Fewer Chicago kids are getting the dental care they need, and some dentists are blaming Chicago Public Schools.

For many of Chicago’s neediest children, in-school dentists are their only access to care, but some frontline dentists say the system at CPS is driving providers away and leading to fewer kids getting the dental care they need.

Dr. Ahmed Ramaha, of Universal Dental in Orland Park, said he loves treating kids through Illinois’ All Kids School-Based Dental Program, which brings dentists directly into schools, especially in low-income communities, where it’s some kids only interaction with a dentist. 

“Schools are great opportunities,” he said.

He treats students at schools in the suburbs and in Chicago — but not Chicago Public Schools. He said he tried, but ran into layers of contracting, administrative burdens, and compliance risk that don’t exist elsewhere in the state.

“We spoke to many school principals. They said, ‘We would love you to come,’ but they cannot. They have to go through CPS, and they’re making it very, very difficult,” he said. “We’re being prevented from delivering that care.”

There is a potential fix. Illinois state Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) has introduced legislation to create one uniform statewide system. 

“In the last 10 years or so, the number of children who were actually seen in the schools in Chicago dropped by a half … not because there wasn’t a need, but because we couldn’t get providers synced into that program,” Morrison said. “Across the rest of the state, the program has been working just fine. So this is really a simple fix.”

But Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Department of Public Health said it’s not so simple. They’re against Morrison’s proposal, Senate Bill 2797.

“The bill does not reflect or recognize the working partnership between CPS and CDPH Chicago which manages the School-based Oral Health Program,” CPS and CDPH officials said in a joint statement. “To date, more than 1.3 million students have received oral health services. Chicago Public Schools values this partnership and does not want to see students lose access to high-quality dental care provided at no cost to families or to CPS.” 

CDPH officials claimed the proposed legislation would hinder progress already made in the school-based dental services program at CPS.

“The bill would remove CDPH’s oversight of the program … making changes that both increase costs for the state and lower the standards for provider participation and quality assurance, putting public health at risk,” CDPH said.

CPS officials said 10 contracted dental companies are assigned to CPS schools and perform approximately 60,000 dental exams a year.

“I would love to go there, because I know the need,” Ramaha said.

Senate Bill 2797 has been assigned to the Illinois Senate Health and Human Services Committee, but has yet to receive a vote in committee.