The Sacramento Bee
As a pediatric dentist, Dr. James Musser sees many cautionary tales.
In his 26 years of practice in Sacramento County, Musser has on occasion placed stainless steel crowns on all of a young patient’s rotted baby teeth. Sometimes these tiny teeth are so decayed they are unsalvageable, and he must remove them all.
“Parents think they get a free ride on the first set,” Musser said. “But baby teeth can decay and abscess, and the child can go through severe pain.”
Musser sees some of the most serious cases in the county because he is one of the few pediatric specialists able to administer the general anesthesia that many of the patients referred to him require during treatment.
Tooth decay is children’s worst chronic health problem, a “hidden epidemic,” according to the Dental Health Foundation’s 2006 “California Smile Survey.”
And dental health officials say the problem will only get worse with a 10 percent cut to Medi-Cal that took effect statewide Tuesday as part of the state’s effort to deal with the state budget deficit.
In Sacramento, Yolo, Amador, El Dorado and Placer counties, about 65 percent of children living in poverty do not have adequate access to dental care, according to the Sacramento District Dental Foundation. Statewide studies have shown that poor access is the result of lack of insurance and a limited number of dentists providing care for uninsured or underinsured patients.
Across California, children have more dental problems than children in most other states, according to the Smile Survey.