Tooth Decay In Children On The Rise: Dentists Regularly See Kids With Cavities

A recent New York Times article has parents of toddlers and young kids running for their Crest tubes -- it says that tooth decay in kids as young as 2 is becoming more and more common. Dentists regularly see preschoolers with ten cavities at a time, and the problem is "so severe, that many kids require that they often recommend using general anesthesia because young children are unlikely to sit through such extensive procedures while they are awake."

The Times spotlights Devon Koester, a 2-and-a-half-year-old, who had 11 cavities in 20 of his baby teeth. His dentist had to extract two incisors, perform a root canal on a molar, and put fillings and crowns on the remaining teeth.

And Koester isn't unique. The LA Times reports that over 50% of children will have some tooth decay by the age of 5 and that oral infection is the number one chronic disease in kids.

Dentists say the reasons for this growing issue aren't hard to pinpoint. According to The Times, severe tooth decay in young kids can be caused by:

"...endless snacking and juice or other sweet drinks at bedtime, parents who choose bottled water rather than fluoridated tap water for their children, and a lack of awareness that infants should, according to pediatric experts, visit a dentist by age 1 to be assessed for future cavity risk, even though they may have only a few teeth.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC's chief medical editor spoke to the issue yesterday morning on the "Today" show. She said that while brushing twice a day isn't a new recommendation, many kids don't get into this habit. Mom of Owen Wilford, 5, who had two cavities in two weeks, said her son hating brushing his teeth, so it was a battle. Snyderman points out, it's a battle worth fighting.

She offers advice to avoid decay in children's teeth:

"Besides brushing, if you want to limit your child's problems, limit the number of cavities, well, guess what? Sit down, cut down on the snacks, all the sweet stuff -- raisins, which parents pack have a lot of sugar in them. And tap water is a great natural source of fluoride. We have turned to bottled water increasingly, good old-fashioned tap water is great."

Kathleen Roth, president of the American Dental Association, told ABC News in 2007 that because parents give kids so much juice and bottled water, they're not getting fluoride from tap water that "has traditionally kept kids' teeth strong." Roth reiterates that fluoride is crucial in preventing dental disease.

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Comments

[UrbanDentist]

07:16 AM on 06/30/2012

this is just sad. we need to do a better job taking care of our kids teeth. I believe that this is the most important age to train and educate our kids in proper oral care. Its like training them to make it a habit of them to take good care of their teeth. If at this age they already have a bad teeth, what more when they grow up? A bad foundation to proper oral care results in many teeth problems. Ive stumbled on a site, http://www.teethcenter.com/ that has many info on different teeth problems and conditions, its a good read and would be helpful in gaining knowledge to better educate our children and make them take care of their teeth.

[Dan Lighter]

01:22 AM on 05/08/2012

Hi,
It is always difficult to deal with children. Your blog provide very helpful tips for child dental care. I follow teeth care guide to take dental care of my family. It is really very helpful.
Thanks for sharing these great tips with us.

[Anna Dane]

07:37 PM on 03/21/2012

There is nothing natural about fluoride in water or salt or tooth paste or anything else. Fluoride is a by-product of the aluminum industry, it's to expensive to dispose of so it gets shoved down our and our childrens throats and we're actually paying for it. If you read the warning label on your tooth paste you'll find that it's poisonous to children if swallowed. Also, please do some research on fluoride poisoning in Cornwall Island cattle before giving fluoride to your children telling them how good it's for them.

[huntmor]

09:20 PM on 03/12/2012

And people complaining about price. It is cheaper to take your child and your self in for regular visits twice a year at $50-$75 a visit then to have to pay several thousands when you did not do regular visits and cavities were not caught and treated one or two at a time and the child not needing sedation. It's the sedation that cost a lot. There is no reason no can not save that amount to go the dentist. Even old adults, dentist catch things that might not have been caught if they do not visit their family doctors on regular visits, such as hypertension, sugar problems, etc.

SO everyone stop whinning and be a responsible adult and take you and your child to the dentist twice a year!!!There are some people who know they have problems with their teeth and gums that they go more frequent than that!!

[huntmor]

09:18 PM on 03/12/2012

You guys don't understand, the ones who says "well they are just going to fall out anyway, why fix them?" Those teeth are supposed to be in those kids mouth to between the ages of 10 to 12 years old for molars. It effects their how permant coming in (they will be crowding and need braces and maybe more oral surgery), how they eat (with no front teeth they can not bite food, they other teeth are for grinding and chewing) and many of them of the children are in pain. How would you like your child to run around with no front teeth for 5 years because your 2 yo was being difficult to brush? Who is the parent and who is the child? If you have never seen a child with an abcessed tooth, you would then change you mind, Their whole face swells up, including their eyes and they can be given antibiotics and tylenol but it takes several days to work. All it takes is simple brushing their teeth after they eat, juice or soda only when they eat, then brush, only water in sippy cups, off bottle by age 1 and sippy cups not far behind and nothing to bed.

[Veluriel]

02:34 AM on 03/12/2012

Kids can only eat what their parents buy/make for them. They don't have money, and unless they're consuming copious amounts of snacks at friends' houses...

I don't really know what to say. I was told to brush my teeth or I'd get cavities. I was explained why I didn't want cavities. I brushed my teeth.
--
"a 2-and-a-half-year-old, who had 11 cavities in 20 of his baby teeth. His dentist had to extract two incisors, perform a root canal on a molar, and put fillings and crowns on the remaining teeth."

Huh? He's going to lose them anyway, what's the point of all of that? Also, maybe he had some kind of predisposition for cavities. I know my mother has had a lot of fillings despite not eating much sweets and brushing regularly. It happens. But yeah, where were his parents?

[StephenJK]

01:25 AM on 03/12/2012

"The Times spotlights Devon Koester, a 2-and-a-half-year-old, who had 11 cavities in 20 of his baby teeth. His dentist had to extract two incisors, perform a root canal on a molar, and put fillings and crowns on the remaining teeth."

On a 2.5 year old child whose teeth will eventually fall out. This is amazing. Those cavities left alone would have probably given the child no problems until they fell out on their own. A root canal on baby teeth? Root canals are notoriously horrible procedures that yield nearly zero benefit and always have you coming back to the chair for more. Why not just inject the fluoride straight into our brains. Who knows, maybe it strengthens neurons, too. We just need a few guinea pigs.

[tamthebrat1978]

03:32 PM on 03/10/2012

I think another big problem since on top of teeth splitting from loss of calcium I have extensive decay due maxillary sinus issues because I let too many sinus infections heal on their own instead of getting proper antibiotics. Well most children are not treated with antibiotics anymore for sinus infections, which going untreated can lead to infections which will destroy your teeth, and vise versa decay can lead to sinus infections, but alot of times it starts in the sinuses then affects the teeth.

[evergreen lover]

03:13 PM on 03/10/2012

great grandmother in nebraska died at 97. claims she never had a headache? but the fact is she had every tooth in her head and not a single cavity.i'm sure it's the water and certain minerals in it.this depends on where you live.

[keedyk87]

12:39 PM on 03/10/2012

Couldn't we do the same thing to white or processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup as we did with Cigarettes? Or are those Corporations giving a whole lot in payoffs to the right Government People? It is sickening to watch mmy country go down to the God of PROFITS. If the HEALTH and FULFILLMENTof ALL of the PEOPLE was the goal insted of Gluttonous PROFITS for a FEW what a wonderful world this would be! Heck it even sounds like Christianity!

[randinoel]

12:31 PM on 03/10/2012

I dont want to hear any b.s from ppl who are not parents. You guys do not understand so go back to your carefree lives, please. Tooth decay is not a form of neglect in some cases. My son suffered from a rare form of bacteria, which can end up traveling from tooth to tooth.

[Margaret Finch]

03:55 PM on 03/10/2012

My son had many cavities due to the same kind of bacterial infection. He needed extensive work. I felt a lot of shame. We never drank juice, ate junk etc. and yet people judged. It's too easy to judge. It's been humbling.

[keedyk87]

12:29 PM on 03/10/2012

Those who switched from Tap to Bottled water then had to see if the type of plastic used in the bottles could leech into the water and create health problems. Wouldn't it be nice if the F.D.A. paid as much attention to focusing on protecting American citizens from ill health as they do getting Corporate pay offs from hiding or ignoring the truth? Sure would save us a lot of time and add years to our health!

[randinoel]

12:28 PM on 03/10/2012

my son had this issue for a long time and it was so embarassing and painful to watch him go through fillings and extractions, at 2 years old.

[maxyz3]

11:16 AM on 03/10/2012

Many people with children do not have the money to afford to go to a dentist. When the dentist can charge $150.00 for a filling and at probably 50 cents of material is outragiouse!
Many children are suffering terrable pain every day because the dentist are to expensive.
These Dr.s need to stop worrying about lining their pockets and while getting rich are causing a great injustice for the children also adults that are suffering. It is about the almighty dollar..the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Huffington post will probably delete this because it is the truth.

[Solo6383]

12:23 PM on 03/10/2012

There's no excuse even if you're poor. Until 4 months ago because our income was so low we qualified for Medicaid which covered our daughter's dental care. Then we both got higher paying jobs which took us out of the Medicaid income bracket, but still qualified for MIChild which in Michigan is very cheap medical and dental insurance for kids. It was only $12/month. Yes it sucks to be on welfare (I'm glad that we're not anymore) but I would like to think that any hassle is worth it if it means your kid is healthier.

[maxyz3]

01:33 PM on 03/10/2012

I am talking about myself from having 62 years experiance with dentist. I am disabled and so is my husband who is also retired.
I live in Mass. and the Mass Health insurance does not have dental care.

[grannycrtb]

11:08 AM on 03/10/2012

I'm glad my kids grew up in a community with a fluoridated water supply. When we moved to the country with our own well, my pediatrician gave them a fluoride supplement. Maybe those who give their children bottled water should consider this alternative.

[You are so wrong]

11:34 AM on 03/10/2012

Also, KMart has a brand of bottled water with Flouride and another company does too.. Google it.

[grannycrtb]

01:18 PM on 03/10/2012

Thanks for the info. I'll pass it on for my grandkids.

[gizz4mo1]

11:44 PM on 06/24/2012

you should think about the risks of fluoride....
"In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences released a report recommending that the EPA lower its maximum allowable level of fluoride in drinking water. The report warned severe fluorosis could occur at 2 parts per million. Also, a majority of the report's authors said a lifetime of drinking water with fluoride at 4 parts per million or higher could raise the risk of broken bones."

"In addition, in 2005, the heads of 11 EPA unions, including ones representing the agency's scientists, pleaded with the EPA to reduce the permissible level of fluoride in water to zero, citing research suggesting it can cause cancer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/07/fluoride-water-causing-te_n_805706.html