February Marks Children´s Dental Health Month

Monday, February 20, 2006 | 06:00pm

Tennessee Department of Health Ranks High in Dental Programs

Nashville, February 21, 2006

After all of the Valentine’s Day treats are gone, remember to care for your child’s oral health. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a celebration of children’s dental health sponsored by the American Dental Association.

“Oral health care begins at birth and continues throughout life,” said Health Commissioner Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. “Avoiding tooth decay as a child provides a better beginning and a brighter start for that child to develop to his full potential.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, tooth decay is the single most common chronic disease in children. Five times more common that asthma, the American Academy of Periodontology points out that decay may lead to other health problems like heart disease and diabetes.

State oral health surveys have demonstrated that over half the children living in Tennessee ages five to 17 are cavity free, as compared to those children prior to 1951 who suffered from rampant decay. Children are smiling rather than suffering, due to fewer cavities.

“This is a time to raise awareness about the oral health needs of our youngest citizens,” said Oral Health Director Suzanne Hayes, DDS. “A child should have a dental home, or regularly see a dentist, by 12 months of age. This provides opportunities to implement preventive health practices and reduce the child’s risk of preventable dental disease.”

Along with daily brushing and flossing, eating a nutritious diet, drinking fluoridated water and visiting a dentist annually are essential to optimal oral health. Healthy habits begin early in life so parents should make their children’s oral health a priority.

Parents should include children’s oral health as part of a daily routine by the time a baby’s primary teeth begin to appear. Gums should be gently cleansed after feedings and before bedtime using a soft-bristled infant toothbrush dampened with water. As children grow older, parents can teach them how to brush their teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste.

Tennessee is a leader in school-based dental preventive programs. In 2004, more than 100 public health dental professionals conducted 153,969 dental screenings on children. More than 54,000 children received sealants on a total of 329,279 teeth.

More than 70,000 children received comprehensive dental exams and oral health education programs were presented to 196,511 children at their school.

For more information about Tennessee’s oral health programs for children and adults, please visit http://www.tn.gov/health/.

National Children’s Dental Health Month has grown from a daylong observance by the American Dental Association in 1949 to the present month long celebration. For more information about National Children’s Dental Health Month, visit the American Dental Association’s Web site at http://www.ada.org/.

Press Releases | Health