Ecological Model Of Oral Health

Eighty percent of untreated caries occur in twenty-five percent of children ages five to seventeen (Dye et al.

There are many risk factors for developing Dental Caries. Tooth decay can happen when ones child’s teeth come in contact with too much sugar at an early age, being liquids and foods. When the sugar sits on the child’s teeth bacteria begins to grow and spread, causing tooth decay. This is known as Early Childhood Caries (ECC). ECC are a very common bacterial infection in infants and young children. Frequent bottle feeding at night, and extended and repetitive use of a no-spill training cup are also associated with ECC. It’s never too late to break bad habits though. If your child drinks sweetened liquids from the bottle break the habit now and cut the risk of ECC. Also it’s often said that breast feeding particularly while laying down at night will

The accessibility of dental care in relation to race, ethnicity, income level, and overall socioeconomic status is evaluated. Across the board, a huge lack of dental care is seen in individuals of low-income levels and minority groups. In addition, the most susceptible groups to dental disease are identified as children, low-income adults, and the elderly. Ways to improve the oral health status of these groups are recognized. The various needs of underserved communities with respect to the access of dental care are assessed, despite a lack of sufficient dental insurance coverage of individuals who are members of these communities. This includes the improvement of both preventative and restorative care via public health programs, such as

This proves that the lack of dental insurance within these low-income households plays a key role in whether or not these children will receive dental care. When these children do not visit the dentist, they increase their chances of developing dental caries significantly. The British Dental Journal disclosed that, “Sugars consumption varies by social class. National food surveys reveal a higher consumption of sugar and sugar-containing foods and drinks amongst low income groups”(Watt 8). Healthy food is expensive; therefore lower class families resort to unhealthy food because it is significantly cheaper. This extensive consumption of sugar-ridden foods is extremely detrimental to the enamel. The British Dental Journal also declared that “oral inequalities will only be reduced through the implementation of effective and appropriate oral health promotion policy”(Watt 6). The dental program will make the inequalities in dental care known and work to reduce those inequalities. Dental health is often times overseen because it is typically expensive and people are unaware of how the condition of their teeth affects the condition of the rest of their body. The all-inclusive dental health program will give people the treatment they need, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

The socioeconomic background of people is a major factor that dictates whether or not they will receive dental care. According to the American Journal of Public Health, “Children from a low socioeconomic status have been shown to have a high risk of dental caries”(Simmer-Beck 1764). Many children today do not receive the dental care they need because of their parents’ income. Going to the dentist is expensive for people without dental insurance so many people tend to blow it off; but what they don’t realize is that the condition of their mouth often dictates the state of the rest of their health. An internet source in correspondence with the American Journal of Public Health stated that, “More than half of low income-children without

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

“The impact of unmet oral health care needs is magnified by the well-established connection between oral health and overall health” (Fineberg, H. 2011, p. ix). Oral health status is linked with general health, as evidenced by the association between poor oral health and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease. Poor oral hygiene can also lead to other health issues such as, oral facial pain and digestive problems. “The silent epidemic of oral diseases disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities,

Socioeconomic status (SES) is the strongest determinant of health outcomes (Marmot & Bell, 2011). Parents and children of lower socioeconomic status are at higher risk of negative oral health outcomes and poor oral health-related quality of life (Jones, Shi, Hayashi, Sharma, Daly, & Ngo-Metzger, 2013 and Wells, Caplan, Strauss, Bell & George, 2010). Women with lower socioeconomic status are 30% less likely to utilize dental services. Likewise, they are 30% more likely to report unmet dental needs than women in higher socioeconomic gradients (Kaylor, Polivka, Chaudry, Salsberry, & Wee, 2010).

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.

245). Focus group was the design of study. This approach was taken because in the initial stages of designing oral health interventions for EHS programs in North Carolina and believed that it was an appropriate research design to provide an in-depth understanding of the determinants of children’s oral health” ((Mofidi, Zeldin, & Rozier 2009, p. 245-246). The results that were acquired from research and several sources allowed the planning of a comprehensive educational intervention. Gaining insights on developing intervention focused on improving children’s oral health in the long term, this is the goal of

“Tooth decay is our nation’s most common childhood disease” (Nash, Mathu-Muju, Friedman, 2015). For years, childhood tooth decay and caries have been an increasing challenge. In addition to being the most common childhood disease, it is also the most prevalent health need that is consistently unmet. Despite these statistics, it is also known that early childhood caries (ECC) is highly preventable and can even be reversed with early diagnosis and professional intervention and guidance upon dental visits (Beil, Rozier, Preisser, Stearns, and Lee, 2014). So, if it is known that regular dental visits correlate with fewer ECC and treatments, then why is it that there is still such a high statistical number of untreated cases? Although this challenge has many factors associated with it, one of the largest challenges to oral health in Canada is access to oral healthcare for children. These children who lack access, statistically, have more oral disparities that may follow them into adulthood. Thus, creating an oral health problem for when this generation becomes adults as well. To solve the root of the problem, there is a need to focus on increasing children’s oral health and access to oral healthcare. Questions arise of why these children lack the access and what can be done to change this. Solutions such as introducing dental care and checkups in rural and community preschools/elementary have been of recent interest and will be discussed further (Nash et al., 2015). Here, the

According to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 2007, some of the determinants of dental care utilization are family income, race, insurance coverage, and caregiver education. In 2004, only one-third of children from low income families had at least one dental visit compared to 62% of children from high income families (Manski & Brown, 2007). Furthermore, burden of dental-related restriction on activity days is 12 times more among poor children than children from high income families (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). More than half of White non-Hispanics had a dental visit in 2004 compared to 34.1% of Black non-Hispanics and 32.9% of Hispanics (Manski & Brown, 2007). Occurrence of untreated dental caries is more among Black non-Hispanic and Mexican origin children than White non-Hispanic children (National Center for Health Statistics, 2014). Fewer children with no dental coverage or public dental coverage had a dental visit in 2004 compared to those with private dental coverage (Manski & Brown, 2007). While introduction of State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has increased coverage and dental service utilization for low

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

The ADA is a non-profit and nation’s largest dental association, which represents more than 150,000 dentists. The ADA has grown to become the leading source of oral health related information for dentists and their patients. (ADA, n.d.). The American Dental Association argues that food selection and eating habits have a significant role in maintaining good oral health. Furthermore, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) states that there is consistent evidence that dental caries would be lower if added sugars consumption is less than 10 percent of energy intake which could occur if consumers attention is brought to added sugars (ADA, 2015). To support their claims the ADA used the DGAC assessment on dental caries, which is based on the review accredited by the World Health Organization (ADA, 2015). Therefore, it can be affirmed that the evidence is suffice and

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).