The Challenge

The Facts: Children

• Oral disease is the single most common chronic childhood disease - 5 times more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever.
• Washington state's one-year-olds are five times as likely, and its two-year-olds are more than twice as likely, as children nationwide to have dental decay.
• Less than one-third of children from birth through age 5 enrolled in Washington's Medical Assistance program visited a dentist in 2002.
• Low- and moderate-income children miss a disproportionate amount of school due to oral disease.
• Over half of Washington second-graders have experienced dental decay.
• Children's poor oral health has been related to poor performance in school, poor social relationships and less success in later life.
• Children with severe dental decay often need to be treated in a hospital operating room, costing about $3,500 to $4,000 per child.

Copyright 2004 Washington Dental Service Foundation.