Preventing dental disease in children is not a cosmetic issue. If ignored, dental decay can inhibit learning, speech and eating, contributing to lost time in school and poor nutrition.

Just as the number of uninsured Bay Staters has been cut in half in the past two years, access to oral health care is also improving in Massachusetts. According to Health Care for All, there has been a significant increase in the number of eligible MassHealth patients receiving dental care, from 36 percent to 56 percent in only the past 18 months.