COASTAL KIDS DENTAL - PRESS RELEASE

Dr Isabel Driggers, of Coastal Kids Dental, attends the American Academy of Pediatric Dentist (AAPD) 2010 Congressional Lobby Day

Dr Isabel Driggers, as the SC representative of the AAPD Lobby Day, holds Congressional visits with the offices of Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint and Congressmen Henry Brown and Jim Clyburn

CHARLESTON, SC – April 5, 2010 – Coastal Kids Dental is proud to announce that Dr Isabel Driggers was selected as the South Carolina representative by the AAPD to attend the 2010 Congressional Lobby Day.  As part of the AAPD Congressional Lobby Day Dr Isabel visited Washington, DC and met with the offices of Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint and Congressmen Henry Brown and Jim Clyburn to discuss current issues in Pediatric Dentistry and to act as an advocate for the dental health for the children of South Carolina.

During her meetings Dr Isabel highlighted the status of Children’s Oral Health:

• Dental decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States, 5 times more common than asthma.
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) most recent report on oral health trends in America shows tooth decay declined in every age group, except for children ages 2-5 years which increased from 24% to 28% between 1988-1994 and 1999-2004.

With each office Dr Isabel discussed the current Health Care Reform Legislation and the need for additional resources to help address the shortage of pediatric dentists, through funding of Title VII appropriations. 

The current Health Care Reform Legislation does help address some of the issues facing children’s dental health and their access to adequate dental care, but more is needed.  For example, though Dental care represents 12-14% of Pediatric Health Services provided in the US, funding for dental services amount to 1-2%.  This lack of funding leads to shortages of adequate pediatric dental care in locations where it is needed the most.

Title VII appropriations, $7.5 million for FY 2010, are used to provide additional resources to dental programs throughout the country to increase the number of residents accepted into Pediatric Dental programs.  This, along with funding for training and resident loan repayment programs, help address the need for additional Pediatric Dentists throughout the US.

For more information on the AAPD 2010 Congressional Lobby Day, please visit the AAPD website at www.aapd.org or contact Coastal Kids Dental.

About Coastal Kids Dental

Coastal Kids Dental is a Pediatric Dental practice with offices in Hanahan, Daniel Island and Moncks Corner, South Carolina.  The goal at Coastal Kids Dental is to provide each patient with a healthy adult smile.  Each team member at Coastal Kids Dental has specific training and education to fully address the Pediatric Dental needs of their patients.  For more information, please visit the Coastal Kids Dental website at www.coastalkidsdental.com or call 843.818.KIDS (5437).

Printable version - view or download a printable (PDF) version of this Press Release

RETURN TO PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS ARTICLES

.