Study Says Dental Problems In Children At Epidemic Proportions

Sacramento, CA — A study on dental care says so many children have cavities and are suffering from tooth decay that dental problems throughout the state are now at epidemic proportions.

According to a study by the Dental Health Foundation, 71 percent of the state´s third-graders have suffered from tooth decay. The foundation also says that nearly 29 percent of kindergartners and third-graders across California have untreated cavities.

The rate of tooth decay among children in the state is so high that in the survey of 24 states only Arkansas had a higher rate. When it came to untreated cavities, California´s 42 percent was considered in the middle of the pack.

The study screened more than 21,000 children in kindergarten and third grade at 186 schools throughout the state during the last school year.