This article is for dentists and pediatricians caring for our members
Tooth decay is the most common childhood chronic disease in the United States.1 By age five, about 60 percent of U.S. children will have had caries at some point, including the 40 percent of children who have it when they enter kindergarten. (2,5) You can help reduce this problem by recommending that your patients have a preventive visit with a dentist by age one or by six months after their first tooth erupts, whichever comes first.
During this well-baby visit with the baby’s caregivers, the dentist can:
These well-baby visits help the baby and caregiver get acclimated to the dental office to make future visits more routine.
When a child is not seen at an early age, untreated tooth decay and caries can result. Economic disparities significantly impact this problem: Children from families with lower income levels are twice as likely (25 percent) as those from higher income levels (11 percent) to have cavities.3 Untreated tooth decay can cause children unnecessary pain and suffering, and lead to problems with eating, speaking, and learning.4
When children have extensive tooth decay, it is often difficult to treat them in an office setting, even with sedation. Some children may require sedation in a hospital setting to allow the necessary treatment to occur, which can be traumatic for the child and expensive for the caregiver.
For these reasons, we urge you to use every opportunity you have with the patient’s family to stress the importance of early screening and well-baby check-ups so that you can provide the interventions above.
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