Introduction

Profound disparities in oral health still exist across social economic and racial divisions within the United States.¹  Poverty is an important predictor of poor oral health in children, with poor children experiencing twice as many caries as their more affluent peers.^1,2,3  Untreated oral diseases in children frequently lead to serious general health problems, significant pain, interference with eating, and lost school time, with as many as 51 million school hours lost because of dental related illness per year.^4,5  Approximately 25% of children in the United States live at or below the poverty threshold.⁶  Recognition of this problem, underscores the crucial need for oral care education and intervention in relatively large segments of the United States population.

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Citation Number: Vol. 4, No. 2, Page 002