Programme promotes oral health in Florida
A programme has been launched to promote oral health in Florida.
The programme, which has been launched by the University of Florida’s College of Dentistry and the United Way of North Central Florida, was established to target poor families and raise awareness of oral health amongst families in Alachua County.
The programme is designed to educate children but it focuses on parents. Children learn oral hygiene habits from their parents and it is therefore essential that parents have the knowledge to pass on. Dentists are eager for parents to talk to their children about oral hygiene and teach their children how to brush their teeth from a very early age, as this helps to prevent oral health diseases and reduce the risk of early tooth loss.
A survey of children in the third and seventh grade showed that 23 percent were unable to access dental services in the last twelve months; many parents are struggling to afford dental care and a large proportion of dentists have stopped taking on Medicaid patients because the repayments are low and the process is time-consuming.
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