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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> "Although preventive measures, such as dental sealants, have been widely available for years, we need to focus our efforts on reaching children living in poverty who stand to benefit the most from them," Dr. William R. Maas, a dentist and director of the CDC's Division of Oral Health, said in a prepared statement. "This report challenges us to increase our efforts to reach those most in need with effective preventive measures, and to provide guidance and health education to others, for instance, smokers whose oral health can greatly benefit from quitting."
Dr. Mary Hayes, a pediatric dentistry spokeswoman for the American Dental Association, called the increase in childhood cavities "discouraging." She noted that children are snacking more, particularly sweet snacks, which increase the risk for tooth decay.
Also, young children can't effectively brush their teeth, Hayes said. "I see parents who are still surprised that if their child is two, three or four, that they have to brush their child's teeth in order to do a proper job," she said. "A young child does not have the fine motor skills to clean their teeth. They can put the toothbrush into their mouth, but they don't clean off the plaque."
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And, even though baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth, it is important to keep them clean and cavity-free, Hayes said. "The baby teeth are the pattern for the permanent teeth," she said. "Studies have shown that if you have a lot of decayed baby teeth, and you leave it that way, that's the kind of mouth for permanent teeth you are going to have. The baby teeth set up the bite you are going to have with the permanent teeth."
Hayes said parents and politicians need to put more emphasis on dental health. "We need to get policymakers not to diminish the value of dentistry relative to health," she said. "Medical care, especially for the disadvantaged, does not mean no teeth. The teeth are part of the body, we all go together -- the teeth come with the body."
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