Powers of persuasion
Convincing more parents and caregivers to take young children to the dentist begins with persuasive paediatricians—the belief behind a new Case Western Reserve University research project testing a novel approach to reduce cavities and improve the oral health of low income children.
Studies show only one in three children from low income and some ethnic backgrounds visit a dentist in their early years and are more susceptible to oral diseases, including tooth decay. Black children and Hispanic/Latino children are nearly twice as likely as white children to have untreated tooth decay in baby teeth, according to the National Centre for Health Statistics.
“Many parents believe, since baby teeth fall out, there’s no need to take kids to a dentist,” said Suchitra Nelson, a community dentistry professor in the Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine. “But cavity causing bacteria remains even after losing baby teeth and can lead to problems persisting beyond childhood.
“By drawing on the influence of paediatricians, we believe there’s tremendous potential to eventually reduce oral health disparities.”
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), a branch of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), awarded the project up to $4.6m over the next five years.
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