Parents look to schools to educate children about oral health
Parents in America are looking to schools to help them educate children about oral health.
Standards of oral health amongst children, in particular younger children, are slipping thanks to a diet that is often filled with convenience foods, sweets and fizzy drinks and a lack of awareness of the dangers associated with poor oral health.
Every year, it is estimated that around 51 million hours of school time are lost due to children taking time off for dental health problems and an increasing number of young children are being admitted to hospital to receive treatment for dental pain.
School plays a huge role in the education of children and parents and dentists are encouraging schools to urge children to get involved in oral hygiene; by teaching them about the benefits of healthy eating and the importance of visiting the dentist regularly and adopting a daily oral hygiene routine, children will be able to learn how to look after their teeth and gums and the risk of them developing oral health issues will be significantly lower.
Of course, education must begin at home and dentists encourage parents to get their children involved in oral hygiene as early as possible; most dentists advise parents to bring their children for their first routine check-up at the age of one. Education could be continued in schools and this will further increase the chances of an improved national standard of oral health in the future.
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