The title of my research simulation is Early childhood caries and the effects on young children’s emotional well-being. This study will examine how parental perception of early childhood caries impacts young children’s emotional well- being. The overall goal of this study is to identify barriers to treatment of early childhood caries in preschoolers. In addition, the study will describe the 1) prevalence of ECC in a preschool population, 2) parent oral health knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, and 3) the impact that early childhood caries have on young children’s quality of life.
“Early childhood caries (ECC) has been defined as the presence of one or more decayed (noncavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries), or
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Good oral health is essential to a child's physical, verbal and socio-emotional growth and development.
Oral health care is the most prevalent unmet health need among children. Tooth decay accounts for the majority of missed school days for children. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood; an estimated 50% to 80% of children will develop detectable dental caries by late adolescence. Poor oral health has a direct effect on a child's school performance. “One study documented a significant loss of school time due to poor oral health among females, Hispanic students, and those with lower income or no health insurance” (Berg & Coniglio, 2006). Effective strategies in the area of prevention and intervention are needed to strengthen efforts to improve young children’s quality of life. In recognizing the need for prevention and intervention strategies, it is even more crucial to identify and to focus on the barriers that impact the successful eradication of early childhood caries; thus, those barriers which impact the quality of life for young children.
The dependent variable in this study is parents of preschool age children. The study will measure and compare parents’ attitudes and beliefs on their children oral health status in
Eighty percent of untreated caries occur in twenty-five percent of children ages five to seventeen (Dye et al.
Studies on oral health range from the impact of dental health insurance to the efficiency of state or federal programs and services. More recently, studies have also highlight the role of less advantageous populations. In the study by Edelstein, Hirsch, Frosh, & Kumar (2015), a Medicaid population is examined on its available interventions in an effort to reduce childhood dental carries. The researchers used systems model analysis of the Medicaid population in New York in order to assess the cost savings and disease reduction capacity of nine interventions, which include the following: fluoride varnish application, water fluoridation, fluoride toothpaste, fluoride varnish, medical screening, motivational interviewing, secondary prevention,
A Report of the Surgeon General stated that minority and low-income children in the United States experience poorer oral health and poorer access to dental health care services than do their majority and higher-income peers (Oral Health in America, 2000). Two major factors that determine access to dental care are the limited supply of both dentists and public financing for underserved populations (Mertz, 2002). ). Dental disease like tooth decay not only affects children’s overall health; it has other ramifications, including children’s hours lost from school, deteriorating school performance and behavior, and in extreme cases, serious disability and even death.
Deysi is a 2-year-old girl who lives with her parents in a one-bedroom apartment. Her mother and father work outside of the home, approximately 10 hours/day. Child care is provided by a network of women who include licensed home-based providers and a variety of friends and extended family members. On most evenings, Deysi's father picks her up from the child care site and gives her a fresh bottle of chocolate-flavored milk for the 45- minute trip home. She usually falls asleep while drinking it; Deysi's parents see this routine as a comfort for their daughter that usually results in a most welcomed, quiet car ride home at the end of a busy day.
Dental sealants are used to fill pits and fissures on the occlusal, or chewing, surfaces of the premolars and molars to help protect them from carious lesions and tooth decay (“Dental Sealants”, 2016). Posterior teeth that are selected for placement of sealants are either newly erupted, when occlusal surface is deep and irregular, and have a history of dental caries (Wilkins, 621). So it is very important, especially for children, to get sealants placed as soon as their molars erupt in order to lower their risk for childhood caries. However, there are many factors that have caused children to be withheld from radiographic screenings and treatment; one major factor is parents not being able to afford the treatment. But, one thing that has helped many children get sealants placed is a school sealant programs; funded by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC has supported for the placement of sealants along with other oral health care activities in many states, including South Carolina. In South Carolina, school sealants programs have been helping save high caries risk teeth since
Prevention of oral disease is critical in Early Head Start (EHS) programs. “Early childhood caries has emerged as a concern over the past few years because of its widespread and increasing prevalence, its inequitable distribution among preschool-aged children and its negative consequences for children, their families, and public health programs” (Mofidi, Zeldin, & Rozier, 2009, p. 245). Assessable to young children in most parts of the United Stated, dental care provides treatment, particularly to children in low-income families. Rates of failure to treat oral health has increase tremendously. Approaches explored by EHS programs to treat as well as prevent will decrease high-risk for early childhood caries.
Dental Hygiene is very important to me and has been since I was a child, this has influenced my desire of becoming a pediatric dentist. In a personal interview i conducted with Dr.Bills she informed me of this, “Dental Hygiene is emphasized by all dentists, we want our patients to have elegant white teeth and pleasant breath”(Bills). I would like to teach children the importance of keeping their teeth brushed so that they will have a beautiful smile and healthy teeth. Pediatric Dentistry is a superb fit for me because I care about dental health and I want children to know the importance as well. It is never too early for children to learn how important dental hygiene is.
This can broaden parents’ understanding of general oral health in children and ensure continued care and awareness of oral health in children. Parents will also be offered with a phone number that students can be reached at in order to clarify any questions. Talking to parents and offering to schedule appoint-ments over the phone would complete the project’s goal of improving oral health and making parents comfortable with their child’s school sealant application
“although it is not life-threatening, if left untreated can lead to significant acute and chronic conditions, bacteremia, early loss of tooth, malocclusion in the permanent dentition, high cost of treatment, low self-esteem and failure to thrive.”1 A study was done by the Department of Child Dental Health in Nigeria by observing children aged 6-71 months to determine the prevalence of early childhood caries and its association with infant feeding and oral health
Resting on the above-mentioned information, one realizes the fact that in terms of a multilevel approach to epidemiology the complex of actions is needed to improve the state of the oral health of people who belong to low-income communities. Only significant improvement of the conditions under which people live could have the positive impact on their health. That is why, in order to protect them from caries new program should be created. People should be explained the main aspects of healthy living and provide with the constant access to various health facilities. Only under these conditions some positive shits oculd be
Although considered preventable, 53.6% of Medicaid eligible kindergarteners studied in California had a history of dental caries and 27.8 % had decay present at the time of the screening (Dental Health Foundation, 2006). Teaching young children effective oral hygiene techniques is the most effective way to protect the child’s teeth and help them to develop a daily oral wellness routine ("Dental Health," 2015). By focusing on those most in need, Medicaid eligible preschool aged children, teaching and reinforcing effective oral hygiene strategies early in life will foster a lifelong habit of oral health wellness (Gardner, Lally, & Wardle, 2012).
The creator of an unsymmetrical smile covered with hundreds of toxic bacteria, a combination of yellow and brown rather than white, some even black as the tiny teeth decay-- Early Childhood Caries. The American Academy of Dentistry defines Early Childhood Caries (ECC) as "The presence of 1 or more decayed, missing, or filled tooth surface in any primary tooth in a child 71 months of age or younger" (15). According to Collins, the lack of dental hygiene practiced in infants and toddlers has led ECC to be one of the most frequent childhood diseases seen by a dentist and continues to thrive in the mouths of infants and toddlers across the United States (2). Dental hygiene such as simply brushing an infant's
This paper will explore the topic of transmission of caries-inducing bacteria from mother to child. This study
The University of Melbourne conducted a systematic review which included 32 studies of models for individual oral health promotion and their effectiveness. Hence, health behaviour change models targeting the social contexts of the behaviour were found to be more effective than the traditional biomedical model of targeting the causes of illness through preventive and educational approaches (Yevlahova & Satur, 2009). This review provided evidence to allow health practitioners to focus more on the underlying social determinants of oral disease during clinical dental encounter. The adoption of healthy food policies were proved to be effective to promote nutritional quality, decrease sugar intake and successfully reduced the caries increments over a one year period in Brazilian preschool children (Rodrigues, Watt, & Sheiham, 1999). Therefore, it is more rationale to adopt a collaborative approach. Food policy and health promotion activities are examples of common risk factor approach to promote preschool oral
Although considered preventable, 53.6% of Medicaid eligible kindergarteners studied in California had a history of dental caries and 27.8 % had decay present at the time of the screening (Dental Health Foundation, 2006). Teaching young children effective oral hygiene techniques is the most effective way to protect the child’s teeth and help them to develop a daily oral wellness routine ("Dental Health," 2015). By focusing on those most in need, Medicaid eligible preschool aged children, teaching and reinforcing effective oral hygiene strategies early in life will foster a lifelong habit of oral health wellness (Gardner, Lally, & Wardle, 2012).