​FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

(Placerville, CA) – February is National Kid’s Dental Health Month. The El Dorado County Public Health Division’s Oral Health Program is concentrated this month on reminding children and oldsters that good oral health starts early and includes healthy selections. “While going to the dentist for normal check ups and cleanings is at all times vital for kids, listening to things resembling the drinks they devour also can make an enormous difference for good oral health,” said Andrea Lindner Jones, Health Educator with the Oral Health Program.

In response to Lindner Jones, frequently encouraging children to drink water as a substitute of sugary drinks resembling soda is one strategy to make a positive difference in a baby’s oral health. “Sugar binds with bacteria and forms acid which attacks teeth and continues to accomplish that for as much as 20 minutes after consuming sugary drinks,” said Lindner Jones. “The acid formed by sugar dissolves the outer surface of tooth enamel, causing cavities to form and damage the teeth. Tooth decay also can result in more serious oral health issues. Avoiding sugary drinks is a crucial key to good oral health for everybody and particularly children.”

Data from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that greater than half of kids aged 6 to eight have had a cavity in at the very least one among their baby (primary) teeth, and greater than half of adolescents aged 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at the very least one among their everlasting teeth. Children aged 5 to 19 years from low-income families are also twice as likely (25%) to have cavities, compared with children from higher-income households (11%).

Suggestions for good oral health include the next:

• Eliminate or reduce sugary drinks
• Select water and add flavor with infusion of fruit, vegetables, or herbs
• Frequently see the dentist, with visits for kids every 6 months, and adults at the very least yearly
• Brush teeth at the very least 2 times a day for two minutes, and floss at the very least once a day
• Encourage children to rinse with water after each meal and/or snack

“Fluoride also can help prevent about one-third of cavities in primary teeth,” said Lindner Jones. “If water just isn’t fluoridated, complement with regular fluoride applications and/or use toothpastes that contain fluoride.”

The Oral Health Program (El Dorado Smiles) serves El Dorado and Alpine counties, and works with community health, youth and repair organizations, private dentists, schools, and area people groups to enhance the oral health of residents. During Kid’s Dental Health Month, this system might be conducting quite a few outreach events throughout the counties and providing health education materials to Early Learning programs, amongst other activities.

Ongoing school-based dental programs in El Dorado County include a kid’s dental van that rotates to numerous schools to serve children in need, and in-class screenings for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Additional details about El Dorado County’s Oral Health Program could be found online at https://edcgov.us/Government/PublicHealth/oral-health-program. Members of the Oral Health Team may also be reached by phone at (530) 621-4000 or by email at ElDoradoSmiles@edcgov.us.

The Public Health Division and Oral Health Program are a part of the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). For more information in regards to the many programs and services of HHSA, please visit: http://www.edcgov.us/hhsa.

# # #