CDC Study Says Underserved Minority Children Have Highest Risk of Cavities

Western Dental continues efforts to drive awareness and reduce dental
disease in kids

ORANGE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A recent study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on dental decay
in the U.S. showed cavity rates dropped nationwide in 2016, but there
was virtually no change among minorities living primarily in poverty.

Overall, U.S. cavity rates among children dropped from 50 percent in
2012 to 44 percent in 2016. However, Hispanic youths had a
disproportionate number of cavities at 52 percent and African-American
children had the most untreated cavities at 17 percent, highlighting the
urgent need to inform and aid parents in these communities about the
importance of regular dental visits

“Many families in Latino and African-American communities have not had
access to the information about the importance of preventive visits.
Culturally, visiting a dentist was saved for emergencies only,” said
Corina Ramirez, DDS, pediatric clinical director for Western Dental, the
largest California provider of dental care services to Medi-Cal Dental
(Denti-Cal) members. “We want these communities to know about the
resources available to them, which can greatly improve oral health among
minorities.”

Experts at Western Dental recommend that parents find a dentist for
their child by the time they turn 1. Following the initial visit,
children should return every six months for cleanings and periodically
for sealants to reduce the risk of developing cavities and avoid painful
or costly visits in the future.

Sealants are a painless, preventive coating application that can play a
huge role in reducing cavities among children. Sealants are covered by
Denti-Cal, which also covers exams and cleanings every six months for
children.

“Preventive visits are affordable for parents and not scary or painful
for children,” Dr. Ramirez said. “Our recently renovated Western Dental
Kids offices are designed with children in mind. We cater to kids and
give all of them a toy or balloon to celebrate their successful visit.
Parents love our preventive care program because it’s covered by
Medi-Cal, so there is rarely any cost.”

As California’s leading provider to Medi-Cal Dental covered families,
Western Dental is expanding its efforts to ensure education and
exceptional care for underserved children.

While Western Dental serves children in all its locations, earlier this
year a direct mail campaign was launched by Western Dental to educate
parents about their coverage and the renovation and launch of 24
dedicated pediatric offices over the next several months. Western
Dental’s first completed office is in Modesto, Calif., a community where
adequate dental care has been lacking for many children.

Western Dental has also created and recruited two new positions to
support the expansion of its pediatric care. Dr. Ramirez is the
pediatric clinical director and Edwin Rivera is Vice President of
Community and Strategic Alliances.

To ensure children can receive their preventive visit, Western Dental
accepts Medi-Cal at 195 offices in California, including its Western
Dental, Western Dental Kids, Children’s Dental Group, and Kids Dental
Kare offices.

To learn more about Western Dental and its newly added benefits, visit www.westerndental.com
or call 1-800-6-DENTAL.

ABOUT WESTERN DENTAL

Western Dental (with its affiliates, including Brident Dental &
Orthodontics) is one of the nation’s largest dental providers and is the
leader in accessible, affordable oral healthcare, serving approximately
2.5 million patient visits annually in 245 affiliated offices throughout
California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. In addition to general
dentistry, it offers orthodontics, oral surgery, pedodontics,
periodontics and endodontics in its offices, creating a convenient full
service “Dental Home.”

In California, Western Dental is the leading provider of services to
both adults and children in the Medi-Cal Dental program – part of the
public insurance program that provides health care benefits for more
than 13 million low-income individuals and families. Western Dental
dentists provided care to more than a half-million Denti-Cal
beneficiaries in 2017 and is committed to continuing to partner with the
State to help improve the program.

All of Western Dental’s services are backed by a unique quality
assurance system that monitors patient visits, treatments, dental staff
and clinical performance to enable high-quality care.

Contacts

for Western Dental
Jeffrey Weidel
Office: 916-781-0616
Cell:
916-402-7132
jeff@halldinpr.com