Health Outcomes - Oral Health

Oral Health is often neglected as a vital component to children’s general health. In 2000, the Surgeon General, David Satcher released a report, “Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General.” The report highlighted the general lack of awareness regarding oral health. In addition, the report found significant disparities in oral health outcomes for children from different socioeconomic and racial groups. The Surgeon General’s a call to action fueled many professional organizations to devote more attention to oral health. Although there has been some progress, significant disparities still exist. Examine the Healthy People 2020 objectives (see link below). How close are we to reaching our target? What other changes could be implemented to make improvements to oral health for all children?

National Health Statistics

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Local Health Statistics

Policy Statements

American Academy of Pediatrics
(All documents are verbatim abstracts)

PEDIATRICS Vol. 111 No. 5 May 2003, pp. 1113-1116

Oral Health Risk Assessment Timing and Establishment of the Dental Home

Section on Pediatric Dentistry
Early childhood dental caries has been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be perhaps the most prevalent infectious disease of our nation’s children. Early childhood dental caries occurs in all racial and socioeconomic groups; however, it tends to be more prevalent in low-income children, in whom it occurs in epidemic proportions. Dental caries results from an overgrowth of specific organisms that are a part of normally occurring human flora. Human dental flora is site specific, and an infant is not colonized until the eruption of the primary dentition at approximately 6 to 30 months of age. The most likely source of inoculation of an infant’s dental flora is the mother or another intimate care provider, through shared utensils, etc. Decreasing the level of cariogenic organisms in the mother’s dental flora at the time of colonization can significantly impact the child’s predisposition to caries. To prevent caries in children, high-risk individuals must be identified at an early age (preferably high-risk mothers during prenatal care), and aggressive strategies should be adopted, including anticipatory guidance, behavior modifications (oral hygiene and feeding practices), and establishment of a dental home by 1 year of age for children deemed at risk.

Full policy statement »

PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 6 December 2008, pp. 1387-1394 (doi:10.1542/peds.2008-2577)

Preventive Oral Health Intervention for Pediatricians

Section on Pediatric Dentistry and Oral Health
This policy is a compilation of current concepts and scientific evidence required to understand and implement practice-based preventive oral health programs designed to improve oral health outcomes for all children and especially children at significant risk of dental decay. In addition, it reviews cardiology and caries risk assessment and defines, through available evidence, appropriate recommendations for preventive oral health intervention by primary care pediatric practitioners.

Key Words: pediatric oral health prevention • oral health intervention

Abbreviations: PATF—professionally applied topical fluoride

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