Special to The Times-Tribune
It’s a cutting characterization rooted in a hard truth: Kentucky is ranked as one of the lowest in the nation in regards to oral health. Rural Kentucky children are especially vulnerable to tooth decay. The 2001 Kentucky Children’s Oral Health Survey shows a high percentage of Kentucky children who need dental care could not receive it. Because KCEOC Community Action Partnership realizes that we are geologically in the midst of an oral health crisis, they are happy to announce they have facilitated $105,000 to help relieve the oral health hardship the children of our area are facing.
Kids First Dental Care is a mobile clinic that takes comprehensive dental care on the road, providing service directly to school children regardless of their ability to pay. Kids First Dental Care was created when Dr. Edwin E. Smith collaborated with local schools to bring dental care to schools. The motivation behind the mobile dental program is to improve access to dental care in school-age children, especially low-income kids who may otherwise not receive proper dental attention. With the assistance of KCEOC, the Kids First Dental Care Mobile Program has established $100,000 from the PepsiCo Foundation and $5,000 from the Bureau College Appalachian Fund.
KCEOC Community Action Partnership’s facilitation of these grants is helping Kids First Dental Care expand their services. The collaboration of KCEOC, Kids First Dental, The PepsiCo Foundation, and The Bureau College Appalachian Fund is making oral health care obtainable for children who need it most.
