Dental care ‘7 years too late’

Parents are bringing their children for their first trip to the dentist seven years too late, an international conference has heard.

Dr John Walsh, dean of the faculty of dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said the average age of an Irish child’s first visit to the dentist is eight.

Ideally, he told the RCSI faculty of dentistry annual scientific meeting, a child’s introductory trip to the dentist should take place before their first birthday.

“Children who do not visit the dentist at an early age can experience significant setbacks in terms of dental health,” said Dr Walsh.

“Baby teeth guide adult teeth into their correct position and early loss of baby teeth can result in orthodontic problems later in life.

“Research has shown that fixing decayed first teeth results in better sleep patterns for children, better performance in schools, and most importantly, less orthodontic treatments later in life. I would urge parents to take this on board, and ensure their children see a dentist as early as possible in their lives,” he said.

The ‘Small Beginnings, Big Outcomes’ discussion heard that by the time an Irish child presents for their first dental check-up, there can already be substantial decay and damage to their teeth. This can cause a number of issues for the child’s teeth, including infection, swelling, and discomfort, which can lead to eating and sleeping difficulties.

The conference also heard that a recent study from the University of Michigan, which examined smiling patterns of children, relative to the presence of dental decay, concluded poor oral health was “significantly related to children’s smiling patterns”. The study argues that some children were not smiling as much as others due to the condition of their teeth.

The conference, held in conjunction with the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry, hosted 440 delegates, including 200 US-trained paediatric dentists, who travelled to Dublin for the event.

Speakers included Dr Rob Delarosa, immediate past-president of the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry and a world expert in children’s dentistry, Dr Paul Casamassimo, and Dr Jessica Lee.

Dr Walsh has written the fourth edition of Healthy Teeth for Life, a guide for child dental health, which is published by the Irish Dental Health Foundation.

The 15-page guide includes advice on teething, diet and snacks, cleaning, and advice on how to nurture a cavity-free child.

www.dentalhealth.ie