Pew: Florida Earns 'D' Grade in Children's Dental Health Report

Florida's government is not doing enough to prevent tooth decay, thereby driving up health care costs for families and taxpayers. This according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States reveals that the Sunshine State joined 17 others in earning a D grade when it comes to providing children with dental sealants, clear plastic coatings applied to the surfaces of molars that are considered helpful in preventing tooth decay.

The report, "Falling Short: Most States Lag on Dental Sealants," grades all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their efforts to prevent decay by improving access to sealants for low-income children. Florida seems to score so low because less than 25 percent of its schools have "sealant programs."

The report finds that:

* Roughly two-thirds of all states do not have sealant programs in a majority of high-need schools -- those with a significant proportion of children whose family income levels increase their risk of decay. Five states have no programs in these schools.

* Nineteen states and D.C. still have a regulation that restricts hygienists ability to provide sealants to children. This rule requires a dentist to examine a child before a hygienist can perform this service. Florida does not have such a regulation.

Childrens health isnt the only thing that suffers when states dont invest in sealant programs, said Shelly Gehshan, director of the Pew Childrens Dental Campaign in a statement. States that miss this opportunity to prevent decay are saddling taxpayers with higher costs down the road through Medicaid or other programs.

Other key findings in the Falling Short report include:

* Only five states earned an A, and just two of these states (Maine and New Hampshire) received the maximum points possible.

* Although the eight states that received a B are performing relatively well, half of them did not have sealant programs in a majority of their high-need schools.

* Seventeen states earned C grades, and another 15 received Ds, making this grade the largest cluster.

* Five states -- Hawaii, New Jersey, Montana, North Carolina, and Wyoming -- and the District of Columbia earned an F.