February is National Children’s Dental Health Month!

According to the Academic Pediatric Association, because of the high prevalence of early childhood caries (as reported by the 2000 Surgeon General’s Report), “its impact on young children’s quality of life and potential for increasing their risk of caries in the permanent dentition, early childhood caries is arguably one of the most serious and costly health conditions among young children.”  The month of February has been designated to bring awareness of this major health concern to the public, including educators, caretakers, and parents.

Although many people may not have access to care, many others simply do not realize the importance of oral health care or of baby teeth.  (To find out about the importance of baby teeth, link to Baby Teeth are Important)  As former U. S. Surgeon General stated, “You’re not healthy without good oral health.”  As dental decay is caused from a bacterial infection, the increased bacterial count resulting from an unhealthy mouth can negatively impact overall health in children, and contributes as risk factors for children who are immunocompromised, or who suffer from asthma, or diabetes.

When children have dental pain, they are many times unable to sleep well, eat well, or focus in school.  Their self-esteem may suffer if they have missing or decayed front teeth.  Missing teeth can also contribute to difficulties in speaking.  Additionally, dental decay in primary teeth can also “grow” or spread and affect the permanent teeth, as well as continue to undermine overall health.  In other words, an unhealthy mouth can compromise a child’s ability to thrive.

While access to care can be an issue in the treatment of dental caries, the implementation of preventative strategies can go a long way in reducing the incidence and prevalence of dental caries and the associated risk factors for good health.  As parents, educators, and health care providers we can motivate children to:

1.    Brush teeth using toothpaste with fluoride (for children old enough to spit) at least twice a day for                                      two minutes (minimum) to remove the plaque that can cause cavities.
2.    Floss daily at least once.
3.    Rinse with an over-the-counter mouthrinse containing fluoride at night (for children old enough to spit).
4.    Eat healthy, nutritious foods and snacks. Limit sugary foods and soft drinks.

When access to care is available, it is important to:

5.    Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings.  Problems caught early on are less invasive and less costly!
6.    Professional Fluoride treatments twice a year.  Ask about fluoride supplements from your pediatric professional or family physician as Kern County does not have fluoridated water.
7.     Have sealants applied to erupted permanent molars.
8.    Use mouth guards during any sport that has the potential to injure the mouth or teeth. (Link to article on             mouthguards)

It has been estimated that 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental related illnesses.  Many children who do not have access to care end up in the emergency room where treatment costs can run into thousands of dollars which could have been avoided by a simple filling or extraction (approx. $70 to $150 per tooth).  Along with implementing preventative strategies, education is a key factor in reducing the incidence of early childhood caries.  Teaching about the importance of oral health can motivate parents and children to help take responsibility for their own health care. 

For some fun online resources, go to:
www.ada.org
www.apples4theteacher.com
www.about.com  (search:  family crafts, and:  children’s dental month)
http://tinyurl.com/33mbqz
www.healthyteeth.org
www.agd.org  then click on for the public

Or, google children’s dental health month


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