Written by Olga Ensz
Jayden’s mother pointed me a picture of her 6-year-old son and told me that he always covers his smile in school photos.
In Gainesville, Florida, at the University of Florida community dental outreach program, I first met Jayden—not his real name—as a patient. Jayden’s dark stains and obvious cavities on his front teeth have led to him being teased and bullied by his peers. He started skipping school because of the excruciating agony. His family had been searching for a dentist who took Medicaid for months. They lived in a rural area of north Florida.
Meanwhile, Jayden ceased to smile.
Working in community dental outreach settings as a dental public health specialist, I have personally witnessed the major obstacles that children throughout the state confront in attaining good oral health. Tooth decay is still the most prevalent chronic disease among children in the United States, and Florida is not an exception, even though it is mainly preventable.
Pediatric dental health in Florida
If left untreated, dental issues can cause tooth decay, infections, trouble eating or sleeping, and even impair a child’s ability to focus and learn. Heart disease and other more general health problems have also been connected to poor oral health.
Nearly one in three Sunshine State third graders had untreated dental decay, or cavities, during the 2021–2022 school year, according to the most recent data available from the Florida Department of Health. That highlights the seriousness of the problem in Florida and is nearly twice the national average of 17% of children aged 6 to 9 who have untreated dental decay.
Furthermore, only 37% of third-graders in Florida received dental sealants. It has been demonstrated that applying these thin coatings to molar chewing surfaces can prevent up to 80% of cavities. 51.4% of children nationwide receive this affordable treatment.
According to the most recent data available from the 2017–2018 school year, untreated dental decay was present in 24% of children aged 3-6 who were enrolled in Florida’s Head Start program, which offers free health and education to low-income families with young children. In contrast, 11% of American children aged 2 to 5 had untreated decay, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These figures stand for kids like Jayden, whose suffering and lost school days could have been avoided.
Children in Florida are increasingly going to emergency departments for nontraumatic dental issues, according to a 2023 research. In addition to being expensive and unpleasant for families, these visits typically only offer short-term respite. Simply said, emergency rooms are not prepared to provide dental care that deals with the underlying issue.
Slipping through the cracks
With more than 5.9 million individuals living in areas with a shortage of dental care professionals, Florida is one of the states with the worst access to dental care in the United States. In actuality, there is a scarcity of dental professionals in 65 of Florida’s 67 counties; in certain places, there are only 6.6 dentists per 100,000 residents, which is far less than the 60.4 national average.
Insurance restrictions and poverty exacerbate this lack of access to care.
Although almost 2 million children in Florida are registered in Medicaid, barely 18% of Florida dentists—roughly 2,500 in total—accept the program. Furthermore, even families with private insurance frequently have to pay hefty out-of-pocket expenses, which prevents some people from affording necessary dental care. Postponing regular dental checkups can cause small problems to worsen over time, necessitating more involved and expensive treatment.
Consequently, Florida’s percentage of children who had dental care in the previous year places it 43rd out of 50 states.
An further issue is ignorance. According to research, many parents are unaware that their children’s teeth are just as important as those of adults and that they should see a dentist by the time they become one year old.
Prevention works
Fluoridating community water has long been one of the best public health measures to prevent dental decay in children. Several studies have demonstrated that fluoridation helps prevent cavities in both adults and children, although it is not intended to be a stand-alone preventive strategy. The CDC endorsed this strategy’s safety as recently as May 2024.
In May 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law in Florida that forbids local governments from adding fluoride to public drinking water. The measure will go into effect on July 1. This further emphasizes the importance of other preventive measures.
To lower the risk of tooth decay, fluoride varnish, a topical treatment advised by pediatric and dental societies, should be administered every three to six months.
Silver diamine fluoride is a non-invasive liquid treatment that can prevent the progression of a cavity in children who just have the beginnings of one. Young children or those with limited access to care will particularly benefit from this.
These evidence-based, highly successful treatments can be administered in clinics, schools, and medical offices. They are also safe and reasonably priced.
Keeping your kids teeth healthy
Parents can take the following actions immediately to safeguard their child’s dental health:
At the University of Florida, Olga Ensz teaches community dentistry as a clinical assistant professor.
