Connecticut makes huge improvements in dental care

The Pew report, which was published yesterday, has confirmed a drastic turnaround in Connecticut’s dental health provision.

The state had previously been slammed for the poor standard of dental care on offer to citizens in the 1990’s; thousands of people struggled to afford dental treatments and the level of state support for poorer residents was unacceptable.

Since 2000, health authorities have been working hard to improve standards of dental care and increase access to affordable treatment and their hard work seems to have paid off, with the Pew report branding the state as a “national leader”. Today, the state is an example for others to follow and it was just one of six states to receive an ‘A’ grade in the Pew’s ‘The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children’ study.

Connecticut has indeed experienced something of an overhaul in terms of dental care, with the launch of educational initiatives, increased Medicaid support for dentists and a huge increase in the number of dentists accepting patients that belong to the HUSKY insurance programme; this scheme was established by dentists, local schools, parents and local health authorities to help people afford dental treatment. The state also met standards for fluoridated water, sealant programmes and providing preventive dental care.

The preventive measures are a particularly important focus of the study, as they are targeted at children. Currently, as standards of oral health amongst young children are falling, the Government is keen to introduce preventive care to put a stop to the decline in children’s dental health and improve standards in the future; focusing on children will ensure generations to come will have a better standard of oral health, which will reduce the costs of dental provision and prevent people from having to undergo complex surgical treatments.

Authorities have praised the efforts of health professionals and ministers in Connecticut and are hoping other states will follow the example they have set.

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