MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — A report from the Alabama Department of Public Health highlights worrying data about children's oral health.
The document examined the burden of oral disease in Alabama and included results from a dental caries survey conducted in 52 public elementary schools across the state from 2020 to 2022. Survey results were compared to national statistics and to Alabama survey results from 2011 to 2013.
The study found that fewer Alabama kindergarten and third graders had cavities than the national average and the 2011-2013 survey results. However, 22 percent of kindergarteners and 23 percent of third graders had untreated cavities — both rates higher than the national average and the 2011-2013 survey results.
State Dental Commissioner Dr. Tommy Johnson said there are a variety of reasons for the discrepancy, including dentist retention rates in the state and access to care.
“We have three counties in the state that don't have any dentists at all. We have counties that only have one dentist, and that dentist may have been there for 60 years. We have counties where the only dentist works part-time,” Johnson said.
Johnson said a decline in local water fluoridation could also be contributing to these numbers. Dr. Kevin Michaels, health officer for the Mobile County Health Department, agrees that local water fluoridation is important for oral health.
“While not all water systems in the county fluoridate or add fluoride, extensive studies have shown that areas where the water has fluoride have less cavities and dental problems,” Michaels said.
According to the CDC, only four water systems in Mobile County fluoridate their water, and all but three water systems in Baldwin County fluoridate their water. Not all children can drink fluoridated water, but Michaels said there are other options.
“Dentists can put things like fluoride varnish on the teeth to protect them, and they can also prescribe fluoride supplements for mothers to give to their children or parents,” he said.
Johnson said while the data in the report raises many concerns, it's not all negative, and he hopes the report sheds new light on the issue and the future of oral health for Alabama's children.
“Now we have the demographic background, we have something to compare it to. This is our starting point and we can see how we go from there,” he said.
