Untreated dental decay is a cavity or hole in the tooth that is at least ½ mm in size, with a brown to dark brown color, which suggests difficulty in accessing preventive and dental care. Untreated dental decay has negative consequence on the overall health of children. It can affect chronic diseases, such as obesity, reduce self-esteem, impair social development, and impact the ability to speak and eat. Poor oral health can lead to decreases in the social, nutritional, and educational development of children. In 2022, Connecticut’s statewide open mouth survey, “Every Smile Counts: The Oral Health of Connecticut’s Children,” revealed an increase in the percent of untreated dental decay in Hispanic third grade children, 15% in 2017 to 20.4% in 2022. The increase could be attributed to provider shortages and COVID-19, which resulted in dental offices and school-based health clinics closures inhibiting regular prevention services. The 2022 Every Smiles Counts report outlines several key strategies on what parents, caregivers, providers, and policymakers can do to improve oral health of children in CT.

These data are current as of December 2022. New data may be available in five years, which will be dependent upon funding.

Source: Every Smile Counts: The Oral Health of Connecticut’s Children, 2022

Connecticut Department of Public Health; Connecticut Department of Social Services; Connecticut Department of Developmental Services; State Department of Education; Office of Healthcare Reform and Innovation; University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine; other schools of dental medicine and dental hygiene; Connecticut Dental Health Partnership; CT Oral Health Initiative; CT Dental Hygiene Association; local public health agencies; American Dental Association; health care facilities and providers; professional dentistry and dental hygiene associations; dental insurance providers; organizations and coalitions focused on oral health; community service providers serving children, older adults, and underserved populations; faith-based organizations; philanthropic and research organizations that address oral health.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) adopted the policy on the Dental Home in 2001 and has been revised it multiple times, most recently in 2018. The AAPD encourages that children have a dental home beginning as early as six months of age. A Dental Home is the ongoing relationship between the Primary Dental Care Provider and the child, and includes comprehensive oral health care beginning no later than age one; and the concept has been endorsed by the AAPD, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Dental Association.

• Increase the number of dental providers in underserved areas and those participating in Connecticut’s HUSKY program (Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program
• Improve and maintain access to dental insurance for all children, especially those of moderate and high-risk for poor oral health
• Enhance the concept and utilization of a dental home through enrollment and utilization of HUSKY; maintenance of appropriate pool of providers accepting HUSKY
• Advocate for parity of oral health with physical and behavioral health (medical) in practice, policy, and reimbursement
• Identify and address barriers to access to dental services (transportation and locations; hours of services; cultural and linguistic barriers; non-ambulatory populations/institutional home-bound; other financial).Communications, Education and Training
• Expand existence of and participation in dental homes through education and public awareness on the benefits of annual dental preventive maintenance (include cultural and linguistic issues); education of providers on principles, models, and best practices (include cultural and linguistic issues)
• Increase capacity of and funding for dental public health services at state and local levels
• Partner with school districts to improve dental care access for children and provide additional resources to reach additional schools throughout the state