One in four California children has never seen a dentist. A new report from the California HealthCare Foundation reveals wide disparities in dental visits among different ethnic groups. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
The report says African-American and Latino children are the least likely to have seen a dentist. By the time they reach school age, about one-third of all Latino children have untreated cavities. UCLA researcher Nady Pourat says many parents aren't getting the message about the importance of dental care.
Pourat: We definitely are not reaching a group of kids that should be seeing a dentist earlier than they are, and they do have cavities and oral health problems, which are going to follow them for the rest of their lives."
Pourat says a lack of dental insurance is part of the problem. In addition, she says the rate Medi-Cal pays dentists is so low, most providers won't treat Medi-Cal patients.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
