Daily Health and Medicine News

Tooth Decay Higher in Rural Alaska

According to a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services children in rural Alaska are 4.5 times more likely to have severe cavities compared to the national average.

Officials say the two leading factors associated with tooth decay in both kids baby and adult teeth are the lack of water fluoridation and drinking sugary drinks, like soda.

This finding is based on an investigation conducted in 2008 by the CDC and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services on childhood dental health in rural Alaska.

The findings also found that children age’s 4 to 5 year olds on villages without fluoridation have a tooth decay rate 2.6 times higher than in villages with fluoridation.

Doctor Tom Hennessy of CDC recommends that villages with water systems set up for fluoridation to have it added to their water. For those villages without running water he says, parents can be sure their kids use toothpaste with fluoride or to have health care providers apply fluoride directly onto their teeth.

Improving dental care

The provincial government hopes to put the bite on dental decay.
Mexican pharmacy viagra
Beginning this fall, preschool children and schoolage children as well as preand post-natal moms in a number of health regions will have increased access to preventive dental care.

Initially, the program will be implemented in schools in those health regions with the greatest need. These include Athabasca, Keewatin Yatthe, Mamawetan Churchill River, Prince Albert/Parkland, Prairie North, Regina Qu’Appelle and Saskatoon Health Regions.

The program will expand to the province’s remaining health regions early in 2012.

“Oral disease is preventable, yet each year approximately 1,800 children under the age of five undergo dental surgery in hospital under general anaesthetic,” Health Minister Don McMorris noted in a news release. “We have committed funding of $1.4 million, through the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative, to improve children’s oral health and reduce the need for surgery by increasing access to dental care, prevention and education.”

The initiative will focus on disease prevention and health promotion and target early childhood tooth decay in at-risk populations. Services will include oral health assessments, referral and followup, fluoride varnish and dental sealants. Oral health assessments will be provided to all preschool children in the province.

Children from six months of age to five years, who are at risk of early childhood tooth decay, will be given two fluoride varnish applications a year. Dental sealants will be offered in a phased-in approach to students attending schools with populations at risk.

Dr. Moira McKinnon, the province’s chief medical health officer, said studies show good oral health can prevent chronic heart disease, diabetes and obesity and reduce infections that can cause severe illness or be life-threatening.

She said evidence shows that poor oral health results in a poor diet and is more conducive to chronic disease.

Cancers of various parts of the mouth, such as the tongue or lip, can also occur when teeth aren’t healthy.

“Healthy teeth are important for the overall health and well-being of an individual for their lifetime and it starts in childhood,” she said.

The enhanced services will include consultations with pre and post-natal mothers to promote good oral health and ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy development of their baby’s teeth. “It ends up being a good social environment to discuss health issues, but also to create peer support,” McKinnon said.

Dental care should begin right from infancy

Whether you’re a parent, guardian or grandparent, having children means you stay busy and dental health can be easily overlooked due to daily chores. Caring for children’s oral hygiene from birth before the visible growth of teeth is vital.

“Start your child on the way to healthy oral regime even before the appearance of the first baby tooth”, says Dr Ashutosh Sharma BDS, MDS, Specialist Dentist (Paedodontist), Aster Medical Centre, Dubai.

According to Dr Sharma, dental care begins right from infancy, where parents should ensure that the baby’s gums are gently cleaned with soft wet cloth after every feed to prevent any possible bacterial infection. Once the child develops teeth, it is recommended that the teeth are cleaned with a soft toothbrush after every meal.

The oral cavity is a fertile ground for bacteria which thrives mostly on sugar. The bacterial interactions in the oral cavity also generate acidic components that could be harmful to the teeth. “In my practice, I have often seen good dental hygiene is neglected by parents as we often do not understand the damage the acidic formations can do to a child’s teeth. If a regular habit of brushing the teeth is not nurtured among kids, these acidic formations can create cavities across the dental rows which can lead to tooth decay and dental erosion, which would require treatment at a later stage,” the doctor says.

Children’s teeth have thinner enamel than adult teeth and are more susceptible to the bacteria that cause decay. Decay in a baby’s tooth is swift and destructive; it quickly penetrates the enamel, then the dentin, and then infects the nerve.

Dr Sharma says that eatables which contain a high content of sugar, like chocolates, play a large role in dental decay and cavities. “Chocolates will remain ever popular among kids. However, it is very important for the health of their teeth that kids are not given sweets in excess. While we do not believe in denying the child of their favourite treats, we always recommend parents to introduce their children to a balanced diet.” Dr Sharma says.

Feeding infants in bottles can also trigger dental problems, particularly if the kid is allowed to sleep with the feeding bottle in his mouth. Babies should also be discouraged from sucking their thumbs, which is a habit they often pick up in infancy, but must be cut out by the time the child turns one.

“Forming a good routine of brushing teeth twice daily and cleaning them after every meal, regular check-ups with the dentist and a good diet helps in good dental hygiene. With simple care from an early stage, parents can easily ensure a lifetime of happy teeth for their children,” the doctor says.

Metro Dentists Offer Free Dental Care to Those in Need

Foster said with the tough economy, more people are being forced to do without preventive dental care because they can’t afford it.

“¿There is a tremendous need in the community for dental service – people who are out of jobs, people who don’t have insurance,” said the dentist. “It’s just another way to help out and provide some care to people that desperately need it.”

That’s why, for the second year, the Blue Springs dentist is participating in Dentistry from the Heart. He, along with six other community dentists, a slew of dental hygienists and a handful of volunteers will offer free dental work to anyone who needs it during an all-day event Saturday.

“We had a lot of people last year who just wanted a front tooth fixed so they could feel good about applying for a job,” said Dr. Foster.

Over the last ten years, dentistry from the heart has provides $6 million in free dental services to more than 60,000 patients all over the country.

“We’re doing this because we want to help people out,” said the dentist. “We really enjoy being able to do this event to take a day out of our life every year give it away to other people.”

Last year his Blue Springs office spread healthy smiles to 100 people. This year he hopes to do that for at least 101.

Dr. Foster will offer free dental care this Sat., Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at his Blue Springs office at 2150 Northwest South Outer Road. Services are for adults only on a first come, first serve basis. Because the line get long early, his staff recommend that you line up before 8 a.m. For complete details, call: 816-463-9529.

In you can’t make it to Saturday’s event, there are other metro dentists who participate in the Dentistry from the Heart program. Just visit the ‘Events’ page of the site from a list of upcoming free dental days.

Additionally, some health departments and dental universities offer free or reduced cost dental care. Contact your local health department for more information.