The address determines whether your child has cavities

Few parents think that their place of residence may influence whether their children have tooth decay or not. A new Danish study shows that there is a significant correlation between children's and young people's residence and the risk of caries (tooth decay), writes Tandlægebladet.

Fluoride concentration in the tap water that comes out of taps in the home can have a decisive influence on their children's caries. Children who live in Jutland, has twice as likely to have cavities as children who live in the southeastern part of Zealand and Lolland-Falster, Moen and Bornholm, where fluoride concentrations are highest.

There are significant differences in fluoride concentration in drinking water, depending on where you are in the country. If you live as a child or young in an area where a high concentration of fluoride in drinking water, it may mean that the risk of tooth decay can be half as large as in an area where the fluorine content is low - for example in West Jutland where the risk of tooth decay is up to twice as large as the areas where the fluoride concentration is highest. The more fluoride in the water, the fewer holes.
The survey was conducted among 48,351 children in the 5-year age and 43,848 15-year-olds across the country.

Here you can see what the fluoride content in drinking water is in your area. Click on the image to see larger photo.

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Read more in Tandlægebladet No. 6 2010 or www.tandlaegebladet.dk

"Sweet" cultural background affects young children caries

If mom and dad have a short training or non-Western background, the risk of caries in children significantly higher than in average. It shows a new Norwegian study, published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

In the study, 523 children by dental examination, while parents answering questions about socio-economic conditions and about their own dental habits. In the group of parents with non-western background and brief training had children, respectively, nine and twelve times greater risk of incipient caries in tooth enamel and bone. This is due to an excessive sugar intake and lacked regular brushing.

Non-Western background and brief training
"In the group parents with non-western background and brief training had children nine and 12 times as likely to have incipient caries in enamel and dentin. But the confidence intervals for these probabilities were quite large, ie. subject to some uncertainty - and one should also note that it is about 24 children out of a total 523, "says Dorthe Holst, professor of samfundsodontologi at Oslo University, adding:

"Evidence suggests that there is a 'sweet' and not too systematic toothbrush culture behind the numbers. Toddlers culture in some non-western families are different from what is now characterizes most of the Nordic. We also find high cariesaktivitet among Norwegian children, but rather it is a most assembly than a cultural challenge. Fortunately, studies of the same problem, among 14-16-year-old children and adolescents in Oslo, showed that the differences are erased. A good and respectful communication with the current risk families should be able to give good results. "

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Read more in Tandlægebladet No. 4 2010 or www.tandlaegebladet.dk

Absences involving risk of caries in children

Absences from dental contracts, dental phobia and parents who avoids dental treatment are risk factors for the development of caries in children, according to a new Swedish study. The study includes more than 500 children and their parents.

The Swedish authors conclude that children who have a history with no-shows and having parents who fail when it comes to respect children's dental contracts - they have an increased risk for having developed caries as five years.

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Read more in Tandlægebladet No. 2 2010 or www.tandlaegebladet.dk

Tooth decay is transmitted from adults to children

It's probably very few mothers who know the composition of bacteria in their saliva and probably even fewer who know that this affects their child's dental health for life. Kisses and hugs are fine, but contact in an exchange of saliva can transmit "cariesbakterier" from mother to child. Parents should be better informed, is the assessment of Professor at the School of Dentistry in Copenhagen Svante Twetman.

Mothers pass on bacteria to their children
People who have very caries, often have a specific bacterial composition. And this "cariesbakterier" can thus be infectious. Studies show that bacteria in infants in more than 70 percent of cases of maternal origin, but the infection can also occur from other relatives or for example in a nursery environment.

Mothers with many "cariesbakterier" are at high risk of transmitting these to their children by example, sharing the place with their children or taste the baby bottle. The earlier a child is exposed to cariesbakterier, the greater is the risk that the bacteria establish a permanent and on a large scale. Thus there is an increased risk of the child developing caries in preschool, writes Tandlægebladet.

According to Professor Svante Twetman these are first and foremost to avoid direct saliva contact. One should as parents avoid taking the child's pacifier or other things that must go into the baby mouth, into his own mouth. One should not, for example try baby food temperature in his own mouth. And you should not soak the nipple, or "make clean" by taking it in his mouth.

Another measure which the mother can take is to try to reduce its level of cariesbakterier. Based on multiple independent studies highlight Svante Twetman that, "the mother can treat themselves antibacterial by rinsing the mouth with klorhexidinopløsning, or she may choose to chew xylitol chewing gum in the period until the child's first tooth eruption."

He stresses that there is some evidence that dental health in children can be improved if dental staff gives future and new parents information and advice on how to avoid transmission of cariesbakterier for her child.

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Read more in Dentistry Magazine No. 12 2009 or www.tandlaegebladet.dk .

Professor advises against the recommendation of sugarless gum

EU experts have recognized chewing gum with xylitol as a preventive against caries. But now, warns a professor from the School of Dentistry in Copenhagen against over-interpretation of the message that sugarless gum with xylitol reduces the risk of tooth decay in children.

A group of experts from the European Food Safety Authority has found that xylitol chewing gum reduces the risk of cariesudvikling in children. And thus there would be scientific evidence to say that sugar-free gum containing polyols (xylitol and sorbitol), reduces the risk of getting cavities.

But now, warns Professor Svante Twetman from the School of Dentistry in Copenhagen, which Tandlægebladet have asked for an interpretation of the message that sugarless gum with xylitol reduces the risk of tooth decay in children, and the professor does not believe that we should recommend the Danish children chewing gum to prevent tooth decay.

Industrial interests and inadequate documentation
Svante Twetman points out that the EU experts' conclusion is based on reports that in many cases have been initiated on the basis of industrial interests. And that the studies underlying this conclusion is of most varied quality scientifically. Among other things, the previous work and field studies from Latin America included, and it is studies of Twetman lacks validity for Danish conditions.

Professor Svante Twetman therefore believe that the evidence of xylitol's preventive effect against dental caries is inadequate. And he also lacks a health economic evaluation of chewing gum from holes. A careful calculation shows that prevention of even a single hole will require 4,000 to 5,000 pieces of gum. And since the risk of tooth decay among Danish children are already very low, there is a need to reduce this risk with xylitoltilskud.

No recommendations lack of knowledge
Svante Twetman will not rule out that sugar free gum with xylitol and sorbitol may have a beneficial effect on dental health. It stimulates saliva development and it can not be excluded that xylitol and sorbitol can affect the oral environment in a positive direction.

Svante Twetman suggest it as a possible adjunct to the treatment that you normally use to stop the development of a hole in a tooth in children and adolescents with high risk of tooth decay, such as fluoride treatment, and painting. But he also stresses that as long as there are gaps in our knowledge of such optimal dose can be given a general recommendation of chewing gum with xylitol and sorbitol.

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The full article can be read in Tandlægebladet No. 6 2009 or www.tandlaegebladet.dk

Can the state / municipality to cover my dental bill?

Question:

Since I have many silver fillings and equal to 5 min.siden has cracked another tooth, I would like to hear about the dentist at the state / municipality will cover my tandlægeregnig since I am getting tired of that must have their teeth with someone in plastik.Har not had a hole in my teeth since I left school some years ago and not at the time Kune go to the dentist without having holes being drilled and filled a few silver in my tænder.Har as difficult to think I may be the only one with this problem.Dette is just a polite request.

Mvh.Susanne

Answer:

Dear Susanne

I understand you're frustrated. But the teeth wear out with age, and it is quite normal to the crack over time, especially when they have been drilled before. The reason may be caries or infraktion in the tooth.

You could search the municipality for funding for dental care. Then you and your dentist make a treatment plan that says what treatments are necessary and how much they cost. This must be included when applying for grants. It is individually where / or if you get some money for treatment, and this is taken into consideration the type of income you have.

Hope you can use my answer.

Sincerely

Dentist Joan Olsen

www.tandpleje.dk / letterbox

Tandpleje.dk ™ - The road to healthier teeth

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Dental health among Greenlandic young children alarming

Dental health among Greenlandic children and young people are so poor that toddlers as young as one year of age are milk teeth pulled out.

"We can often remove bad teeth due to advanced caries in young children," says dentist George Ramstedt Jensen Tasiilaq.

"If you do not fit in his teeth, you can get pneumonia, and this goes not only beyond the teeth but also the rest of the body are affected," said dental assistant Johanne Hansen KNR.

A few years ago the regular dental rinse with fluoride stopped in Tasiilaq, and children and young people have not had regular dental examinations or training in toothbrushing.
Tasiilaq is planning to offer all school children have regular dental examinations and instruction in brushing. And now reintroduce the regular fluorine rinses in children.

Nationwide cariesstrategi
The Greenland Home Rule launched else in 2006 a nationwide strategy against caries called Cariesstrategi Greenland from 2008 to 2012 , as part of the Public Health Programme Inuuneritta . The strategic plan aimed, among other things by intensifying efforts for prevention of caries, and it should be mandatory by 1 January 2008 with systematic dental treatment for the population, or at least a systematic dental care for children and young people, if there should be sufficient capacity or finances to the entire population.

The National Tandbørstedag
As a direct cause of the poor dental health among the population of Greenland, introduced the Greenland Home Rule, 18 april 2007, the first country in the world, a national tandbørstedag. National Tandbørstedag in Greenland is 18 april.