Dental decay remains the most common, chronic disease on Cape Cod. The latest study by the Tri-County Collaborative for Oral Health Excellence finds that 62,000 Cape and Islands residents suffer from untreated dental decay. February is Children’s Dental Health Month and in honor of this important month and issue, the Tri-County Collaborative for Oral Health Excellence (Tri-CCOHE) presented it’s findings of the study “Making Headway: Easing the Burden of Dental Disease in Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties” during a press conference at the Ellen Jones Community Dental Center.
The findings of this report informed the Cape Cod community about the nature and prevalence of dental disease, the steps that have to be taken to increase access and reduce disease, and ways communities can mobilize for better oral health and improved quality of life for many residents. This report also documents the progress that has been made in addressing dental disease and describes the role of multiple sectors of the community in reducing this preventable disease. The press conference served as an opportunity to formalize partnerships between the public and private sectors of oral health and address dental decay as a community issue.
Lack of access to appropriate and timely dental services is a major barrier to care in this region. In fact, an estimated 75,850 people on the Cape and Islands need access to affordable care.
The Tri-CCOHE study found that dental disease continues to be a major public health problem, affecting more than half of school children and the vast majority of adults. Screenings conducted with Cape children in kindergarten, grades three and six demonstrated an average of one in three children has a history of dental caries. More than one in four children screened through prevention programs in tri-county schools had untreated decay and an estimated one in four of all adults in Barnstable County have untreated tooth decay. Click here to download a .pdf of the full study.
The Tri-CCOHE’s mission is to create an oral health system with 100 percent access to a full range of services for residents of Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties. The Coordinator of Tri-CCOHE, BL Hathaway, said that the Collaborative has been working to improve children’s oral health through preventive treatment and community-based solutions. Tri-CCOHE also promotes the importance of children’s oral health among policymakers, physicians, educators and service providers through a coordinated effort. For more information, please contact Tri-CCOHE’s Coordinator, BL Hathaway at (508) 771-1375 or at hathawaybl@yahoo.com.
Czarina Biton
