Health News
Kentucky received a "C" grade from the Pew Children's Dental Campaign for meeting the dental health needs of children, the same grade it was given last year.
- New Partnership Will Provide Children In Kentucky With A Home For Medical And Dental Care
Community Dental of Kentcky and the University of Louisville Pediatrics are partnering to provide Kentucky children in the Medicaid program with a medical, dental health care home through co-located facilities, says a press release from Gov. Steve...
- Millions Of Children On Medicaid Are Missing Free Check-ups; Kentucky Is A Little Below The National Average
Millions of low-income children across the country aren't getting free preventive exams and screenings guaranteed by Medicaid, and some experts say federal and state health officials aren't doing enough to fix the problem, according to a federal...
- State Gives 5 Health Departments Money For Mobile Dental-hygiene Teams That Will Examine Children At Schools; 5 More Next Year
Using new money in the state budget, the state Department for Public Health has given five local health departments grants to launch mobile dental hygiene programs. The one-year awards of $160,000 will pay for a full-time dental hygienist and assistant;...
- Like Nurse Practitioners In Medical Field, Dental Profession Needs Mid-level Providers, Expert Argues
With 50 million Americans living in poor or rural areas where there are no dentists to go to ? and that number expected to rise by more than 5 million if the Affordable Care Act stands ? states and the federal government should be training dental therapists...
- Smile Kentucky! Celebrates 10 Years And More Than 100,000 Children Helped
Smile Kentucky! celebrates its 10-year anniversary tomorrow, representing $1 million in free dentistry and benefiting more than 100,000 students. "It's a wonderful program," said Arleta Watkins of Bullitt County Schools. "I've had children...
Health News
Pew gives Ky. a "C" for looking after dental health of children
Kentucky received a "C" grade from the Pew Children's Dental Campaign for meeting the dental health needs of children, the same grade it was given last year.The Courier-Journal reports the state met or exceeded four of eight benchmarks: The majority of Kentuckians (99.4 percent) have fluoridated community water supplies; the state pays medical providers for early preventive dental health care; the state tracks data on children's dental health; and the percentage of Medicaid-enrolled children getting dental care (40.8 percent) exceeds the national standard of 38.1 percent.
The state fell short of Pew's standards when it came to offering sealant programs at high-risk schools; allowing hygienists to place sealants without a dentist's prior exam; and authorizing new primary-care dental providers. Kentucky also lost points because the rates it pays to dentists for providing Medicaid services is below the norm ? only 52 percent, compared to the national average of 60.5 percent.
None of the 50 states assessed in the report met all eight benchmarks. Seven states received an A and 20 states received a B. "An A does not stand for 'all done,'" said Shelly Gehshan, director of the Pew Children's Dental Campaign. "It means a state has the key ingredients in place, but it still needs to monitor progress and explore new ways to improve children's access to dental health." Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Montana and New Jersey received an F.
More than 20 states improved their grades over 2010. "These gains were achieved primarily by adopting policies to reimburse physicians for preventive dental services, expanding water fluoridation and increasing the percentage of Medicaid-enrolled children who receive care," the report reads. (Read more)
- New Partnership Will Provide Children In Kentucky With A Home For Medical And Dental Care
Community Dental of Kentcky and the University of Louisville Pediatrics are partnering to provide Kentucky children in the Medicaid program with a medical, dental health care home through co-located facilities, says a press release from Gov. Steve...
- Millions Of Children On Medicaid Are Missing Free Check-ups; Kentucky Is A Little Below The National Average
Millions of low-income children across the country aren't getting free preventive exams and screenings guaranteed by Medicaid, and some experts say federal and state health officials aren't doing enough to fix the problem, according to a federal...
- State Gives 5 Health Departments Money For Mobile Dental-hygiene Teams That Will Examine Children At Schools; 5 More Next Year
Using new money in the state budget, the state Department for Public Health has given five local health departments grants to launch mobile dental hygiene programs. The one-year awards of $160,000 will pay for a full-time dental hygienist and assistant;...
- Like Nurse Practitioners In Medical Field, Dental Profession Needs Mid-level Providers, Expert Argues
With 50 million Americans living in poor or rural areas where there are no dentists to go to ? and that number expected to rise by more than 5 million if the Affordable Care Act stands ? states and the federal government should be training dental therapists...
- Smile Kentucky! Celebrates 10 Years And More Than 100,000 Children Helped
Smile Kentucky! celebrates its 10-year anniversary tomorrow, representing $1 million in free dentistry and benefiting more than 100,000 students. "It's a wonderful program," said Arleta Watkins of Bullitt County Schools. "I've had children...