Facts about Cavities

Today I would like to share with you some interesting facts about cavities in teeth of young children.

 Cavities before the age of 6 is the single most chronic disease of childhood.
 It is five to eight times more common than asthma.
 50% of children have a cavity by 1st grade.

Parents of children who have cavities in their baby teeth say, “Why should we be concerned about this? They will be losing their baby teeth.” Here are the reasons why we must be concerned and proactive with baby’s oral health:

 Cavities cause pain and infection and can cause a serious condition called “failure to thrive.”
 Cavities in baby teeth dramatically increase the risk of cavities in permanent teeth because the bacteria that cause cavities are present in the mouth.
 If cavities go untreated, children will develop poor eating habits, speech problems, and social problems.

I would like to share two activities occurring this Friday. First, my guest on WLDY’s Talkline program at 8:30 will be one of our local dentists, Dr. Stephen Reisner. If you have questions for Dr. Reisner, I hope you will call in during the show. Second, Friday evening at 6:30, Ken Parejko will present information and slides from his book on monarch butterflies. I know budding scientists in upper elementary and beyond will enjoy this program free of charge, sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

In closing, I would like to share another fun activity from the Internet. It is the story of a child's visit to the dentist. The animation allows your child to click on objects in the story to learn more about the dental office. You can find the story at http://www.ada.org/public/games/story.asp.