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Third-graders in Minnesota schools serving mostly lower-income families were three times more likely to have untreated tooth decay compared to kids from higher-income schools, state health officials said Thursday.


Nearly 30 percent of third-graders at low-income schools were found with untreated tooth decay. The rate was only about 9 percent at schools serving mostly higher-income families.


"This survey shows we need to do more to eliminate dental-health inequities among our children," Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger said in a 

. "With dental diseases being nearly 100 percent preventable, we are allowing our children to miss treatment opportunities, such as sealants, that could positively impact their well-being for the rest of their lives."

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Nationally, tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children ages 6 to 11 years and adolescents ages 12 to 19 years. 


Minnesota researchers compared the dental health of third-graders at schools where 25 percent or fewer of the students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch compared with students at schools where more than 75 percent of the students were eligible. The subsidized lunch program is often used as a proxy measure for the percentage of students living in lower-income homes.


The results highlight the need to target school-based dental health programs at schools with lower-income families and rural communities, the department said.


Besides the gap in untreated tooth decay, the survey found:


• Third-graders at public schools serving mostly higher-income families have better access to cavity-preventing dental sealants, which protect against tooth decay and cavities. "Dental sealants are cost effective. One dental sealant typically costs half the price of a single filling and lasts 5 to 10 years," the department said, noting that sealants can cut decay in school children by more than 70 percent.


• Kids in rural schools were 1.3 times more likely to have tooth decay (56 percent) compared to third graders enrolled in urban schools (44 percent).

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State health officials Thursday revealed some stark differences between the dental health of kids at schools serving mostly low-income kids and those serving kids from mostly higher income families.

Study: Tooth decay greater among low-income Minnesota kids

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