Tooth decay (dental caries) is the single most common chronic disease of childhood — five to eight times more common than asthma. And 80 percent of tooth decay is found in 25 percent of children in the United States, many of whom are low income and members of ethnic minorities. The most frequent symptom of dental pathology is pain which can distract children from learning and playing, and limit their ability to eat and speak. Extensive early childhood caries has been shown to prevent toddlers from attaining normal weight and height. Dental and oral diseases are increasingly understood to compromise general health and function.

Nearly half of all adults nationwide have had at least one tooth removed because of decay or gum disease.

In 2000, Governor Bill Owens created the Colorado Commission on Children’s Dental Health to study key policy issues related to improving children’s oral health, especially in view of Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). In response to commission recommendations, a dental benefit was added to the CHP+ program and a variety of public and private initiatives have been launched.

Project Description

Completed in late 2005, CHI's Oral Health Environmental Scan (3.05 MB pdf) identified best practices, examined the oral health status of Coloradans and Colorado initiatives within a national context, explored access issues and analyzed utilization patterns in publicly funded programs.

This project was supported in part by Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, the Oral Health Program of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, The Colorado Trust, Colorado Community Health Networks and Rose Community Foundation.