluoridation has been the cornerstone of the nation's oral 
health, by safely, inexpensively and effectively preventing tooth decay 
regardless of an individuals' socioeconomic status or ability to obtain 
dental care. Today, close to 144 million Americans receive this benefit 
through fluoridated water. Unfortunately, more than 100 million others 
do not.
  This is especially disturbing, because water fluoridation remains the 
most equitable and cost-effective method of delivering fluoride. The 
average life-time cost of fluoridation per person is less than the 
approximate cost of one dental filling.
  In my home State of Vermont, three communities with over 7,000 
residents, do not benefit from community water fluoridation. According 
to the Vermont Department of Health, high school students in one of 
these communities have the worse dental health in the State, by a 
significant margin. Because of the high disease rate in these three 
communities, they have responded by developing dental clinics to serve 
low-income residents. Although we applaud these communities for 
responding accordingly, the old adage holds true here, an ounce of 
prevention is worth a pound of cure.
  Dental sealants have also proven to be an effective method of 
preventing tooth decay. Studies have shown that sealants can reduce 
tooth decay by over 70 percent. Despite the proven effectiveness of 
this method, only three percent of low-income children have had 
sealants applied to their teeth.
  The inequities in oral health care are especially apparent in 
Medicaid patients. In 1993, only 1 in 5 children and adolescents 
covered by Medicaid received preventive dental service such as 
application of fluoride or sealants. Alarmed by these statistics, 
Senator Russ Feingold and I, along with 26 of our colleagues, wrote to 
the Health Care Financing Administration asking that they explore what 
Medicaid could do to improve access to comprehensive dental services 
for underserved children.
  Oral health is a key determinate of overall health. It is essential 
that we continue to pursue these low-cost and effective measures to 
ensure that all children in this country, regardless of income and 
geography, are free of dental disease.

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