The following is a letter to the editor that was sent to the Kalamazoo Gazette.
The Healthy Kids Dental program provides essential dental services to nearly 500,000 eligible low-income children in all but five of Michigan’s 83 counties. But when Gov. Rick Snyder announced his 2015 state budget on Feb. 5, he proposed expanding HKD to about 100,000 more children in two of the five un-served counties: Kalamazoo and Macomb.
HKD was created 14 years ago by the Michigan Department of Community Health in partnership with Delta Dental of Michigan and the Michigan Dental Association. Based on studies affirming its effectiveness in improving access to dental care, lawmakers and governors have expanded the program several times.
Preventive and regular dental care is as essential to a child’s overall health as is medical, vision and hearing care. Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in America, affecting 50 percent of first-graders and 80 percent of 17-year-olds. According to the National Association of Dental Plans, adults and children without dental coverage are 2.5 times less likely to visit the dentist than those with insurance. In addition, reports show that children miss 51 million hours of school each year because of oral health issues. Increasing access to dental care produces healthier children who are more likely to succeed in school and life.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, an appropriate time to shine a light on what the U.S. Surgeon General has called a “silent epidemic.” It’s also an opportunity to recognize the good policies Michigan has implemented to improve dental health for children and adults alike — and to underscore that more must be done.
We need to expand HKD to all 83 Michigan counties. If the legislature approves adding Kalamazoo and Macomb, that will leave Kent, Oakland and Wayne counties for future budget years. In addition, for more than 60 years, Michigan children entering kindergarten have been required to have their vision and hearing checked. A dental screening is not. By screening the 130,000 kids who start kindergarten in Michigan each year, we can catch dental disease before it causes serious problems and avoid future health issues.
We also need to focus on improving oral health literacy for all in Michigan. Other states have taken the lead in developing oral health curricula that focuses on the importance of good oral health and its role in overall health. Plus, education doesn’t stop with children – that’s why Delta Dental of Michigan is actively working to increase awareness of just how important oral health is to all Michigan citizens through our Brighter Futures initiative – you can learn more at brighterfuturesmi.com.
There’s nothing better than seeing a child look up at you with a healthy, beautiful smile. Children’s oral health can – and should – be a priority in Kalamazoo County and all of Michigan.
Laura Czelada is president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Michigan.