‘Children as young as two and three are being admitted to hospital for extractions under general anaesthetic, which is why we need to reach families early to provide support on prevention,’ Claire Stevens, a consultant in paediatric dentistry and president of BSPD (British Society of Paediatric Dentistry), said.

Dental Check by 1 (DChby1) is an initiative targeted at encouraging parents to bring their children in for dental check us as soon as the first tooth erupts, or by the age of one. This can be for a multitude of reasons:

1. A parent can get their child used to, or acclimatized to seeing the dentist
2. Prevention of decay in teeth at the earliest opportunity
3. Reinforcing oral hygiene such as tip and tricks for parents supervising young children’s oral health
4. To check that the teeth and mouth are developing normally
5. Encouraging regular visits to the dentist so that if problems arise, they can be managed earlier.

In the News

Unfortunately, the oral health gap continues to grow between children in rich and poor areas. In the BDJ (2018), the latest National Dental Inspection Progress Report in Scotland published in October 2018 demonstrates that in a survey of 16,814 pupils, in Scotland’s least deprived areas, 86% of children had no decayed, missing or filled teeth compared with 56% in the most deprived areas. Initiatives such as the Childsmile programme aim to tackle health inequalities at the earliest opportunity such as nursery and school, by providing prevention programmes (such as fluoride varnish applications by dental professionals), but what is to stop promoting oral health as soon as teeth erupt?

 

It’s all about Starting Well

Plenty of resources exist for patients as well as the general public in order to promote oral health at the earliest opportunity, as well as encouraging young children to visit the dentist. Examples of resources produced by the FGDP include

1. Public education posters https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1t4xuu3u370y2pm/AADYEFikuwaJriBAgYj2RAZga/2.%20Public-facing%20posters?dl=0&preview=2.2+Dental+Check+by+One.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1, which also includes information about bottle feeding, prevention of ‘monster teeth’, and practicing prevention, as well as change4life information about instilling healthy snack consumption as part of oral health
2. Information for patients and the public- https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1t4xuu3u370y2pm/AADYEFikuwaJriBAgYj2RAZga/2.%20Public-facing%20posters?dl=0&preview=2.2+Dental+Check+by+One.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1

Which hones in on important information on a child’s first dental visit, dental certificates and tooth brushing charts, as well as useful interactive apps for further advice and information.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1t4xuu3u370y2pm/AAA6zgo1oN42IuVbHYM-CoM4a/3.%20Leaflets%20for%20patients%20and%20the%20public?dl=0&preview=3.5+Smiles4MyChild+-+my+first+dental+visit.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1t4xuu3u370y2pm/AAA6zgo1oN42IuVbHYM-CoM4a/3.%20Leaflets%20for%20patients%20and%20the%20public?dl=0&preview=3.6+My+first+visit+to+the+dentist+certificate.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1

 

Because baby teeth DO matter!!

As soon as a child’s teeth erupts, a small amount of toothpaste and a soft, small headed toothbrush should be used to encourage good oral health, and prevent problems associated with poor oral hygiene and a high sugar intake diet. Whilst baby teeth will be replaced by the permanent dentition, it is important to protect the baby teeth from an early age, so as to prevent pain, swelling, tooth decay and toothache, which can be debilitating for children and adults alike. Premature loss of baby teeth due to decay or infection can have negative impact on a child’s permanent teeth, like damage to them specifically or needing braces in the future. With all of the resources available to us, isn’t prevention better than cure?

 

7 Top tips for tiny teeth

1. Take  your  child  to  the  dentist  as  soon  as  their  first  tooth  starts  to  come  through  and  regularly  after  that.
2. NHS  dental  care  is  free  for  mums  for  the  first  year  after  baby  is  born  and  for  all  children  up  to  18  years.
3. Just a smear of family toothpaste is enough for under 3s
4. No need to rinse the toothpaste away with water- fluoride is good for the teeth and spitting out and not rinsing with water is recommended
5. For babies under one year, give only unsweetened milk or plain water in the last hour before bed
6. From the age of one, avoid bottle drinks feeding and use an open cup for drinks
7. Avoid leaving your baby feeding with a bottle in their mouth when they are asleep

 

 

 

Resources

https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2018.48

https://www.dentistry.co.uk/2017/09/22/dental-check-one-national-campaign-launched/

https://www.bspd.co.uk/Patients/Dental-Check-by-One

https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2017/06/28/health-matters-your-questions-on-child-dental-health/