Leading Studies Report an Increase in Child Cavities

May 7, 2012 - PRLog -- Unfortunately in the US an alarming increase in childhood cavities have been reported.  A recent study conducted found that from 1999-2004 the rate at which cavities occurred in babies teeth has increased to 28%.  “Frankly, this number is startling and needs to be addresses at home and in the schools,” says one local elementary school teacher.  This national trend points to unhealthy dental hygiene and excessive sugar in the diets of children.  
One poll taken, to find out how many parents brushed their children’s teeth on a daily basis and alarmingly only 17% admitted to brushing daily and only 2% brushed twice a day in children under 3.  Many parents are under the belief that since these teeth are not permanent they are not as important; however, this is not true.  Poor dental hygiene in children will lead to premature rotting teeth and thus have to be treated with fillings or extraction.  While treatment is an option, preventative measures lead to good habits for the future.  Not to mention putting unnecessary risks on your child if they need to be sedated for tooth extraction.  “While none of this is generally life threatening the overall goal of any parent should be to give their children a good healthy lifestyle habits and practicing poor hygiene at an early age is not a good way to do that,” says a concerned parent in Miami FL.
Other factors that have a contributing factor, is Candy and Soda vending machines in Schools; as of late, most of the elementary school have removed the vending machines or replaced them with nutritional options.  Other concerns among one local group of women have been reports of young children selling candy in the classroom or on the bus to other children for a profit.  While some may praise the young spirit of entrepreneurship, others may consider this another threat to their child’s wellbeing and want this trend to stop.  None the less, the education of implications of cavities in baby teeth has increased over the last couple of years, so experts predict the percentages to decrease in the future; as many parents did not take their children’s hygiene serious due to not being educated on the topic and not because they didn’t care.
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