Results of recent screening of a group of Lewis County students by a team of dental experts from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry has prompted local dental, medical and school professionals to take a look at what can be done to help remedy the situation.

Last week we looked at the short term recommendations and some of the results of that initial screening of 124 students. This week we'll look at the long term recommendation and some more statistics.

One of the short term recommendations was implemented last week with the first meeting of the Lewis County Dental Health Coalition.

During that meeting, coalition members discussed the report and recommendations of the UK team and ways to implement those recommendations locally.

Among the topics of discussion was medical neglect. David Bolt, who is heading up the coalition, said Rep. Robin Webb recently introduced legislation that would make it easier to act in cases where the oral health of a child is extremely poor and less than adequate measures have been taken to correct the problems.

Members also discussed working with the local dentists and the Family Health Center on a program targeting underserved groups and creating programs in addition to those already presented to children in school concerning dental care.

Members also discussed fluoridation of water supplies as a way to help combat cavities.

Dr. Ron Mays, who is on the Lewis County Health board, said anyone can bring a sample of water to the Lewis County Health Department to have it tested. He said fluoride drops will be given to those whose water test shows an inadequate amount of fluoride.

Mays said that, from his experience, fluoridated water greatly reduces to incidence of cavities in children.

Among the long term recommendations made by the UK team were:

• With the support of the community, add a dental clinic and recruit a dentist and staff for the Family Health Center.
  
• Develop county-wide dental health education and prevention programs in conjunction with the Family Health Center targeting: new mother-to-be (i.e., pre-term birth weight issues); children aged one to five to prevent early childhood tooth decay; second graders to ensure all high-risk children receive dental sealants; tobacco use as related to oral health; and other oral health and general health issues on a phased basis.
  
• Develop county oral health surveillance system in conjunction with the state system that is currently being planned by the Kentucky Department of Public Health, Cabinet for Health Services.

The public education campaign would include a description of what services are covered by Medicaid and KCHIP. Dental services are covered by those, a fact that some coalition members think may not be known by Medicaid and KCHIP recipients.

The fact is substantiated by other statistics gathered by the UK team. Of those who could not get dental care in the last 12 months, 37.78 percent said they could not afford it. In the same set of data, 31.11 percent said they had no way to get to the dentist. Coalition members said free transportation is available from several sources.

Additionally, 13.33 percent said they had difficulty getting an appointment. In some instances, local dentists say, getting an immediate appointment may be a problem, however, priority is given to urgent and emergency cases.

Dental appointment failure rates are also a concern for area dentists. Once an appointment is made, the dentists and assistants have scheduled a time to be with that patient. When the patient does not show up, the schedule is thrown off.

One local dentist told of a child requiring extensive dental work requiring that child receive general anesthesia to have the work done. The dentist set up the appointment at a hospital and the patient did not show up. The hospital had scheduled the surgical room and medical team and received no notice that the patient would not be there.

When asked to reschedule, the dentist said the hospital would not reschedule that patient and the appointment had to be made at another hospital some distance away.

(Next week: Oral health and its connections with general health and self esteem.)

Dennis Brown/Lewis County Herald

Dr. R. David Hardison enters information into a laptop computer following a dental screening of a Lewis County student. Hardison was one of a team of dental experts from the University of Kentucky participating in the screening.

Amanda Hardin, 20, of Tollesboro, was declared the winner and Autum McCane of Vanceburg was named first runner-up.

Hardin won a $3,500 scholarship, numerous gift certificates, a silver platter, crystal vase, a dozen roses and a crown, placed on her head by former Miss America Heather French-Henry.

She also advances to the Miss Kentucky Pageant in June.

Hardin was named Miss Tollesboro in 1998 and is the reigning Miss Ewing-Fleming County. She is the daughter of Tom and Lynn Marshall of Tollesboro, and Bill and Debbie Hardin of Nicholasvile.

Hardin will spend her birthday in Lexington while there for the Miss Kentucky Pageant June 9-16.

First runner-up Autum McCane received a $750 scholarship, roses and a trophy. The second runner-up, Ashley Flaugher of Butler, received a $500 scholarship, roses and a trophy.

Jim Shelton/Lewis County Herald

The final moment, Miss Maysville Area second runner-up Ashley Flaugher, right, and first runner-up Autum McCane, center, wait for the winner of the pageant to be announced. Amanda Hardin, far left, was named the winner.

At the February session of the Lewis County Fiscal Court, Judge Executive George Plummer said he had received the annual report from the Maysville-Mason County Landfill.

The report shows that in the year 2000, Lewis County delivered 6,404 tons of refuse to the landfill. That compares to 6.668 tons last year, a reduction of 264 tons.

Plummer stated that putting less trash in the landfill and more in the recycling program is what the state wants to see.

Following the same theme, he said he has also received the 1999 Annual Report Summary on Solid Waste. That's a big topic in the General Assembly, currently conducting its historic first off-year session in Frankfort.

Plummer pointed out that he expects some kind of legislation dealing with solid waste disposal to come out of the General Assembly's meeting. Universal or mandatory garbage collection where a truck pulls up to every home or near each home to pick up garbage and haul it to an approved landfill probably looms in the future.

He explained that who's going to pay, who's going to enforce it and who's going to collect the garbage remains to be seen.

Plummer said that state statistics show that 48.88 percent of Lewis County residents participate in the community's voluntary garbage collection program. That compares to 89 percent in Breathitt County, 93 in Bell and 55 percent in Mason. Jackson County has mandatory collection enacted and there only 71 percent take part in the program.

He observed that clearly a lot of people in the county pay no kind of garbage bill to anyone, but some of those folk are responsibly disposing of their refuse. Others, however, are throwing it in the creek or over the hill.

Click the link for more information on the Lewis County Recycling Program.

Deputy Bryon Walker said James L. Collins, 39, of Portsmouth, Ohio, was arrested Sunday afternoon following an incident earlier in the day similar to the Valentine's Day incidents.

Walker said Collins allegedly entered Vanceburg Food Mart Sunday and picked up two gallons of anti-freeze. He then attempted to exchange them for cash.

The attendant notified Vanceburg Police officer Chris Jordan who, in turn, notified the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.

Richmond took Collins into custody and transported him to the Lewis County Detention Center, where Walker was waiting with warrants on Collins for theft by unlawful taking in connection with the Valentine's Day incidents.

Walker said additional charges are pending. He added that Collins, who was already a suspect in the incidents, was convicted for similar incidents in Lewis County in 1993.