USA - Texas
CDC says tooth decay in kids is on the rise
Web Posted: 05/01/2007 06:49 PM CDT
Wendy Rigby
KENS 5 Eyewitness News
Cavities in baby teeth are on the rise, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the problem is particularly bad in South Texas.
Five-year-old Daija Sanford is no stranger to the dental chair. On Tuesday alone, she had 10 teeth worked on — everything from root canals to crowns. Figures show that, for the first time in 40 years, tooth decay in young children like Daija is on the rise, affecting 28 percent of all children between ages 2 and 5 years.
"There are more school hours lost to dental problems than for any other health malady. Tooth decay is four to five times more prevalent then asthma," said Dr. Timothy Henson, a pediatric dentist at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
The trends of bottled water and sugary beverages are adding to the problem. San Antonio has had fluoridated water for the past five years, but many children aren't drinking it, instead guzzling bottled water, juice boxes and sodas.
Five-year-old Edie Wooten's mother, Dina, monitors Edie's tooth care daily. On Tuesady, Edie got a fluoride treatment.
"(The kids) have a time. It's set for three minutes, and they have to brush the whole time, morning and night," Dina said.
The attention to detail needs to happen early. A child's first dental visit should come at the age of 1 year. Pediatric dentists stress that cavities in baby teeth can be serious, leading to terrible infections and damaging emerging permanent teeth.
"You'd hope to have your teeth for the whole lifetime. So you have to take care of them, and that's what I tell the girls," Dina Wooten said. " 'You've got to take care of your teeth. You're going to need them forever.' "
The CDC report also documents a difference between ethnic groups. Hispanic children are more likely to show up with tooth decay, with 31 percent of them having cavities in their permanent teeth. For Anglo children, the figure is 19 percent.
Both are figures that South Texas dentists would like to see changed.
Fluoridation hasn't narrowed oral health disparities between poor and non-poor and or minority and majority populations NYSCOF
Web Posted: 05/01/2007 06:49 PM CDT
Wendy Rigby
KENS 5 Eyewitness News
Cavities in baby teeth are on the rise, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the problem is particularly bad in South Texas.
Five-year-old Daija Sanford is no stranger to the dental chair. On Tuesday alone, she had 10 teeth worked on — everything from root canals to crowns. Figures show that, for the first time in 40 years, tooth decay in young children like Daija is on the rise, affecting 28 percent of all children between ages 2 and 5 years.
"There are more school hours lost to dental problems than for any other health malady. Tooth decay is four to five times more prevalent then asthma," said Dr. Timothy Henson, a pediatric dentist at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
The trends of bottled water and sugary beverages are adding to the problem. San Antonio has had fluoridated water for the past five years, but many children aren't drinking it, instead guzzling bottled water, juice boxes and sodas.
Five-year-old Edie Wooten's mother, Dina, monitors Edie's tooth care daily. On Tuesady, Edie got a fluoride treatment.
"(The kids) have a time. It's set for three minutes, and they have to brush the whole time, morning and night," Dina said.
The attention to detail needs to happen early. A child's first dental visit should come at the age of 1 year. Pediatric dentists stress that cavities in baby teeth can be serious, leading to terrible infections and damaging emerging permanent teeth.
"You'd hope to have your teeth for the whole lifetime. So you have to take care of them, and that's what I tell the girls," Dina Wooten said. " 'You've got to take care of your teeth. You're going to need them forever.' "
The CDC report also documents a difference between ethnic groups. Hispanic children are more likely to show up with tooth decay, with 31 percent of them having cavities in their permanent teeth. For Anglo children, the figure is 19 percent.
Both are figures that South Texas dentists would like to see changed.
Fluoridation hasn't narrowed oral health disparities between poor and non-poor and or minority and majority populations NYSCOF
posted by Bill at
9:16 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home