On this week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage, host Kathy Mattea welcomes American Patchwork Quartet, Kyshona, The Brother Brothers, and Stephanie Lambring to the historic Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, WV.
Those Who Lack Good Oral Health Face Far More Than A Toothless Hillbilly Stereotype
Lalena Price
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Many West Virginians have trouble with their teeth. In fact, there’s a big gap between folks who can reliably access an affordable dentist and those who can’t. That’s no surprise when half the state’s counties have fewer than six dentists. A recent national ranking shows West Virginia is second to last in overall oral health care. A state report shows that by third grade, 56 percent of children show signs of tooth decay, and 12 percent of adults have had all their teeth extracted.
People who don’t have good oral health habits and access to regular and quality dental care elevate their risk of other critical health care issues such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. About more than aesthetics or any toothless hillbilly stereotype, access to dental care is a dangerous culture divide that might look like a class gap but is deeper and far more serious.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and the West Virginia Humanities Council.
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Trey Kay
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Dr. Malav Shah provides dental care for a Boone County resident.
Trey Kay
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West Virginia Health Right Mobile Dental Clinic, parked behind Boone Memorial Hospital in Madison, welcomed patients.
Trey Kay
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WVPB
Bobbi Muto has been a champion for oral health in West Virginia for decades — first as a dental hygienist then as a public health advocate. She drove Us & Them host Trey Kay to the Health Right Dental Clinic when it stopped in Madison.
Trey Kay
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WVPB
Dr. Ron Stollings, an internal medicine physician, is a West Virginia state senator from Boone County. For years, he has been a champion of better oral health care.
Across the nation, there are more and more local news deserts; communities with no local newspaper, television or radio station to cover what’s going on. When a small town paper like The Welch News in McDowell County, WV, can’t compete and shuts down, losing those local eyes and ears can affect accountability because no one is there to watch over things. When local news sources vanish, a community can also lose its sense of cohesion and identity. This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. This story was also honored with a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Documentary and by the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters for Best Documentary.
This week, people with mental health challenges or substance use disorder often end up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another way. Also, one year after the Mountain Valley Pipeline went into service, people who live directly in the pipeline’s path have received compensation. But not everyone. And, the Sacred Harp songbook gets an update for the first time since the early 1990s.
An annual summertime staple for West Virginia, the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta will return to Kanawha County this weekend with events running from Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6.
July 4 is nearly upon us, and soon firework displays will light up the night sky across West Virginia. Fireworks can be an opportunity for family fun, but medical and fire prevention officials urge residents to use caution.
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