But with 47 million people living in areas where it’s still difficult to access dental care, 17 million low-income children not seeing a dentist every year and one-fourth of US adults over age 65 missing all of their teeth, Sanders says there is still a long way to go to address this [dental] crisis.

Taking on the Dental Crisis: A Q&A With Bernie Sanders | The Nation:

Wheelock said our fluoridated water supply used to offer good teeth protection for everyone, but "Sometimes, we see children come in that look like (kids did) back in the days when there was no fluoridation," he said.

Fluoridation Fails to Reduce Tooth Decay:

District of Columbia, | WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2012 | Pew: More Americans Turning to Costly Hospital Care For Preventable Dental Problems | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC: Drain on state budgets could be lessened by improving access to routine dental care

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Already stressed state budgets are shouldering an extra burden to cover expensive emergency room (ER) treatment for toothaches and other avoidable dental ailments, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States. A Costly Dental Destination estimates that preventable dental conditions were the primary reason for 830,590 ER visits by Americans in 2009—a 16 percent increase from 2006. Pew concludes that states can reduce hospital visits, strengthen oral health and reduce their costs by making modest investments to improve access to preventive care.

Dental-related hospital visits are fueled by the difficulty that disadvantaged people have getting regular preventive care from dentists and other types of providers. In 2009, 56 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children did not receive dental care—not even a routine exam. The access problem is driven by multiple factors, including a shortage of dentists in many areas of the U.S. and the fact that many dentists do not accept Medicaid-enrolled children.

Midland, TX, is naturally fluoridated: Local dentists say there is an alarming number of kids in the Permian Basin who have teeth decay before age five.

CBS 7 - Your Eye on West Texas: M

(2) Town Meeting on Dental Care: Joan Hoffmann
I'll be there. I have had so much trouble getting reasonable dental care. I can't find a dentist that will take me as a patient. Dentists want to sign me up for a lifetime of dental work that I don't want and can't afford. One dentist said he could not take me as a patient because it was mal-practice if I didn't agree to all his suggested care. I asked him about patient rights. He asked me to leave!

This Week in Poverty: Deal on Unemployment Benefits Leaves Out Poorest | The Nation: “My husband and I and our four kids are the working poor. We have to think about rent and electricity before we think about dental care. My wisdom teeth have been a problem for over a decade now. I take ibuprofen and just keep on going. My husband has not seen a dentist since he was a teenager. He’s afraid of the costs if they find something. So it’s been 20 years. Because of Vermont’s Dr. Dynasaur program, at least my children have been lucky enough to have regular cleanings, but I had to comb through the Yellow Pages to find an office who will accept their coverage.”
         —Heather Getty, East Fairfield, VT, shared story with Senator Bernie Sanders

Tasmania, Australia, fluoridated since 1953: Poor oral health is placing a strain on Tasmania's emergency departments and general practitioners as well as wasting money, according to the state's peak dental body.

Poor oral health putting hospitals under pressure - Local News - News - Health - The Examiner Newspaper:

Dentists Seeing Increase in Issues in College-Aged Patients in fluoridated Charlottesville, VA.

A Charlottesville dentist's office is seeing more college students dealing with big dental problems these days. They say it is because many do not have the insurance to fund regular check-ups

Adria Sprouse did not go to the dentist throughout college because she did not have dental insurance and now she faces a costly consequence. "I couldn't afford it," says Sprouse, "My teeth started to rot. Even though I was brushing daily like I was supposed to, I couldn't get the cleaning that I needed."

Dentists Seeing Increase in Issues in College-Aged Patients - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

In Illinois where fluoridation is state-mandated:

Two-thirds of third graders in Cook County have cavities and nearly 40 percent of the kids don't get treatment, said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle at the recent Chicago Oral Health Summit

Chicago dental health initiative hopes to close the gap in care:

Wisconsin is 90% fluoridated: In 2010, the county's Women, Infant and Children program saw 104 children with tooth decay, and three urgent decay cases, Meidl said.

Grant assists infant smiles | Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune | wisconsinrapidstribune.com: In 2010, the county's Women, Infant and Children program saw 104 children with tooth decay, and three urgent decay cases, Meidl said.