As NHC members, we all contribute service to our country’s complex healthcare system. Part of our learning process has been increasing our ability to connect seemingly unrelated factors in health, economy, and society together, and understand the bigger picture affecting our patients and clients. Dental health is one such factor, and is often forgotten in discussions of health. For this reason, the American Dental Association and the ADA Foundation sponsor the recognition of February as National Children’s Dental Health Month, raising awareness about the importance of the early development of healthy habits.
According to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, childhood tooth decay is the top chronic childhood illness in the country, with 1 in 5 children lacking access to dental care. Unfortunately, tooth decay is a disease that is highly affected by social structures; children from impoverished families are at a higher risk for developing it, as well as for lacking the resources to treat it. Poor oral health can lead to a domino effect of negative outcomes, such as:
Three times the likelihood of missing school
Expensive visits to the emergency room
Lower self-esteem and employment prospects
Impaired cognitive and social development
Increased burden on local communities
Increased risk for heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and pre-term, low birth-weight babies (NCOHF)
Tooth decay can be prevented with increased awareness for oral health habits, including nutritious diets, for children. Campaigns such as the National Children’s Dental Health Month place importance upon spreading this information. In addition, we must make ourselves aware of the greater social structures that lead to childhood tooth decay and commit ourselves to eliminating them.
