It’s not enough that new parents have to read every label on every baby product, now they have to pay more attention to the oral health of their toothless babies. A recent University of Illinois study confirms the presence of bacteria associated with early childhood caries in infant saliva. “By the time a child reaches kindergarten, 40 percent have dental cavities.”[1] Cavities are the most prevalent infectious disease in U.S. children, according to the CDC. “In addition, populations who are of low socioeconomic status, who consume a diet high in sugar, and whose mothers have low education levels are 32 times more likely to have this disease.”[2]
The study focused on infants before teeth erupted, compared to most studies focused on children already in preschool or kindergarten. Through 454 pyro-sequencing, researchers learned that the oral bacterial community in infants without teeth was much more diverse than expected and identified hundreds of species. The presence of members of the bacterial community that cause biofilm formation or are associated with ECC are already present in infant saliva justifies more research on the evolution of the infant oral bacterial community.[3]
So it’s not that you don’t have enough to do raising your child, you have to be on the lookout for new issues where there is no recommended treatment. We typically recommend you stay on top of your child’s oral health and bring them in as early as teeth begin to erupt.
If we can be of help, give us a holler.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
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