KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Children in King County and Seattle are less likely to have tooth decay than in other parts of the state, but troubling rates of preventable dental disease continue, particularly among poor and vulnerable populations, according to the most recent statewide “Smile Survey” of children’s oral health.

Major local findings of the study include:

• Nearly 60% of Washington state elementary school children outside of King County were found to have cavities and/or fillings, while King County and Seattle rates were lower, at 47.1% and 49.5%, respectively. The 2005 rate of dental decay or fillings in King County children was about the same as in 2000.
  
  
• Preschool children in King County have significantly lower rates of dental disease when compared to preschool children in other areas of the state: 45.1% of three to five year olds in Washington state had cavities or fillings, compared to 26.6% in King County.
  
  
• Over 75% of the population currently has access to fluoridated water systems in King County, which likely contributes to children having healthier teeth with less decay. Statewide, water system fluoridation is available to about 50% of the population.

“Chronic dental disease can impact a child’s health and well-being, self-esteem and school performance,” said Dorothy Teeter, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “This is a preventable problem, but more children and their families need access to the tools that can improve their health.”

In the 2005 Smile Survey, the Washington State Department of Health surveyed 8,900 preschool, elementary school and Native American children in the state. An additional 1,758 second and third-grade students and 605 preschool children were surveyed in King County, as well as a Seattle-specific sample of 1,022 second and third-grade students.

In King County and Seattle, as well as statewide, children from low income families, children of color and children who do not speak English are more likely to experience dental disease. Children of low income families and children of color were at least twice as likely to have untreated decay in King County, and three times as likely to untreated decay in the Seattle sample.

King County, through the Kids Get Care and Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) programs, has focused efforts on preventing early childhood caries in children from birth to age five, particularly in low–income children and communities of color. Strategies include community education about the importance of baby teeth, first oral health screening by first birthday by a dentist or doctor, and training of primary care providers to include oral health risk assessments, fluoride varnish, oral health education, and dental referrals during well-child checks.

Besides fluoridation, dental sealants are a proven strategy for reducing dental decay. Dental sealants are protective coatings applied to the grooves and pits of permanent molars; these tooth areas have been shown to be the most vulnerable to decay.

Dental sealant rates are approximately the same for second and third grade students in King County, Seattle and Washington state outside of King County (41%, 43% and 46% respectively). All are less than the national Healthy People 2010 goal of 50%.

In King County and Seattle, second and third grade students in schools with school based sealant programs were more than half as much more likely to have dental sealants applied. Currently, 32 Seattle elementary schools and 26 King County elementary schools have school-based dental sealants programs provided by Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Results of the Smile Survey will provide recognition and better understanding of the oral health needs of children as well as to support policies that ensure that all children receive the prevention and dental care they need.

For a summary of the King County and Seattle findings, and to get more information about the Oral Health Program and services provided by Public Health – Seattle & King County, visit www.metrokc.gov/health/oralhealth. For more information on Kids get care and the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) program, visit www.metrokc.gov/health/kgc. To read more about the Statewide 2005 Smile Survey results, visit www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Oral_Health.

Public Health – Seattle & King County is among the largest metropolitan health departments in the country, providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services that achieve and sustain safer and healthier communities for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County . Answering the needs of an increasingly diverse population, Public Health - Seattle & King County touches people's lives every day through health promotion and prevention activities, disease surveillance, health care, outreach and referral services, environmental health services, emergency medical care, jail health services, and readiness and response to public health emergencies.

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