Many parents are unaware of the importance of taking care of their children’s baby teeth, dentists and health organizations said this week.
“Many baby teeth will stay in their mouth until age 12,” said Dr. Amanda Hankins of the Smile Shoppe Pediatric Dentistry in Rogers.
Tips for children’s oral health
• Take care of those baby teeth, dentists say. A child’s nutrition, health, language skills and ability to concentrate in school depend on their teeth before they are replaced by the adult versions.
• Limit soda, sports drinks and other sugary drinks and drink them at mealtimes instead of hours later. A constant supply of sugar is ideal for bacteria in the mouth which can gradually dissolve tooth enamel if left unchecked. Dr. Bob Mason, a retired dentist in Fort Smith, urged parents who give infants and toddlers bottles at bedtime to stick with water.
• Take children to their first dental visit by age 1 or within 6 months of the first tooth, whichever comes first.
Source: Staff report
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These enamel granules affect what kind of food children can eat, how they learn to speak and how healthy the rest of their body is, potentially affecting their dental health for life, he said.
Dental health groups call attention to needs and misconceptions during February, which the American Dental Association dedicates to children’s dental health. Improving dental health at all ages is especially urgent in Arkansas, which ranks near last among states in tooth loss and how few people visit a dentist at least once a year, according to America’s annual Health Rankings from the Minnesota-based nonprofit United Health; Foundation.
The condition of one’s mouth affects the immune response to disease and the health of the heart through its blood supply, and it can also provide early warnings of other diseases, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Part of this month’s effort includes education for parents, who the American Academy of Pediatrics urges to bring their children to the dentist by age 1 or within a few months of their first tooth. Hankins said the first visit usually includes an exam and a mild fluoride treatment that is painted on the child’s teeth to form a protective layer against tooth decay.
Doing so can catch cavities or other problems before they start and make kids more comfortable at the dentist, said Bob Mason, a retired Fort Smith dentist and dental director of the nonprofit Delta Dental of Arkansas. She said that going to the dentist should become as normal as seeing a pediatrician.
Delta and other groups also boost dental services around Northwest Arkansas, particularly for low-income or uninsured people. Delta’s foundation this year will give $400,000 in grants to clinics across the state. Nearly $70,000 went this week to the low-cost Community Clinic of Northwest Arkansas, which has locations from Rogers to Lincoln, and to free services in Fayetteville Public Schools and the city’s WelcomeHealth clinic.
“We really want to work within the community,” said Kara Wilkins, Delta spokeswoman.
WelcomeHealth provides free dental services to several hundred people a year who do not have dental insurance and have incomes below a certain level. So many people need so much work that the waiting list is two or three months long, director Monika Fischer-Massie said.
The group received $24,000 from Delta, part of which will pay for equipment needed to provide services to children. Brittney Gulley, the clinic’s director of development, said the clinic hopes to begin pediatric care by summer and see up to 200 new patients a year.
“We’re still waiting to buy an X-ray sensor that’s small enough for a child’s mouth,” Gulley said, adding that the clinic already has supplies of sealants and fluoride treatments.
“We’d love to start doing what we can. But definitely, to get a good look at their mouths, we need X-rays.”
Another $14,300 went to the Fayetteville Youth Dental program, a partnership between the city’s public schools and Northwest Arkansas Community College’s dental assistant certification program. Nearly 300 students a year who don’t have insurance but have toothaches or other distracting problems use the service, said Joy Shirley, the district’s director of student services.
“The clinic is also working with the family to help them set up ARKids,” she said, referring to the state Medicaid program for children that includes dental coverage. “We’re just trying to help fill that gap until they can get what they need.”
Delta has supported the clinic for at least four or five years, said Glenda Lee, a registered dental assistant who directs the college’s program. The grant covers sealants, instrument replacements and toothbrush kits. Lee’s students assist several dentists who volunteer their time.
“It’s important for them to see the dentist on a regular basis, to find those things that they can take care of, to fix the little things while they’re little things,” she said of the children.
Fayetteville Schools and WelcomeHealth are just two of the many groups addressing dental needs, particularly among low-income individuals. Washington Regional Medical Center’s mobile dental clinic has served 2,000 people since it opened in 2014, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma operates a mobile clinic aimed at children. The Samaritan Community Center in Rogers and Springdale also provides free dental services.
Wilkins said Delta is working with Arkansas Children’s Hospital to survey children’s dental health needs for the first time since 2010, with results expected this fall that can guide future work. The goal is to get rid of cavities in children by 2025, he said.
“The need is definitely growing,” Hankins said, noting that nearly half of children have cavities by kindergarten. But early visits can make a difference, he added. For her, going to a friendly dentist’s office in her early years inspired her to enter pediatric dentistry.
NW News on 02/27/2017
