| Although most people would not consider
| |
| | dental decay are the result of several
|
| cavities an issue for children who don't
| |
| | factors.
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| even have all of their teeth yet,
| |
| | Many towns on the shore do not have
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| scientists and researchers are now
| |
| | fluoridated water, which helps prevent
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| warning of early childhood dental decay
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| | cavities.
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| is a significant health problem.
| |
| | "Worcester County has the smallest
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| "We need to get the message out that this
| |
| | percent of its population on fluoridated
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| is the most common chronic infectious
| |
| | water in the state," Goeller said.
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| disease in children and it's on the
| |
| | In addition to the lack of local
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| upswing," said Alexandra Hall, a dental
| |
| | fluoride, most parents are not aware just
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| hygienist and coordinator for the Eastern
| |
| | how easily their dental health can
|
| Shore Children's Regional Oral Health
| |
| | directly impact their child's dental
|
| Consortium. "It's totally preventable but
| |
| | health.
|
| we need parents on board."
| |
| | In order for a child to get a cavity, he
|
| According to the Centers for Disease
| |
| | or she must first be exposed to the
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| Control, the percentage of children
| |
| | bacteria that causes cavities, Hall
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| between 2 and 5 with dental cavities has
| |
| | explained. Once a baby has been exposed
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| increased from 24 percent from 1988 to
| |
| | to that bacteria, all it needs to develop
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| 1994 to 28 percent from 1999 to 2004.
| |
| | a cavity is a tooth, or part of a tooth,
|
| children even younger than that are
| |
| | and carbohydrates that break down into
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| having problems with cavities, Hall said.
| |
| | sugar.
|
| She said because the Eastern Shore is a
| |
| | The surprising fact to most adults is
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| rural, underserved area, dental decay in
| |
| | that it is usually a parent who passes
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| young children is an increasingly large
| |
| | the cavity-causing bacteria on to an
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| problem.
| |
| | infant. Anyone who has active dental
|
| Debbie Goeller, of the Worcester County
| |
| | decay in their mouth can pass the germs
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| Health Department, reported that a recent
| |
| | to a child, through actions such as
|
| screening of Head Start students found
| |
| | kissing or sharing food, Hall said. She
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| that 33 to 36 percent of children had
| |
| | suggests women visit a dentist when they
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| class one or class two dental disease.
| |
| | find out they are pregnant so any active
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| Class one dental disease requires serious
| |
| | decay can be dealt with before
|
| and urgent care, while class two disease
| |
| | childbirth.
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| means a dentist appointment should be
| |
| | "Infants should only have to be worried
|
| scheduled.
| |
| | about diaper rash, not tooth decay," Hall
|
| Dr. Scott Wolpin, the chief dental
| |
| | said.
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| officer for the Choptank Community Health
| |
| | Once a child is born, his or her teeth,
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| Sys-tem, said he has found even more
| |
| | as soon as they start to grow in, should
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| alarming statistics.
| |
| | be wiped clean after eating, Hall said.
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| "After screening over a 1,000 school-aged
| |
| | Usually when a child is two, a parent
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| children of the rural counties of the
| |
| | should start brushing his or her teeth
|
| Eastern Shore, I have found an average of
| |
| | with a rice-sized smear of fluoride
|
| 60 percent of all children to have
| |
| | toothpaste.
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| untreated dental disease and 15 percent
| |
| | "Generally we recommend that at the
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| are experiencing pain and/or swelling
| |
| | child's first birthday there be a dental
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| while attending school," he said in an
| |
| | exam," Hall said, "but the trouble is we
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| e-mail.
| |
| | don't have enough providers to do this.
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| The high percentages of children with
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| |
|
