Chapter 1 Early childhood caries (ECC), which is commonly known as tooth decay among children younger than 6 years of age, is currently affecting nearly half of the United States 5-year-olds, despite it being highly preventable (Hirsch, Edelstein, Frosh, Anselmo, 2012). No mother wants their children to be prone to dental decay or make them suffer from this disease if it is not necessary. According to Kawashita, Kitamura, Saito, and Corporation (2011), “Children experiencing caries as infants or toddlers have a much greater probability of subsequent caries in both the primary and permanent dentitions.” The problem with early childhood caries starts with lack of parental education and poor oral hygiene. ECC, can be referred to as “baby bottle tooth decay” and many parents don’t realize how detrimental it can be for the baby’s oral health or maybe don’t even realize that they have been putting their baby at risk. I am doing this research to explore whether it is better for the baby to receive milk out of a bottle or to breastfeed in relation to early childhood caries. I also want to give uneducated parents effective ways to prevent and treat ECC, if it does happen to occur. I gathered the information for my research from peer reviewed websites on google scholar. I want to become more educated on the subject to explain to my patients who are expecting what precautions they should be aware of and hopefully prevent future risk of early childhood caries for their infants.
The prevention of caries is accomplished through the execution of a variety of measures, such as the fluoridation of the drinking water supply as well as the utilization of sealants and topical fluorides (Mouradian, Wehr, and Crall 2625). Despite the ease of preventability of tooth decay, it is one of the most common childhood chronic diseases, with more than half of the nation’s children having detectable caries (Mouradian, Wehr, and Crall 2625). Unfortunately, only 62% of water supplies are fluoridated, and underserved communities with low-income and minority families are usually the ones who are disproportionately affected (Mouradian, Wehr, and Crall 2626). Low-income individuals are generally less likely to seek preventative care, increasing their costs of neglected oral diseases and morbidity factors (Mouradian, Wehr, and Crall 2626). In addition, only one in five children who are covered by Medicaid are authorized for preventative oral healthcare, while restorative care is generally not even a consideration (Mouradian, Wehr, and Crall 2625).
Because children are influenced by the family tradition and learn from their parents, it is important for parents to make sure that they are teaching proper oral care habits at a young age. The habits that children should learn at a young age are; keeping up with home dental care, receiving the dental care that people should, needing dental care but being enforced to go, brushing teeth as well as they should, being taught on how to control snacking between meals as well as they should, and being taught that dental care is indeed important. " Poor oral health has an impact upon children's health in general and dental caries can lead to a lack of appetite, problems with chewing, problems with sleeping and a decrease in school performance" (Abanto et al, 2011). Proper health education is somewhat
Over 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance. On top of that, almost a million emergency room visits last year resulted from preventable oral conditions. Many Americans today are unaware of how the condition of their dentition affects their overall health. Socioeconomic limitations, the lack of dental education in parents, eating habits, and simply the availability of dentists plays a key role in the state of children’s oral health; implementing a universal dental care program will help lower the barriers that many people face when it comes to receiving the dental care they need. The program will target high-risk individuals who are prone to dental caries and provide them with standard
Over 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance. On top of that, almost a million emergency room visits last year resulted from preventable oral conditions. Many Americans today are unaware of how the condition of their dentition affects their overall health. Socioeconomic limitations, the lack of dental education in parents, eating habits, and simply the availability of dentists plays a key role in the state of children’s oral health; implementing a universal dental care program will help lower the barriers that many people face when it comes to receiving the dental care they need. The program will target high-risk individuals who are prone to dental caries and provide them with standard treatment.
The websites I used for my research were Center for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. The World Health Organization defines Oral Health as “a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that affect the oral cavity” (2015). It is necessary to brush our teeth twice a day for two minutes and floss daily. Since tooth decay has been one of the most common chronic disease among children in the United States, I found it very important to educate them that this is a preventable disease and what ways it can be
Seven-year-old Carlos Smith came to Universal Pediatric Dental Clinic for his first dental appointment. During his dental visit his hygienist learned he has a sweet tooth and rather drink juice/soda than water and never turn down candy. He is a big chocolate fan, of course the gummy stuff, the Mike, cheerios and Ikes. His hygienist already see two area of caries on his primary teeth. Dr. Jonathan CalBrim, suggested dental sealants, which could help keep tooth decay at Carlos’ permanent molar as well as other teeth. His parents had no idea about caries as well as sealant. His parents have many questions and worried that information may not have been disclosed to public about sealant.
Oral disease is on of the most common health problems affecting children in the United States (Oral Health in America, 2000). Dental caries is the most prevalent dental disease in children which occurs more often in disadvantaged children than in others. Additionally, children with public insurance have great difficulty gaining access to primary oral care services (Kaye N, 1998; Oral health, 2000). 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). Each year, less than one in five children enrolled in Medicaid use preventive services (Kaye N, 1998; Oral health, 2000). Even if the public insured children get some access to preventive care, access to comprehensive dental care is much more less (Oral Health in America, 2000).
The area’s leading children’s dentist knows that healthy dental habits developed early in life are the key to a million-watt smile. To help your kids avoid cavities, teeth fillings, and a fear of the dentist, the professionals at Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry share a few tips to encourage kids to develop healthy dental habits.
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.
Disparities in pediatric oral health care have been a growing issue world wide, but more importantly in the state of North Carolina. In order to improve oral health in children in lower income areas, there is a need to lower the cost of dental care, educate parents on preventative care, and build more clinics in local areas. There are many factors that contribute to the improvement of pediatric oral health, with a plethora of committed dentists and a local community determined to improve the overall health of the most vulnerable citizens in our society. As a community we have collectively designed effective solutions to address this established health disparity, which ultimately affects the oral health of every child in Orange County, NC.
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.
With fondness, I will always remember when I first began to consider dentistry as a future profession. My childhood mentor Dr. Spigner was having a weekend workshop for his patients, at this moment, I was exposed to dental education at its full capacity. While there we learned how to properly brush and floss our teeth, the benefits of tooth hygiene, and how fillings are applied to adolescent teeth. After learning these helpful tips, I wanted to share my newfound information about the importance of
The rural landscape of the United States forms special challenges for those living in rural communities that are not seen in the urban or suburban setting. According to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau in 2014 15.5% of children in the United States were living in rural areas (“Rural and Urban Children,” 2014). Rural areas were defined by the US Census bureau as any area with 50,000 or less people, or urban clusters with less than 2,500 people. Assessing oral health status of those in rural areas presents unique challenges. Challenges are due to geography and the spread of sparse populations over large areas of land. In reviewing the literature related to the question, do children in rural areas have higher caries risk, it became evident
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).
A conversation on tooth decay immediately heads towards a discussion of one’s daily dental hygiene care and routine followed by comments on the number of annual dentist visits. One rarely makes the vital connection between their eating habits and overall dental health. Refueling