Post Author
Emily Blevins
Communications Director
RALEIGH- NC Child, a statewide child advocacy nonprofit, released a new report detailing key challenges around child oral health in North Carolina. The report, “Teeth Talk: Lessons from a Listening Tour on Child Oral Health Outcomes and Access in North Carolina,” compiled findings from a 20-stop tour that engaged parents, dental care professionals, public health officials, and school district personnel in conversations about local struggles around this issue.
“Children with poor oral health are more likely to have difficulties learning and concentrating in school, and they’re more likely to miss days of school,” said NC Child Executive Director Erica Palmer Smith. “Understanding and addressing the challenges families face when accessing oral health care means that not only can we improve child health outcomes, but we can improve learning outcomes too.”
While many measures around child oral health outcomes have worsened since COVID, outcomes were trending in the wrong direction leading up to 2020, as many of the barriers to oral health care access in North Carolina existed prior to the pandemic. In the 2022-2023 school year, nearly 1 in 5 North Carolina children had untreated tooth decay. According to NCDHHS, dental decay is the most common chronic childhood disease and is largely preventable through routine dental care.
“We know that routine care is important for bright, healthy smiles, but we learned on the listening tour the extent to which children and families in North Carolina face barriers to oral health care because of provider shortages, insurance issues, knowledge gaps, and overall costs,” said Smith. Participants in NC Child’s listening tour also noted that social determinants of health like food insecurity, transportation, low incomes, and housing costs also stand out as substantial barriers to oral health care access.
“Teeth Talk” outlines these challenges in greater detail, but the report also provides three key recommendations for improving oral health access and outcomes for children and families in North Carolina: expanding school-based oral health programs, increasing access for Medicaid patients, and improving parent education around oral health. The recommendations are informed by the lived experiences of the North Carolinians who participated in NC Child’s listening tour and are backed by independent findings from other research institutions and NCDHHS reports.
“Teeth Talk: Lessons from a Listening Tour on Child Oral Health Outcomes and Access in North Carolina” is available online as a resource for policymakers, parents, oral health providers, and community advocates.
“Every child in North Carolina deserves a healthy childhood and a vibrant future,” said NC Child Executive Director Erica Palmer Smith. “We can make this a reality for our state’s more than 2 million children by advocating for policies that improve oral health outcomes and access to care.”
About NC Child
NC Child is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for public policies that improve the lives of all North Carolina children. As the state’s only multi-issue child advocacy organization, NC Child’s work addresses policies that affect the whole child, including health and well-being, early childhood education, and family economic security. NC Child is also a leading source of state-level research and data on the issues affecting children and families, and the organization serves as a trusted and reliable source for policymakers and other child advocates across the state. For more information, visit ncchild.org.
Media Inquiries
Emily Blevins, Communications Director
emily@ncchild.org
(919) 726-6325
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