KING COUNTY, WA - Cavities? Do kids still get them? Yes they do, according to Surgeon General David Satcher who appeared this morning on the Rosie O'Donnell show. He was there to highlight his recently released report on oral health in America.

"Good oral health is an essential part of good overall health," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "Early preventative care such as appropriate uses of fluorides, application of sealants and regular visits to dentists will lead to a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums."

This first ever look at America's oral health has some surprising findings. Nationally, almost 37% of our nation's poorest kids have cavities that are not filled compared to 17% of other children. King County's children fare better with 24% of poor children compared to 8% of other children have unfilled cavities.

"Locally, the effects of water fluoridation and sealant use seem to be paying off," added Plough. "However, disparities in dental health still exist, particularly among lower income groups. We need to do more eliminate these disparities and assure healthy teeth and gums for everyone in King County."

Surgeon General Satcher has called for public/private partnerships to address this need. He stated that, while government plays an important role, there is much private industry can do to help. Continuing water fluoridation, maximizing sealant use, providing education and improving access to dental care are the key strategies identified by Dr. Satcher.

King County already has several partnerships and strategies in place to improve the dental health of local residents including:

• · Children's Health Access Program (CHAP) increases access to dental care for low-income/Medicaid covered children to public health clinics, community clinics, and private practitioners.
  
  
• A recently formed Task Force of local public and private agency staff is addressing access to care for low-income/Medicaid covered adults in King County; in addition to Public Health, key partnering agencies include Seattle - King County Dental Society, Washington State Dental Service Foundation, Patterson Dental Supply, Evergreen Hospital, UW Dental School, Community Clinics, among others.
  
  
• Public Health - Seattle & King County provides 58 schools with a dental sealant program which last year screened 3,299 and placed sealants on 2,141 second and third grade students.
  
  
• Public Health - Seattle & King County continues to advocate for local jurisdictions to fluoridate water supplies to promote the dental health of residents; currently, 75% of King County residents use fluoridated water.
  
  
• Public Health - Seattle & King County continues to monitor and assess the dental health of the residents of King County, recently participating in a statewide survey of 6 - 8 year olds about oral health.