Poverty and Dental Health in Early Childhood

As a dentist, Dr. Angela Crincoli draws on more than 25 years of professional experience. Dr. Angela Crincoli currently practices with the KinderSmile Foundation in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where she provides dental care to children from under-resourced families.

Tooth decay can be extremely risky for any child. Research suggests that if left untreated, the pain and infections associated with oral health problems can interfere with a child's ability to eat, sleep, socialize, and learn. 

In 2000, the U.S. Surgeon General estimated that children lost more than 51 million hours of study time in school due to dental health problems. A 2011 study revealed that children with poor oral health were almost 300 percent more likely than their peers to miss school as a result of tooth pain, and research released in 2012 suggested that children with tooth pain were four times more at risk of having a low grade point average.

Unfortunately, cavities and other dental health issues disproportionately affect children from low-income and minority backgrounds. Children from families living below the poverty line have approximately 500 percent more untreated tooth decay than their peers from more affluent families, and the ratio of untreated cavities is significantly higher among Hispanic and African-American children than white children.

Experts attribute this disparity largely to the prevalence of high-sugar and low-nutrient foods in areas of widespread poverty, although limited access to dental care also plays a role. Although children may have access to dental care under Medicaid, practices that accept that insurance may not be easily accessible to lower-income families. As a result, advocates for children's dental health urge accessible health-care providers to offer nutritional and oral health guidance to lower-income children whenever possible.