Only 400-500 of the 2,200 practicing dentists in Kentucky make significant claims to Medicaid /KCHIP.

In 2004, only one-third of eligible children in Kentucky received any dental services through Medicaid and the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP).

A Fayette County four-chair dental clinic cost $400,000 to equip and $300,000 annually to operate. This did not include the costs of dentists, hygienists or dental assistants. Dental clinics targeting low-income populations typically recover approximately half the operating costs through Medicaid.

Nearly half of Kentucky’s children (age 2-4) have untreated tooth decay (twice the national average).

Kentucky Oral Health Program

“The day that we as a nation decide to provide oral health education to our families of newborns, public health measures such as community water fluoridation, and regular dental visits to every American will mark the birth of the first generation that could grow up essentially free of dental disease.”

American Dental Association, 2004

“Although dental problems don’t command the instant fears associated with low birth weight, fetal death, or cholera, they do have the consequence of wearing down the stamina of children and defeating their ambitions.”

Jonathan Kozol, author

Kentucky ranks 49th in the nation in the percent of people who have lost six or more teeth because of decay or gum disease.

Kentucky Adult Oral Health Survey (2002)