In order to keep in check with the oral health of a health conscious community, the private communications company ‘Asiacell’ (based in Iraq) has recently started a ‘Dental Health Awareness Campaign’, which has announced that it would work alongside the ‘Shahid Sardar Dental Centre’.

The campaign is due to last three months, with an ultimate goal of raising awareness about the best oral health routines for children. In order to spread this message to as many people as possible ‘Asiacell’ will distribute packages to children who visit the ‘Shahid Sardar Dental Centre’. This package includes two books on dental health awareness, as well as a toothbrush and toothpaste.

The CEO of ‘Asiacell’ is Dr. Diar Ahmed who commented that this response demonstrated by Asiacell is ideal for its social responsibility and shows the dedication to support Iraq’s dynamic sectors. Dr. Ahmed said: “It is imperative for private companies to support national efforts in catering to the growing healthcare needs of all community members, particularly children, who are considered the foundation to building a brighter future. By the end of this campaign, we hope to have reached out to approximately 10,000 children, which in turn will decrease the risk of oral diseases. We look forward to future opportunities for cooperation with both public and private healthcare organizations across the various provinces of our country, in order to provide healthcare services to all members of the Iraqi community.”

A recent dental research study has suggested that mothers who have poor oral health are more than likely to pass their dental traits down to their own children. The research was run over the course of 27 years and the results make for interesting reading.

First started in 1972 in New Zealand, the study took into consideration the births of 1,000 children and it was discovered that the children of mothers with poor oral health are more than likely to experience the same dental problems as shown by their parent. The research also found that the probable outcome of whatever dental problem their child has depends on several factors, which include environmental and genetic indicators.

In order to gain an unbiased opinion, the children were questioned at the age of 5 in 1978 and then when they were 32 years old. This was then put against the same readings measured by the mother in 1978. It was discovered that over the course of this 27 year period, nearly half of the children (45.1%) whose mothers rated their oral health as ‘very poor’ suffered from severe tooth decay and it was reported that 39.6% of children polled suffered from tooth loss during their adult years.

So what are these environmental risk factors that can affect a child’s level of oral health?  Reasons given included the knowledge passed down from mother to child as well the person’s social economic status (SES).

Dr. Nigel Carter, who is the Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, commented on this study: “These findings represent important confirmation of a trend that has long been recognised…Work by Per Axelsson in Sweden in the 1970s clearly demonstrated that a child’s likelihood of decay was determined by the amount of bacteria in the mother’s mouth and that this was passed from mother to child…If further findings into oral health risks transmitting from one generation to the next can be substantiated, then we must target parents to educate their children in the hope they can better their own oral health and pass the message on to future generations.”

Although it has been reported that the dental health of many children has improved in recent years, one in three 5 year olds are still showing obvious dental decay, with more than two thirds of those polled at age 12 were found to be free of visible dental decay.

For some dentists, informing their patients about keeping a great level of dental health could involve using horrifying photographs of poor oral hygiene, to disgust them into action. However, for one dental professional a different, gentler approach seems to work just as well.

At Augusta Paediatric Dentistry in Maine, you will find all the usual dental tools and instruments normally associated with a dental practice, but you will also see arcade games, teddy bears, hobby horses and televisions. According to Jonathan Shenkin, the reason for this is simple: “We create an environment that is friendly and hospitable to kids and not as clinical.”

According to the May 2011 report “The State of Children’s Dental Health: Making Coverage Matter”, there is room for improvement, especially when it is claimed that tooth decay is the most common disease in children, which is five times more widespread than asthma. Dr. Shenkin noticed that the children who were passing through his doors were more prone to suffering from tooth decay, so he decided to make a conscious decision about this and, in particular, looked to his own childhood memories when his father took him to a dentist.

“It didn’t go well. There was a lot of kicking and screaming on my part,” said Dr. Shenkin. However, after visiting a paediatrician who was a great deal more caring, he got over his fears and the experience went on to forge his current ideas. He cites tobacco use as a common cause of tooth decay, as well as consuming excessive levels of sugary drinks. He urges parents not to give their children high-in-sugar drinks, as it is this exposure that wears down teeth at this early age.

Understanding the best methods for maintaining your children’s oral health means a better future for their teeth and overall wellbeing.

For any potential mother, the prospect of having a child is an exciting one. Whether it is your first, second or even third child this momentous time is a blessing and is cherished by all. Once the baby arrives, the caring never stops. You wipe their mouths, clean their behinds, clothe them and bathe them.

Then there comes the worrying. When should I wean my child off breastfeeding and onto bottles? Is it time for my baby to sleep in their own bed yet or should they stay in their crib? For any parent, the list of concerns is endless but one in particular has become ever so prominent and recently answers were provided for one mother in particular.

A question was posed on the CNN Health website which asked “When should my baby see a dentist?” The responses given by Dr. Jennifer Shu were completely frank but entirely helpful.

In her reply, Dr. Shu said that a child should visit a dentist by their first birthday. According to the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry, Dr. Shu states that a child should visit a dentist when they are aged between six months and one year old.

According to Dr. Shu’s response, the importance of a young baby visiting a dentist should not be underestimated. As with our own teeth, by a child visiting their dentist during this age range will enable for any potential problem which is emerging to be stopped in its tracks and the necessary dental treatment can then be prescribed.

Dr. Shu further says that the dentist will be able to advise the parent on what the best possible diet is for their baby and their dental health. Parents might simply not know about the problems that could arise from the diet they are providing for their children. A professional opinion is better than none at all.

For parents in the UK, dental treatment is provided for by the National Health Service (NHS) but in the USA (which is where Dr. Shu is from) it is recommended for parents living in this area to fully explore the avenues which their current dental insurance could offer or maybe take up an insurance plan that could provide a better dental service.

In an effort to make tooth brushing fun, Justin Bieber, the iconic American pop star, has plans to release a collection of toothbrushes for kids, teens and adults.

According to a press release, the Bieber tooth brushes are meant to encourage children and teens to brush their teeth properly while listening to their favorite music. Each track on the tooth brushes lasts for two minutes, the suggested amount of time that children should brush their teeth.

The Bieber brushes are dentist-approved and are slated to be made available to the general public in America from 1 July. Other oral health products bearing the Bieber name include dental floss and flossers.

Songs included on the toothbrushes are four Bieber’s hits, “Baby,” “U Smile,” “Somebody to Love,” and “Love Me.”

Although dental care is free for children up to the age of 18 in New Zealand, recent statistics in Christchurch show that a number of children are in need of dental care. In fact, one-third of pupils at a local college tested all required dental treatment, researchers report.

The project’s leader, Alan Parris, called it “shocking” since New Zealand’s dental health care programme is free up to the age of 18. The project saw pupils being taken to the dentist via mini buses since they were not showing up for their check-ups, even after being informed that the service was free.

Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand president Patrick Walsh said: “Bad oral hygiene was a huge issue in schools, particularly in areas that did not have fluoridated water, an issue that affects the children.”

Walsh said that he had known children as young as 10 years old who were having root canals. “It impacts adversely on their ability to learn and their self-esteem,” he said.

The survey conducted also revealed that a vast number of children were also going hungry. One-third of the students did not have breakfast on the day of the research and 21 percent eat no lunch on the day.

Thirty-two thousand five to 14 year old children will be part of a comprehensive study performed in Australia to determine why children’s oral health has been deteriorating. According to 2006 statistics, more children ages 5 to 14 were admitted for hospital for teeth removal or dental work than any other cause.

Nearly 27,000 children were admitted in 2006 with 8,114 under the age of five. Although the figures are dramatic, the trend of deteriorating teeth in Australia’s children isn’t new, says John Spencer, a representative of Adelaide University’s Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health. In fact, Spencer says that children’s oral health has been on the decline since 1999.

What were the culprits? Dietary changes and a decrease in the consumption of fluoridated water, according to Spencer. Specifically, “We think it’s the increased use of rainwater tanks, the increased use of filtered water and the increase in bottled water,” he said.

Spencer also pointed out that since, for the past 20 years, dental clinics have not been mandatory components of school clinics that tooth brushing may have decreased as well. This accounts for a significant change in trend since the school dental service used to be a primary source of dental care, now only some 30 percent of care is given in schools.

A new dental programme has been launched to try and tackle decay and improve standards of oral health amongst children in Oregon.

The ‘Ready to Smile’ scheme, which is run in conjunction with Oregon Community Foundation and Coos County Public Health, is hoping to reduce rates of decay by educating children about oral hygiene and healthy eating and providing routine dental treatments.

The programme has been launched as a result of increasing rates of tooth decay amongst young children; for the first time in around 40 years, rates of decay are on the rise. Recently, students at Harbor Lights Middle School received free sealant and fluoride treatments as part of the Ready to Smile programme; these treatments help to strengthen the teeth and protect them against decay. Dental volunteers also talked to children about teeth cleaning, oral hygiene and healthy eating and all the children took an information pack home, which also contained a toothbrush, dental floss and a timer to encourage children to brush for 2 minutes.

The programme is supported by local dentists and dental professionals.

Work has finished on a new façade for the Dental Arc facility in El Paso, Texas.

The centre has been designed around an ark theme and boasts a host of original animal-themed fittings and features, including a horse saddle seat for children who are waiting for an X-ray, as well as innovative technology; children can use touch screen monitors to play video games and access educational activities.

Work on the centre was carried out by TivoliToo Inc, a design and 3D development company. The aim of the brief was to create a bright, welcoming space for patients based on a fun ark theme. Both the exterior and interior of the building feature colourful animal-themed decoration and the inside of the centre has been designed to make going to the dentist a stress-free and enjoyable experience. The façade of the building has recently been completed and guests are now welcomed with a huge 3D design, featuring animals and an enormous 3D ark.

The centre boasts an in-house laboratory and has three clinical bays; each bay has its own dental hygienist and dental assistant.

Children in need of care in Minnesota are ready to “say cheese,” after receiving free dental care from local dentists worth $2.5 million. The free dental care was provided to 5,678 children in just over two days during Minnesota Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile campaign.

Children of families unable to afford dental care had the opportunity to receive treatment completely free of charge during the outreach campaign. Over 2,600 dentists volunteered their time and tools to providing the treatment for the children and while most practices treated about a dozen kids, some treated nearly 200! In addition, some practices have agreed to continue to treat children in need of follow-up care, pro bono.

Give Kids a Smile was founded nine years ago in retaliation to the “barriers” preventing children in Minnesota from getting the dental care they need. “This is an amazing broad-based effort to provide direct service on a volunteer basis, while we continue work at the legislature to deliver better care to families in need,” Dr. Timothly Flor, an area dentist, said.