Importance of Oral Health in a Child - Essay Example

The care for primary teeth has not given emphasis because of the fact that primary teeth are just temporary and will be replaced later by permanent teeth. For this reason, tooth decay among children is not new. Bacterial respiration or acids from the diet could cause tooth decay in children. The oral hygiene and care, and diet of the child could highly influence the rate and occurrence of tooth decay. Mahoney and Kilpatrick stated that oral medications such as mouthwash and toothpaste affect the rate of tooth decay.

The high acidity and the presence of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), which is known as a dematerializing agent, in mouthwash make the mouthwash a possible cause of tooth wear. Their study also showed that the low pH of medicine such as asthma medicine of children increased tooth wear. Furthermore, they mentioned that the abrasion caused by brushing of teeth followed by intake of relatively acidic beverages showed an increased rate of tooth decay. According to Marshall et al., there are high occurrences of tooth caries in children who have frequent consumption of soda pops as compared to milk and 100% pure fruit juice.

They concluded that sweet beverages, particularly soda pops, caused high dental caries occurrences. Moreover, the drinks sweetened with sucrose could cause higher dental problems as compared to drinks sweetened with different kinds of sugar like fructose (e186). In the study of Mariri et al., antibiotics' influence on dental caries was tested. The effect of antibiotics on caries occurrences was not established as compared to fluoride that showed a significant decrease in dental caries (49). In the areas where water distributed has added fluorine- through fluoridation, the oral health of children is better as compared to areas that are not fluoridated.

In the study of Lee and Dennison, the fluoridation of water in Canterbury leads to the healthier oral status of children as compared to water in Wellington, New Zealand, which is not fluoridated (10). Although brushing can cause tooth abrasion, proper brushing and appropriate kind and quality of toothbrush can minimize this effect on children. Still, deciduous tooth caries occurrences were primarily due to frequent consumption of food diets rich in sugar ( Mariri et al. 49). Regular brushing of teeth also showed a significant decrease in dental caries due to rich in fluoride toothpaste usage.

The oral care of children should be emphasized. The dental health status of children is important and should be monitored and maintained. The oral health of children will primarily dictate the dental health status of their later development. Furthermore, it will also affect their school performance, character building, physical appearance, and emotional development as a whole. Children with healthy deciduous teeth will have a healthy appetite, healthy body, and healthy smile, ready to face their future.