Kathleen Hamilton of The Children’s Partnership, an advocacy group, said she was “very pleased, very excited by the 180 degree turn” that the board took.
She said that many people misunderstand how severe dental disease can be in children and its connection to overall medical health. “If kids have dental disease, their nutrition is impaired because they can’t eat properly,” she said. She added that children miss school due to pain and dental infections. The pain may lead to poor sleep — and sleep deprived children have more trouble paying attention in school.
