Effects of poverty on children's dental health.

While dental decay has decreased significantly during the last decade because of community fluoridation and other factors, children of low-income families have not benefited as greatly as others from this decrease and still remain at significant risk for dental disease. Published reports of dental disease among low-income families and data from the 1986 National Health Interview Survey indicate that children from low-income families have (1) higher dental disease rates, (2) higher percentages of unmet dental need, and (3) significantly lower utilization rates for dental care services, especially preventive activities. Even with the rapid growth of dental insurance, children of low-income families still experience barriers, having both a lower rate of dental insurance and lower use of dental services even with insurance. Notwithstanding these difficulties, there is much the medical care delivery system can do to decrease the effect of poverty on the dental health of children. Health care professionals can assist in identifying a source of dental care, encourage early dental visits for children, promote preventive dental procedures including routine visits and sealants, and increase parents' awareness of dental disease and the importance of dental health.