Parents can help minimize risk

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, December 27, 2003

I am responding to the Nov. 18 article “Dental care now urged for very young kids” and a subsequent (Dec. 1) editorial that appeared in The Herald. The article discussed the importance of baby teeth and the need to start dental care when teeth first appeared. The editorial commented on diet and dental health.

As a pediatrician who has been in practice in Snohomish County for more than 26 years, I would like to emphasize the importance of dental health in children. The problems due to cavities at an early age are not just medical (illness, pain and speech problems), but also economic. In Washington state, decay is five times more likely in 1-year-old children and two times more likely in 2-year-old children than children nationwide! To treat children with severe decay requires anesthetization, either in a hospital or a specialized pediatric dentist’s office, at the cost of $3,500-$4,000 per treatment.

The most important things that parents can do are things that minimize risk: do not let your child suck on a bottle or a “sippy cup” all day; avoid snacks that are sugary, starchy or sticky; do not put your child to bed with a bottle with milk or juice, even diluted; and brush your child’s teeth daily as soon as they appear.

You should also ask your child’s doctor to check your child’s teeth during routine well child exams. Also ask your child’s doctor if he or she will apply a fluoride varnish to your child’s teeth. This is covered for those who have Washington State medical insurance (three times per year) and may be covered by your private insurance.

The Everett Clinic

Marysville