KCCDHN
Why Early Dental Check-ups are Important
The “old school” recommendations were to take your child in for his/her first dental check-up at around three or four years of age at the earliest. This probably came from old ways of thinking like “Don’t fix it if it’s not broken”, or “Let sleeping dogs lie”. “Besides, baby teeth fall out anyway”. Or, “Wait until the new ones grow in before worrying about fixing anything”, were common practices due to the lack of knowledge about the true decay process or knowing that dental disease spreads. Now, studies have shown that one of the most significant factors that influence the development of tooth decay in adults is related to having a prior history of tooth decay in their primary teeth. In other words, children who experience decay in their primary teeth are more likely to have tooth decay later on in their adult teeth.
Additionally, early childhood caries is currently the most common chronic childhood disease—5 times more common than asthma. Recently, a 2000 Centers for Disease Control report noted that Americans of all ages demonstrated improvement in oral health in the past decade except the two- to five-year olds group which experienced an increase in untreated tooth decay–up from 24 to 28 percent. The “California Smile Survey” conducted in 2005 among kindergarten and third grade students, showed very little progress in the prevention of caries (cavities). Almost 54 percent of kindergarten children had either untreated tooth decay or a history of tooth decay; and, by third grade the percentage rose to almost 71 percent!
Early childhood caries can begin to develop as soon as teeth erupt into the mouth, which can be as early as 3 months of age! (Usually, eruption starts between 6-10 months of age). It has a distinctive pattern that often begins on the upper anterior teeth and spreads to posterior teeth as they erupt or grow in. However, dental decay is the most preventable disease! Consequently, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the American Dental Association now recommend that your child be seen by a general dentist who sees children or a pediatric dentist (specializes in seeing children only) when the first tooth erupts (grows in), or by the first birthday, whichever comes first. At the very latest, your child should be seen by a general or pediatric dentist by the age of two years because by the time they are three, many children already have decay.
We know that early childhood caries is an infectious, transmissible disease caused by acid-producing bacteria. These bacteria are transferred from the mother or primary care giver to the infant via kissing, or shared eating utensils, for example. The bacteria can also be transferred by children playing together and sharing toys or toothbrushes or any object that passes saliva from one mouth to another. Other factors that contribute to dental caries are prolonged or constant bottle feeding, frequency of sugary snacks and foods, and poor oral hygiene. Education is a key ingredient of prevention. When examining your child’s teeth at an early age, your dental professional can also evaluate your child’s oral hygiene, oral habits and practices (thumbsucking, pacifier use, etc.),dietary habits, need for fluoride supplementation (or not), normal cranial/facial growth patterns and then educate parents and make the necessary recommendations for preventive care and treatment (if needed). The goal is to see the dentist before there is decay and then learn how to prevent dental disease before it begins.
This first visit can be like a well-baby exam at your pediatrician’s office. Your general or pediatric dentist can check for several things at this time:
• Normal cranial/facial development
• Normal eruption patterns for teeth
• Dietary and bottle feeding habits
• Caries risk assessment
• Need for fluoridation (or not—Kern County water is not fluoridated)
• General health history (many medications for children have high amounts of sugar in them)
• Make a referral as needed for other dental specialists when the pediatric or general dentist cannot provide the needed care.The dentist may ask many questions at this time in assessing your child’s potential risk for dental carries, such as if there are siblings in the home with a history of dental caries? Does the child require a special diet? How often does the child snack? What kinds of snacks are given? Is the child’s mouth cleaned after feeding? Is the child drinking fluoridated water, taking fluoride supplements, or using toothpaste with fluoride? You may be asked to demonstrate how the child’s mouth is cleaned or teeth brushed. Is the cleaning for a sufficient period of time, or is it as frequently as recommended?
Establishing a dental home early on has many additional benefits:
• Makes it routine, familiar, and comfortable for the child.
• Detects problems early, so they are easily treated (fixed).
• Small problems (caries) are less painful.
• Small problems (caries) are less costly.
• Preventive practices can be taught, started, and established for life.In this way, going to the dentist can become FUN, and can keep teeth healthy for a lifetime!
Links:
www.1stpediatricdentist.com/pediatric-dentist-article58.shtml
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-04-30-tooth_N.htm
Sources:
Thikkurissy, S., Hague, A., Assessing Risk and Reducing Dental Disease in the Young Child, ADHA Access, Feb. 2008, p. 21-26
First Smiles: Dental Health Begins at Birth, CDHA Journal, Fall 2007, p. 14-19.
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