A pediatric dental clinic will receive $1.3 million in annual funding from Los Angeles County, a county supervisor announced Wednesday.
Supervisor Hilda Solis said the clinic at LAC+USC treats 2,300 children a year and will be permanently subsidized by the county’s Department of Health Services.
“This is, and has always been, about the health of our community,” Solis said. “At LAC+USC, we have the unique opportunity to provide programs that improve the health and prosperity for all residents.”
Children who visit the clinic also have access to specialized care if needed, including for those with developmental disabilities.
“The LAC+USC Pediatric Dental Clinic is much more than dental care. It is about delivering better health care to those who need it most,” said Roseann Mulligan, associate dean of community health programs and hospital affairs at the Ostrow School of Dentistry at USC.
Researchers have found that tooth decay in children is linked to reduced body weight and slower growth. It may also affect school attendance and performance.
The percentage of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years with untreated tooth decay is more than twice as high for those from low-income families, at 25 percent, as for their more affluent peers, at 11 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The LAC+USC clinic was established two years ago through grant funding from the nonprofit organization First 5 LA, but that money runs out July 1.