To Your Health: ODA celebrates National Children’s Dental Month | News

Dr. Barry Taylor: Many families deferred dental care early in the COVID pandemic, and so it’s now even more critical to instill good hygiene habits and early preventive care for children. Parents and other caregivers can help children avoid oral diseases by establishing a dental hygiene routine when they’re young, which will continue to serve them throughout their entire life.

In addition, while policies such as Cover All Kids have helped to ensure the youngest Oregonians have basic dental care coverage, children still may not receive the care they need. The Oregon Dental Association is part of a coalition working to provide dental services to children where they are at: in schools. Along with the Oregon Community Foundation, Children First for Oregon, Oregon Latino Health Coalition, Coalition of Communities of Color and other organizations, the Oregon Dental Association supports Healthy Teeth, Bright Futures, which is building on more than five years of work to provide services to children through school-based oral health programs.

The ODA’s charitable arm, the Dental Foundation of Oregon (DFO) was founded in 1982 and is dedicated to advancing oral health education, providing charitable care, and coordinating resources for Oregon’s children and vulnerable communities. The DFO’s flagship program, the Tooth Taxi, has traveled all over the state to provide millions of dollars in free dental care and education to Oregon’s children.

The Chronicle: What is the Association’s message to parents about helping navigate their children through dental visits and regular teeth care?

Taylor: The Association strongly encourages parents to find a “dental home” so that children receive proper preventive care and education about dental care. This preventive care will help children avoid painful tooth aches that contribute to lost days at school and trips to the dentist, and preventive care is less expensive than treating diseased teeth in children.

Dr. Cyrus Javadi: We try to ensure parents understand the importance of regular dental checkups, good oral hygiene habits, a healthy diet, managing dental anxiety, and preventive care for their children’s oral health.

Parents should schedule regular dental checkups, teach good oral hygiene practices, encourage a healthy diet, address children’s fears about visiting the dentist, and emphasize the importance of preventive care to maintain their children’s healthy teeth and gums. The goal is to provide practical advice and resources to help parents ensure their children have good oral health.

Access to dental care is important for children for a number of reasons. Good oral health is essential for overall health and well-being, and it can impact a child’s ability to eat, speak, and socialize effectively. Neglecting dental care in childhood can lead to serious dental problems later in life, such as tooth decay and gum disease. It can also affect a child’s self-esteem and academic performance.

The Chronicle: What are the most common children’s teeth issues that the Association members are seeing today, and why those issues?

Taylor: Dental caries, or tooth decay, are the most common issue that dentists see in children. This is a preventable disease with good home care, a healthy diet, and screenings by a dental care provider.

Javadi: The most common children’s dental issues we are seeing today are tooth decay, early childhood caries, orthodontic problems, teeth grinding, and dental anxiety. Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease and can be caused by factors such as a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates, poor oral hygiene habits, and a lack of access to dental care.

Early childhood caries, also known as baby bottle tooth decay, is caused by prolonged exposure of a child’s teeth to sugary liquids. Orthodontic problems, such as overcrowding, crossbites, overbites, and underbites, can affect a child’s bite, speech, and self-esteem. Teeth grinding is a common issue among children, especially during times of stress, and can lead to tooth damage and jaw pain. Dental anxiety is a concern for some children, which can prevent them from receiving the dental care they need.

The Chronicle: How can parents help guide their child’s diet to help avoid cavities?

Taylor: Eating a healthy diet is a critical element of preventive dental care. Avoiding sugary drinks is important, and so parents and caregivers should make sure they know the sugar content of juices, sport drinks, and other flavored waters. It is important when serving children sweets and sugary drinks that it is done at a mealtime; the greater risk is the consumption of sugary food items between meals.

Water fluoridation is widely considered one of the most equitable, economical and efficient ways to prevent tooth decay for entire communities. Optimally fluoridated water (where the amount of fluoride, which is naturally occurring in water, is adjusted to a level that protects against tooth decay) is proven to reduce tooth decay in children by 18 percent to 40 percent. But fewer than 22 percent of Oregonians have access to optimally fluoridated water, and the city of Portland is the largest urban area in the country without fluoridated water.

In case a list form is helpful:

1. Limit sugary drinks and snacks: Encourage your child to drink water instead of sugary drinks, such as soda or fruit juice, and limit snacks that are high in sugar, such as candy, cookies, and cake.

2. Encourage a balanced diet: Make sure your child eats a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as these foods are good for their overall health and can help keep their teeth healthy as well.

3. Reduce frequency of sugary foods: It’s not just the amount of sugar your child consumes, but also the frequency. Encourage your child to eat sugary foods only at mealtimes, as eating sugary foods throughout the day increases the risk of cavities.

4. Promote healthy snacks: Encourage your child to snack on foods that are healthy for their teeth, such as cheese, nuts, and raw fruits and vegetables.

5. Avoid snacking before bed: Encourage your child to brush their teeth before bed and avoid snacking before they go to sleep, as this can increase the risk of cavities while they sleep.

By guiding your child’s diet and promoting healthy eating habits, you can help reduce the risk of cavities and support their overall oral health.

The Chronicle: What should parents look for in helping to catch their child’s teeth issues before they become extreme?

Dr. Javadi: Parents should look for tooth pain or sensitivity, changes in the way the teeth look or fit together, changes in their child’s bite, changes in their speech, and grinding or clenching of teeth as signs of potential dental issues.

The Chronicle: For many, budgeting for children’s teeth issues can be challenging. What is the Association’s recommendation about how to take on such costs?

Taylor: Preventive care is always less expensive than treating dental disease such as a cavity. The Oregon Dental Association strongly supports school-based programs, which have proven to increase the access to oral health care for children. Dental screenings and preventive care are the best way to keep the costs of dental care low.

Dr. Javadi: Parents should take advantage of dental insurance, discuss payment options with their dentist, prioritize preventive care, look into community resources, and maintain good oral hygiene habits in order to manage the cost of children’s dental care. By being proactive and seeking professional dental care, families can ensure that their children have healthy teeth and gums and reduce the need for more costly procedures in the future.

The Chronicle: Briefly, what advances in technology have we seen over the past several years that are helping with children dentistry.

Taylor: There are more options for imaging in the child’s mouth. Many of the materials now used in children’s oral care are odorless and easier to apply in the mouth, making the dental visit a more pleasant experience.

Javadi: Advances in behavioral guidance techniques have greatly improved the comfort of pediatric dental appointments. Techniques like the use of special chairs, blankets, toys, and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) have been introduced to help children feel more relaxed and comfortable during their visits to the dentist.

By making children feel at ease, these techniques can help reduce anxiety and fear associated with dental appointments, making the experience more positive for both the child and the parents.

The ODA is comprised of 16 local dental societies throughout Oregon that provide continuing education and service programs in their local communities. The association is dedicated to advancing the dental profession and promoting the highest standard of oral health and oral healthcare.

To reach the Oregon Dental Association, call 800-452-5628.