Hastings Prince Edward Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Gemmell and Medical Resident Piotr Oglaza, April 4, 2018 (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
The children in Hastings and Prince Edward counties have poorer dental health than the average across Ontario.
Health promoter Amanda Scales told the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health Wednesday the decay rate is 19%, 4% higher than the provincial average.
Pointing out that this is Oral Health Month, Scales said almost one in five children screened had some decay.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Gemmell told a media scrum, “The goal is that no child should have pain from a dental disease, that every child should have the accessibility and opportunity to have the services of learning how to brush, how to floss, have good advice to parents about dental hygiene, and also having access to fluoridated water.”
He said, “We know fluoridated water is essential to the development of good strong teeth and resistant to decay and if the province funded fluoridated water for the municipalities that don’t have it, it would help stop tooth decay.”
Hastings Prince Edward Heath Promoter Amanda Scales, April 4, 2018 (Photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
