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Dentist: Get Kid's teeth examined in toddler years |
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McClatchy Tribune
BY KYUNG M. SONG
SEATTLE -- Here's holiday advice from a dentist, if not a dietitian: Let your kids eat their sugary booty in one sitting.
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Dental decay is on the rise again among U.S. preschoolers, and frequent
treats may be one culprit. But the amount of starchy, sticky foods
children eat may matter less than how often they eat them. That's
because enamel-eroding acids linger in the mouth for 20 minutes after
each snack session.
So allowing your little princess to devour her holiday candy in one
sitting instead of doling it out piecemeal is a lesser evil "from the
point of view of cavities," said Dr. Joel Berg, chair of the
pediatric-dentistry department at the University of Washington.
Nearly three out of 10 American children ages 2 to 5 had visible tooth
decay, according to figures released last year by the National Center
for Health Statistics, based on surveys taken between 1999 and 2004.
That's a sizable jump from the 24 percent rate in the previous survey,
taken between 1988 and 1994.
In older kids and adolescents, on the other hand, dental decay declined during the most recent period.
The worrisome state of oral health, especially for the youngest
children, was the topic of a national summit of the American Academy of
Pediatrics last week in Chicago. The event was chaired by Dr. Wendy
Mouradian, a physician who teaches both pediatrics and pediatric
dentistry at the University of Washington.
The pediatrics academy has named oral health one of its top priorities
for 2008, along with mental health and care for foster kids and other
special-needs care.
Mouradian said early dental decay has a host of causes: Parents too
often neglect care for baby teeth. Poor and uninsured children receive
much less dental care than their peers. And a third of the U.S. water
supply lacks fluoride, perhaps the single biggest defense against decay.
In response, pediatricians and family doctors are increasingly bridging
the historical split between medicine and dentistry. The American
Association of Medical Colleges has urged better oral-health training
for medical students.
Since 2002, the Washington Dental Service Foundation has taught 2,000
doctors, medical assistants and other health professionals around the
state to apply fluoride varnishes during well-baby checkups.
Trainers spend 90 minutes during the lunch hour showing doctors how to
detect the telltale white spots of early decay, said Dianne Riter, a
spokeswoman for the dental foundation.
The dental foundation also has a joint pilot program with Group Health
Cooperative to incorporate fluoride varnishes into regularly scheduled
medical exams for infants and kids up to age 3.
Early reports show that Group Health parents are very satisfied with
the service. But doctors and their staff were less confident in
performing their oral-health roles.
Relying on doctors as the first sentries against dental decay isn't
ideal, said Berg, who also is director of dental medicine at Seattle
Children's hospital.
But dentists realize that many young children see doctors numerous
times before they ever recline in a dental chair. "A lot of parents
think it's OK to wait until age 3 or 4 before they have a first dental
visit," Berg said.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children see a dentist by their first birthday.
Dental decay is an infection, one that can lead to malnutrition, speech
impediments and severe pain that can interfere with studies, among
other problems. Berg said that every week he sees several children
whose faces are swollen from severe infections. It's not uncommon to
see a 3-year-old with almost as many cavities as teeth, he said.
"This is a tremendous amount of disease," Berg said. Yet, "we're talking about a disease that's preventable."
And what would Berg say about kids polishing off their entire Halloween
haul tonight if he were a dietitian instead of a dentist?
"I wouldn't recommend it," he said.
http://thestamfordtimes.com/story/459729
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