Comments by American Dental Association President Dr. Ron Tankersley on the Pew Center on the States' report 'The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children'

CHICAGO, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Dr. Ron Tankersley, President, American Dental Association:

"We welcome the Pew organization to our longstanding fight to improve the lives of American children by helping more of them enjoy the good oral health that too many of them now lack.  Pew's presenting its information in the form of a report card makes it easy for anyone to understand that too many kids in too many states are suffering.  And we face huge challenges in changing that.

"Even in states to which Pew awarded an A, countless children lack access to dental care and suffer as a consequence.  These children are just like your children.  Except these children can't eat or sleep properly, can't pay attention in school, can't even smile, because of untreated dental disease.

"We don't agree with everything in the report.  But certainly, it highlights some of the major policy areas that the American Dental Association and state dental societies have advocated for years—things like increased Medicaid funding, school sealant programs and community water fluoridation.  It also highlights the urgent need for reliable routine data collection so that policies are well-informed and kids are not left suffering.

"The report does omit some policy areas that we believe are equally important to improving children's access to care.  For instance, some states have innovative programs—like student loan forgiveness and tax incentives—to help dentists establish practices in underserved areas or practice in community health centers.  And when it comes to fixing Medicaid, money is a huge issue, but it isn't the only issue.  Patients and parents need oral health education to help them take care of themselves and their families to prevent disease.  Many of them need additional services, like transportation, in order to be able to get to dental appointments.  If Medicaid did a better job of these things, treatment costs would decrease, because we would be preventing more disease and treating less.

"The ADA and state dental societies have a long history as the nation's leading advocates for oral health.  ADA members donated some $2.16 billion in free care to disadvantaged children and adults, both as individuals and through such programs as Give Kids A Smile and Missions of Mercy, in 2007 alone.  But we're the first to admit that we can't do this alone, and charity is no substitute for an effective, equitable oral health delivery system.  We're grateful for assistance from the Pew Center and others who are willing to lend a hand in what undoubtedly will remain a long, tough fight."

About the American Dental Association

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at www.ada.org.

SOURCE American Dental Association