United Way awards grant to improve children’s dental health

Dental hygienist Kelly Davis shines a curing light into the mouth of Julian Rosario.

A partnership among The Resource Center, Filling the Gap and the United Way of Northern Chautauqua County is resulting in healthier teeth for area children.

The United Way recently awarded Filling the Gap, Inc., a $3,000 grant to help prevent tooth decay and save teeth through the use of dental sealants.  The money assisted in the purchase of curing lights for The Resource Center’s Dunkirk Dental Services office.  The lights are used to apply sealants to children’s teeth.

Filling the Gap is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that supports The Resource Center.

Untreated tooth decay remains a problem for about one-third of people across all age groups.  About 16 percent of children age 2 to 4 have untreated tooth decay.  In fact, tooth decay remains one of the most common of childhood diseases, five times as common as asthma in children 5 to 17 years old.  By age 17, 78 percent of young people have had a cavity and 7 percent have lost at least one permanent tooth.

“It’s a major problem,” said Kelly Davis, registered dental hygienist with The Resource Center’s Dental Services office in Dunkirk.  “It’s heartbreaking for me to see children’s teeth so decayed and in such poor condition.”

Between the ages of 5 and 7, children start to get their first permanent molars, called their 6-year molars.  Dentists recommend putting dental sealants on those molars.  Sealants are thin, plastic coatings that are painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth in an effort to prevent cavities.  The handheld curing light emits a blue light that hardens the sealant so that it can withstand the forces of chewing.

Experts also advise that sealants be placed on the second set of permanent molars, called 12-year molars, which typically come in between the ages of 11 and 14.

Sealants can last up to 10 years, but they should be replaced every three years if needed.  A sealant normally costs between $40 and $50 dollars a tooth, compared to $80 to $220 for a filling.  And while teens and young adults who are prone to cavities may also need sealants, Medicaid and most insurances typically only cover the cost of sealants until a person is 14.

Dentists say sealants are a great alternative to traditional silver fillings.

“Having a filling is not very nice and can cause pain at any stage,” commented Dr. Anne Shear, a dentist at The Resource Center’s Jamestown Dental Services office.  “So, sealants are the best way to go to give your child extra protection from cavities.”

Dr. Shear added that the longer the delay in treatment of dental disease, the more expensive and costly it becomes.

“In school-aged children, a preventative and noninvasive sealant application costs $49 per tooth under the Medicaid program, but the same tooth allowed to deteriorate over time might incur restorative treatment in the form of fillings at the cost of $77 to $212,” she noted.  “Left to further decay, the same tooth may require a root canal at $470 to $742, depending on the location of the tooth.  Often, a crown is necessary after root canal treatment, costing an additional $700 to $800.”

An estimated 51 million school hours per year are lost in the United States because of dental-related illnesses.  To help curb that, New York State law now requires public schools to ask for a dental health certificate of pupils as they enter kindergarten, second, fourth, seventh, and 10th grades, declaring their dental health condition.

Ms. Davis said one of the greatest barriers parents face is a lack of transportation.  Because there are no city buses, it can be difficult for parents to bring in children to obtain proper dental care.

Because of the transportation and cost factors, many low-income and Medicaid-eligible families are unable to get the care they need.  The Resource Center’s dental offices in Jamestown and Dunkirk are two of the few full-service providers in Chautauqua County who accept Medicaid.

To help eliminate the problems and barriers associated with those who don’t get the proper dental care they need, Filling the Gap continues to seek financial support for The Resource Center from the community it serves.  Besides this year’s grant for the curing lights, the United Way of Northern Chautauqua County gave The Resource Center $3,500 in 2010 to improve the health for agricultural workers, namely migrant and seasonal farmers.  Thanks to the grant, 51 patients received dental education and services in Dunkirk spanning 224 procedures, 13 emergency visits and five extractions.  Of those patients, 51 percent were male.

“I am grateful to the United Way for the funding for migrants to be able to have dental care provided by The Resource Center dental office of Dunkirk,” said Lourdes Garcia, dental services recipient, “as the dental care of fillings and restorations would not be possible without their continued support.”

TRC’s Dunkirk Dental Services office is located at 314 Central Avenue and is open from 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Thursday and 8:00 to 4:30 Friday.  Opened in 2002, the office has expanded the number of dental chairs to seven and comes equipped with up-to-date, state-of-the-art equipment.  The practice features Dr. Jill Smolarek and Dr. John Vona.  Last year, the Dunkirk dental office treated 3,258 patients.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, phone 366-1661.

The Jamestown Dental Services office is located at 896 East Second Street.  Besides Dr. Shear, Dr. Douglas Larson and Dr. Amie McCarthy are the practice’s dentists.  The Jamestown office also performs dental sealants.  For more information or to schedule an appointment, phone 661-1431.