Dental visits to start in infancy.Dental Visits to Start in Infancy A new study has found that the ideal time to take a child for the first dental visit is when the child is an infant. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry pediatric dentistry, n See pedodontics. , reported on the Infant Oral Health Program at the University of Iowa Not to be confused with Iowa State University. The first faculty offered instruction at the University in March 1855 to students in the Old Mechanics Building, situated where Seashore Hall is now. In September 1855, the student body numbered 124, of which, 41 were women. , which was initiated in 1984. The program, directed by pediatric pediatric /pe·di·at·ric/ (pe?de-at´rik) pertaining to the health of children. pe·di·at·ric adj. Of or relating to pediatrics. dentist Dr. Stephen J. Goepferd, is one of a few devoted to dental care of infants. The report also supports recommendations from the American Academy The American Academy in Berlin is a non-partisan academic institution in Berlin. It was founded in September 1994 by a group of prominent Americans and Germans, among them Richard Holbrooke, Henry Kissinger, Richard von Weizsäcker, Fritz Stern and Otto Graf Lambsdorff and opened in of Pediatric Dentistry that the first dental visit take place by the age of one -- and notes that even children as young as six months can benefit from dental care. One of the key findings of the program, which indicates the need for early preventive care, notes the fact that about half of the children seen risked developing nursing bottle tooth decay Tooth Decay Definition Tooth decay, which is also called dental cavities or dental caries, is the destruction of the outer surface (enamel) of a tooth. -- a serious decay of the primary teeth which can lead to problems in permanent teeth. Nursing bottle caries caries or tooth decay Localized disease that causes decay and cavities in teeth. It begins at the tooth's surface and may penetrate the dentin and the pulp cavity. can be caused by overuse overuse Health care The common use of a particular intervention even when the benefits of the intervention don't justify the potential harm or cost–eg, prescribing antibiotics for a probable viral URI. Cf Misuse, Underuse. of milk, juice or soda as pacifiers. The study observed that the longer a child stays on a bottle past twelve months of age, the greater the chance that the bottle will be misused. The study also noted that bringing children to a pediatric dentist during infancy may make them more comfortable about going to the dentist as they grow. A traditional recommendation, that a child's first visit at the age of three is based primarily on the belief that younger children won't cooperate or accept dental treatment. The study found this not to be the case. The behavior of the children aged six to 12 months who participated in the University of Iowa program was positive, and procedures were accepted with little or no resistance. There was a little more resistance in children between 18 and 30 months of age -- the so-called "terrible twos" -- but after 30 months of age, behavior definitely improved and children seemed comfortable with treatment. The study also observed that parents also responded favorably to the program. It helped them to take care of their children's teeth at home. They were demonstrated techniques for cleaning an infant's mouth and given advice about diet to promote good dental health. |
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