Canada - Children's tooth decay on the rise
City health report shows many kids lack adequate dental care in Toronto
Nov 13, 2007 04:30 AM
Donovan Vincent
City hall bureau
More than 40 per cent of Toronto children under the age of 6 have never been to a dentist. And the prevalence of early tooth decay among 5-year-olds is rising, according to a disturbing new city report looking at the health of young children.
While immigrant children are far more likely to have developed cavities, the majority of those who have never had a dental visit were Canadian-born, says the report from Dr. David McKeown, the city's medical officer of health, with input from other health officials.
"What we're seeing is an increase in the number of children who are experiencing an aggressive form of tooth decay," said Dr. Hazel Stewart, Toronto's director of dental and oral health services. Decay can affect a child's health and ability to eat, stay in school, and even sleep at night, she said. "We are seeing kids who have abscesses and very decayed teeth ... it really affects the quality of their lives," Stewart said.
Sweet drinks, candy and cookies are often the culprits in young children. "We also think it might have to do with kids walking around with a bottle all day, so their teeth are exposed to liquids and foods with a very high sugar content,'' she said.
Lack of exposure to fluoride, which is added to Toronto's drinking water, and lack of access to dental care worsen the decay problem.
The data was gleaned by health department staff, who screened children and talked to parents. More than 200,000 children in Toronto are screened annually.
Asked why they didn't take their children to a dentist, parents most often said they thought the child was too young, or seemed healthy. Finances or scheduling restraints were named less frequently.
"If we saw them around age 1 or 2, we'd be able to intervene earlier,'' Stewart said.
The province has announced a new $45 million dental benefit for the working poor.
Other findings in the report:
In 2004, 20 per cent of Toronto children aged 2 to 6 were overweight or obese.
In the two years up to 2005, asthma was the leading cause of hospitalization for children aged 1 to 6. But 93 per cent of Toronto households were smoke-free last year, a jump from 74 per cent in 2002.
In 2000, 66 per cent of Toronto children 1 to 6 with a single parent lived in a low-income household.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada has been fluoridated for years NYSCOF
Nov 13, 2007 04:30 AM
Donovan Vincent
City hall bureau
More than 40 per cent of Toronto children under the age of 6 have never been to a dentist. And the prevalence of early tooth decay among 5-year-olds is rising, according to a disturbing new city report looking at the health of young children.
While immigrant children are far more likely to have developed cavities, the majority of those who have never had a dental visit were Canadian-born, says the report from Dr. David McKeown, the city's medical officer of health, with input from other health officials.
"What we're seeing is an increase in the number of children who are experiencing an aggressive form of tooth decay," said Dr. Hazel Stewart, Toronto's director of dental and oral health services. Decay can affect a child's health and ability to eat, stay in school, and even sleep at night, she said. "We are seeing kids who have abscesses and very decayed teeth ... it really affects the quality of their lives," Stewart said.
Sweet drinks, candy and cookies are often the culprits in young children. "We also think it might have to do with kids walking around with a bottle all day, so their teeth are exposed to liquids and foods with a very high sugar content,'' she said.
Lack of exposure to fluoride, which is added to Toronto's drinking water, and lack of access to dental care worsen the decay problem.
The data was gleaned by health department staff, who screened children and talked to parents. More than 200,000 children in Toronto are screened annually.
Asked why they didn't take their children to a dentist, parents most often said they thought the child was too young, or seemed healthy. Finances or scheduling restraints were named less frequently.
"If we saw them around age 1 or 2, we'd be able to intervene earlier,'' Stewart said.
The province has announced a new $45 million dental benefit for the working poor.
Other findings in the report:
In 2004, 20 per cent of Toronto children aged 2 to 6 were overweight or obese.
In the two years up to 2005, asthma was the leading cause of hospitalization for children aged 1 to 6. But 93 per cent of Toronto households were smoke-free last year, a jump from 74 per cent in 2002.
In 2000, 66 per cent of Toronto children 1 to 6 with a single parent lived in a low-income household.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada has been fluoridated for years NYSCOF
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