American Dentists Report Increase in Pre-School Cavities
Dentists in America have reported an increase in the number of children they are treating for cavities and some say they have been forced to extract teeth from children as young as two years old.
Devon Koester, aged two and a half, is just one of hundreds of children who needed complex dental treatment. He was admitted to the Center for Pediatric Dentistry at Seattle Children’s Hospital and underwent a complex course of treatment, which involved having two incisors extracted, root canal treatment and a number of fillings and crowns. X-ray images showed that 11 of Devon’s 20 teeth had signs of decay.
Devon’s mother said that she first became concerned about her son’s oral health when she noticed that his teeth were discoloured at the age of 18 months. However, she added that she was very busy and supervising Devon brushing his teeth was not a priority.
Devon’s story is becoming increasingly commonplace. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an increase in the number of pre-school children with cavities for the first time in 40 years five years ago and dentists are worried about the number of very young children who require hospital treatment for dental problems.
Dentists are particularly worried because many of the children they are seeing have extensive decay, which requires intensive treatment, carried out under general anaesthetic.
Although there are no exact figures on the number of children undergoing treatment under general anaesthetic, interviews with 20 dentists revealed that the practice is becoming increasingly commonplace, as a result of a growing number of children suffering from severe dental problems. Dr Jonathan Shenkin, a paediatric dentist from Augusta and a spokesman for the American Dental Association, said that dentists are treating more young children with aggressive decay.
Dr Shenkin said that the situation is very worrying because decay is largely preventable. Most parents of children in his care said that they were unaware that they needed to keep an eye on their child and take them to the dentist at an early age. However, dentists say that there is plenty of information out there for parents and they should be aware of the importance of good oral hygiene habits and regular dental check-ups.
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swishing a mouthful of water in your mouth after meals can greatly improve your chances of cavity reduction. Chewing sugar-free gum is yet another simple alternative method in removing plaque and unwanted food debris.