Hospitals may not be the most obvious place for children to have dental treatment, but every year thousands of Australian families are having to do just that. This Dental Health Week (5-11 August) dentists are saying most of these dental conditions could have been prevented.
The latest results from the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) Consumer Survey of 25,000 people reveals a litany of factors contributing to infant and child tooth decay – from excessive sugary drink consumption including fruit juice and soft drinks, to not starting dental visits early enough, to not accessing government-funded free dental entitlements and only taking children to the family dentist when there’s a problem.
Data from the ADA’s data source the Children and Young People Oral Health Tracker shows nearly 11 in every 1,000 children aged 5-9 are hospitalized for potentially preventable problems due to dental conditions. For Indigenous children this rises to 14.3 per 1,000 children. It also found only 56 per cent of children visit the dentist before age 5.
‘Often it’s a case of people just not being aware of all the facts and that’s why Dental Health Week is important – so that the key messages about looking after children’s teeth gets out to thousands of families, and kids have the best start in life when it comes to dental health,’ said ADA Oral Health Promoter Dr Mikaela Chinotti.
Misconception
The ADA’s Consumer Survey’s new findings uncover a widely held misconception about when parents think children are meant to have their first dental visit:
- 5 per cent said before 12 months.
- 20 per cent said at 1 year old.
- 42 per cent at 2 years old.
- 19 per cent 3 years old.
- 4 per cent at 4 years old.
However, dentists recommend the first dental visit when an infant’s first tooth or teeth emerge, typically before or around age one. Unfortunately, one third of parents reported their child’s first visit was for pain or a problem.
‘A first dental visit for a tooth ache may create a negative first experience. We don’t want that to be your child’s introduction to the dentist. It’s important to see the dentist even if you think your child’s teeth are healthy,’ said Dr Chinotti.
For families eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, there’s no reason to delay the first dental visit with children up to 17 years eligible. This is a means-tested government funded entitlement of $1,095 (per child) for dental work every two years. Children are considered eligible if:
- they are under 18 years of age.
- they are eligible for Medicare, and
- the parent or child receives a payment from the Government that makes them eligible. Payments include Family Tax Benefit Part A, Parenting payment or Double Orphan Pension payments.
Prevention is better than cure
The great news is that problems like tooth decay, if picked up early, can be controlled fairly simply (for example with fluoride applications) before they become established and cause trouble.
Leaving it till the teeth hurt or break down means simpler interventions are unlikely to work and more complex treatment may be needed.
Tooth decay remains an issue for Australian kids with 34 per cent aged 5-6 years having experienced decay in primary or baby teeth and 27 per cent aged 5-10 years having untreated tooth decay in primary teeth.
Sugary drinks undoubtedly contribute to this problem. The Consumer Survey showed that while 85 per cent of parents are aware soft drinks, energy drinks and fruit juice lead to decay, 26 per cent of children nevertheless have fruit juice daily, 37 per cent have 2-5 fruit juices a week, and 37 per cent have 2-5 soft drinks a week (not necessarily the same kids).
‘As a parent I know that sometimes we think we’re being kind to our kids by giving them a sweet treat. But most sugary drinks have no nutritional value,’ said Dr Mikaela Chinotti.
‘These choices are not being kind to them in the long run. Sugar causes decay and when left untreated, can result in physical pain and time off school for children as well as financial pain and time off work for parents or carers.’
The ADA survey highlights that while parents understand that fruit juice has sugar, they think juices have health benefits. This is promoted in the advertising and labelling of these products, aimed purposely to mislead parents.
The truth is that they offer little nutritional benefit – kids are better off having a piece of fresh fruit rather than drinking shop-bought juice.
