skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

TN Dentists: Kids' Oral Hygiene Helps Develop Healthy Habits

play audio
Play

Thursday, February 24, 2022   

February marks National Children's Dental Health Month and Tennessee health officials want to raise awareness about the importance of good oral hygiene in kids.

In collaboration with state Medicaid program TennCare, the Tennessee Department of Health offers sealants, a thin coating to protect teeth from cavities, in schools where 50% or more of the students receive free and reduced-price lunch.

Dr. Suzanne Hayes, interim state dental director of the Tennessee Department of Health, said there is a misconception among many parents baby teeth are not important because kids eventually lose them.

She said in the long-term, poor dental health can affect a child's development.

"Those baby teeth actually hold the space so that those permanent teeth can come into proper alignment," Hayes explained. "It certainly helps children eat, which is, as they're growing, they need that nutritional value they can get. It affects speech, too."

Hayes pointed out sealants can last for years and can result in an 80% reduction in tooth decay. The state health department has administered 61,000 sealants this year alone.

Hayes emphasized it is important for children to visit the dentist twice a year. She noted there are coverage opportunities for families who are uninsured or underinsured, such as TennCare and CoverKids, the state children's health insurance program.

"We provide dental services based on a sliding-fee scale statewide," Hayes explained. "So even without that coverage, we are more than willing to see any child, whether they have dental coverage or not. And then certainly TennCare and CoverKids are options as well that people should look into."

According to a recent report from the Tennessee Justice Center, more than one million adults in the state have no access to dental coverage, and only about half of kids enrolled in its Medicaid program receive dental care.

Residents can find a list of dental offices and clinics statewide on the health department's website.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021