15
Volume1 Issue1
|
CDA
at
W
ork
FirstVisit,
FirstTooth:
Celebrating the First Visit to the Dentist
Dr.MitchTaillon
Chairof theCDA
AccesstoCare
WorkingGroup
Children’soralhealthhas improvedsignificantlyover thepast fewdecades,
reflecting the success of prevention and early intervention programs.
Despite thesegains, caries remainsprevalent and, in somecases, can lead
tohospitalization.According toa recent report from theCanadian Institute
for Health Information,
1
dental surgery to treat early childhood caries
accounts for aboutone-thirdof all day surgery forpreschoolers.
That’s why CDA supports a first visit to the dentist by age 1 (or within 6
months of thefirst tootheruption) as abest practice tohelp reduceearly
childhoodcaries.
A child’s first visit to the dentist is an important milestone
and should be celebrated. It’s an opportunity for parents to
integrateoral healthcare routines intooverall healthpractices
and have a personalized caries risk assessment performed
for their child. After all, oral health begins at birth and an
investment in a child’s oral health is an investment in lifelong
health. Ideally, children should see a dentist before their first
birthday and regularly thereafter—just like regular checkups
with theirpediatricianor familydoctor.
Asdentists,wesee the ravagingeffectsofearlychildhoodcaries
first-hand. We have a responsibility to help educate parents
about preventive measures. Parents should be reminded
that their child’soral health is linked tooverall healthand that
dental visits should begin during an infant’s first year. They
mayneed tips toeffectivelybrush theirchild’s teethandgums;
information on appropriate nutrition, snacks and drinks for
their toddler; or a reminder to refrain from sending their child
tobedwithabottle.Asyouknow, institutinggoodoralhealth
care habits as early as the first year candramatically improve
achild’soral healthandcreatea solid foundation for ahealthy
mouth for years tocome.
Through the CDA Access to Care Working Group, CDA and provincial
dental associations havedeveloped a strategy to focus on reducing early
childhood caries. Using a combination of tactics, including traditional
media, social media, public education programs, and continuing
educationopportunities, theworkinggroup aims to launch collaborative
andcoordinatedefforts asearlyasmid-2014 topromoteandencouragea
first visitbyageone.
a
Reference
1
Canadian Institute forHealth Information.
TreatmentofPreventableDentalCavities inPreschoolers:AFocusonDaySurgery
UnderGeneralAnesthesia
[accessed2014Feb21].Available:www.cihi.ca
First visit to thedentist byage1,
orwithin6monthsof eruption
of first tooth.
CDABESTPRACTICE
