According to the 2000 census, there are 623.050 people living in VT. Approximately 3% (18,691) of them are children aged 0-3. (This data is extrapolated from the statistic that 5.1% of the population is less than age 0-5 years old). The majority of the state is rural, but there are a few more urban centers, namely Burlington and to a lesser extent, Montpelier, and Rutland. Vermont is an overwhelmingly Caucasian state (96.9% with the remainder being mostly African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American). Unemployment rates are fairly low, ranging from 3-6% by counties within the state. The statewide unemployment rate is closer to the lower end of that range. 16.7 % of children under age 5 are living in poverty, as are 9.5% of children age 5-7 and 11.9 % of children under
age 18.

As far as children are concerned, the state of VT is in a dental healthcare crisis. There are 269 general dentists in the state of Vermont and only 9 pediatric dentists. Of these dentists 1/3 will likely be retired within 10 years, including several of the pediatric dentists. Although the 9 pediatric dentists will see children age 0-3, very few of the general dentists will see children less than age 3. Less than 10% of children in VT younger than
3 years of age are seen annually in a dental home. More than half of state of Vermont's children are on Medicaid (Medicaid coverage in Vermont extends to families whose income is up to 300% of the federal poverty level). Unfortunately Medicaid is not accepted by a significant number of the general dentists. Accessibility is also limited by our patients' rural locations and the dentists being clustered in the more urban centers, and long wait lists, especially for children.