HUNTINGTON -- In the face of statistics putting West Virginia among the worst for dental health, many people are working to implement change.

In Huntington dentist Scott Edmonds' office, change begins with education. His office began visiting the Women, Infants and Children program once a week this year to educate mothers.

Edmonds' office is also active in "Give Kids a Smile Day," providing free dental screenings and toothbrushes to area children.

Experts say there's no single solution to the dental care crisis, but many efforts are making a difference, said Bobbi Jo Muto, community oral health coordinator for the Robert C. Byrd Center for Rural Health at Marshall University.

One recently announced effort was a $500,000 grant for children's oral health in West Virginia. The grant is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The funds will provide increased access to preventive services for youth through school-community partnerships.

"There are things going on in the schools," Muto said.

A $5,000 grant recently received by Communities in Schools in Cabell County is supplying dental care resources to elementary and middle schools throughout the county.

The grant written by Valley Health provides health objectives, including some focus on dental and oral health care, said Ellenda Ward, executive director of Communities in Schools of Cabell County. Resources will include age-appropriate dental care books, CDs and a set of teeth called "Mr. Gross Mouth."

"It's critical to introduce proper care of the teeth to children at a very early age," Ward said.

Currently, only an estimated 31 percent of West Virginia children visit a dentist regardless of income level, according to West Virginia Partners for Oral Health.

This spring, the Office of Head Start and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry hope to change that with the launch of the Head Start Dental Home initiative in West Virginia. The program will provide dental homes to Head Start children and focus on preventive care, said Dr. Richard Meckstroth, chair of the department of dental practice and rural health at West Virginia University.

Meckstroth also hopes for political change this year. He said a proposed increase in Medicaid reimbursement to dentists would improve dental care coverage in the state.

Edmonds said the passage of such a bill would encourage more dentists to accept Medicaid. Currently, dentists are reimbursed by Medicaid for less than half of the cost of services they provide.

Gov. Joe Manchin addressed dental care in his State of the State address this year, proposing to improve access to care for families who can't afford dental visits. He also proposed a one-time expenditure to help buy dentistry equipment for some primary care clinics.

Staff at Huntington's free clinic Ebenezer Medical Center said the local dental clinic is the only option for some low-income residents. Executive Director Yvonne Jones said last year that the clinic was in desperate need of volunteer dentists with an estimated 100 patients on the waiting list on any given day.

Efforts to improve care are also ongoing in Kentucky, where Dr. Edwin Smith started the Kids First Dental Care program.

Smith started working with school staff in 2000 after hearing that many families didn't have the funds or transportation to get to dentist appointments. He was soon making visits to students at school.

In 2004, Smith started the Kids First Dental Care mobile dental program. He converted a tractor trailer into a mobile dental clinic and started working throughout Knox County. It wasn't long before others approached him for help, too.

By the end of 2009, Smith expects the mobile program to reach 16 counties in Kentucky. Already the program has traveled all the way to the Tri-State in Boyd County.

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