USA - We Need Better Oral Health

We Need Better Oral Health--in Florida, It Deserves an 'F'
Published: Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 12:01 a.m.
........Children in the United States miss more than 52 million school hours each year due to dental disease.

A bacterial infection in the mouth can result in babies being born prematurely, to an increased chance of having a heart attack and can make blood sugar more difficult to control for people with diabetes.

Tooth decay is now five times more common than asthma among children. Because oral disease is an infectious disease, if untreated, the problems get worse as children age. On the national level, by the time children reach age 17, four out of five will suffer the consequences of poor oral health.

Fluoride in all forms can help strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay. Fluoride varnish can be applied by your dentist, hygienist and your child's pediatrician, so parents should regularly ask their physicians for varnish to prevent decay. It's pain free and very easy to do....
CLAUDE EARL FOX, M.D.
Founder and President
Florida Public Health Institute
Lake Worth

Less sweets better advice than more fluoride.