Dental News - US children miss out on the dentist

Lisa Townshend, DT UK

Tue. 6 October 2009

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LONDON, UK: Most American children do not see their family dentist until they are well over 2 years old, far later than is recommended by both dental and medical professionals. That’s one of the key findings from a survey of American children’s oral health, conducted on behalf of Delta Dental Plans Association, an American provider of dental benefits.

The survey of primary caregivers revealed that, for those children who had seen a dentist - and 34 percent had not - the average age at the initial visit was 2.6 years. The American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child go to the dentist by age one or within six months after the first tooth erupts.

Among children who have never visited the dentist or who have not seen a dentist in the last 12 months, the most mentioned reason (62 per cent) was that “the child is too young” or “doesn’t have enough teeth yet.” Lack of insurance coverage was cited by 12 per cent of the caregivers.

According to the survey, 35 per cent of caregivers clean their baby’s gums just a few times a week, or less.

“Many Americans don’t understand how important their children’s baby teeth are to lifelong oral health,” said Jed J. Jacobson, DDS, MS, MPH, chief science officer and senior VP at Delta Dental. “There’s a continuing need for more education to teach practices that will ensure lifelong oral health."

"And, since people overwhelmingly prefer the dentist and dental hygienist as their primary oral health information sources, dental benefits that encourage visits to the dentist are crucial.” he added.

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