Worldental Daily New Delhi, 12 September 2014

News Friday, 12 September 2014 “Itisamatterofsocialjusticeandhumanrights” Prof.FranciscoRamos-Gomezaboutthefightagainstearlychildhoodcariesandwhatmeasurescouldhelptoeradicatethediseaseinthelong-run 6 www.fdiworldental.org E arlychildhoodcariesisahighly transmissible disease that can be prevented almost entirely, if the right measures are taken at the right time. A new policy guideline on “perinatal and infant oral health”, whichhasbeeninthemakingforfour years and submitted for adoption at the General Assembly of this year’s FDI congress in New Delhi, aims to provide guidance and recommenda- tions for oral health care providers in the dental care of pregnant women andyoungchildren.WorldentalDaily spoke with Prof. Francisco Ramos- Gomez, professor in the Division of PaediatricDentistryattheUniversity ofCaliforniainLosAngeles,USA,and oneoftheauthorsofthepolicy,about its implications for the prevalence of dental disease during childhood and the future of the dental profession as awhole. I Worldental Daily: Prof. Ramos- Gomez,earlychildhoodcaries(ECC)is estimated to be concentrated in only 30–40 per cent of children worldwide. Whatdoweknowabouthowprevalent thediseaseisincountrieslikeIndia? Prof.FranciscoRamos-Gomez:Un- fortunately, there are only very preva- lence few reports that include data fromchildrenaged3to5,asmostofthe surveillance studies that have been conductedworldwidebeginwithasix- year old molar, which is an age that is alreadyverylateconsideringhowearly ECCcanoccurinachild’slife.However, we expect the prevalence of ECC to be over 60 per cent in some areas of the world. IAccordingtoreports,themajorityof dentists in India are unfamiliar with the concept and implementation of the “Age One Visit” to prevent early childhood caries. Could you please explainwhypreventionofthedisease ispivotal? ECC is transmitted from the parent or caregiver to the child and, if left un- treated, can lead to infection and se- vere pain. As a consequence, children can experience difficulties in eating andspeaking,whichwillhaveaneffect on their readiness for school and their overall quality of life. Most dentists, unfortunately,tendnottoseechildren before they have reached the age of fiveorsix.Theydonotrealisethatpoor oral health and malnutrition, espe- ciallyduringpregnancy,canleadtodis- ruption in the formation of enamel, amongotherthings. Youneedtohaveskilledpaediatric and general dentists. A lot of general dentistswhoareexposedtothesecon- ditions do not have the means or the experiencetodealwithoraldiseasesin childrenatthisearlyage. IWhatinyouropinionarethemostim- portant oral health challenges that prenatal women and infants are con- frontedwith? There are several challenges that mothersandtheirchildrenhavetodeal with including those posed by a poor diet and malnutrition. Many infants, particularly in developing countries, are exposed to high amounts of sug- ars,tonamejustanexample. Thereisalsoagenerallackofgood oralhealthhygieneduringandpriorto when the first tooth is erupting in the mouth.FluorideissomethingIhaveto mention here as well, because many dental providers do not recommend the use of fluoridated toothpaste at a young age, which really goes against new guidelines put up by organisa- tions like the American Dental Asso- ciation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and others, who recommend the use of fluoridated toothpasteassoonasthefirsttoothis in the mouth. Water fluoridation has been one of the most effective public health strategies for caries reduction in the last 68 years. Therefore, it is essential to have a whole campaign about the need and the effectiveness ofdailyuseandconsumptionoffluori- datedwater. Annual World Dental Congress 22 - 25 September 2015 - Bangkok Thailand FDI 2015BANGKOK www.fdi2015bangkok.org www.fdiworldental.org AD ChildrenlikethesetwogirlsinIndiaareofparticularriskfordentaldiseasesinearlylife.(PhotoGaryYim,HongKong)

Worldental Daily New Delhi, 12 September 2014

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