Welsh parents urged to start caring for their children’s teeth earlier
Parents in Wales have been advised to start taking care of their children’s teeth at an earlier age.
Maria Morgan, senior lecturer in dental public health at Cardiff University, said that many parents are not aware that they need to start taking steps to protect their child’s teeth when they’re still babies and this is contributing to high rates of childhood decay. Ms Morgan stated that some parents are unaware that they need to brush their baby’s teeth and this may be contributing to growing numbers of younger children who need dental care. In Wales, some doctors are removing up to nine teeth from children younger than 5 years old and experts are keen to prevent as many cases of decay as possible.
Although statistics show that rates of decay are falling in older children, dental experts are eager to ensure the message is reaching the parents of younger children. In 2016, 34.2 percent of 5-year-olds had signs of decay compared to 47.6% in 2007. Dr Collette Bridgeman, chief dental officer, welcomed the statistics, but suggested that attention would now be turned to younger children, with the Designed to Smile campaign aimed at children aged 0-5.
Ms Morgan claimed that new parents may not consider dental health a priority, especially with so much going on when you have a young child. There’s no manual for caring for babies, and many parents may simply not be aware that they’re supposed to brushing the milk teeth as soon as they make an appearance.
The latest figures show that around 14 percent of 3-year-olds have at least one decayed, filled or missing tooth.
Join this Discussion