Posts Tagged ‘tooth decay’

The dental health of the mother affects the baby

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

The dental health of the mother will have a direct influence on the baby. Several studies have shown that the vast majority of bacteria found in the mouths of babies have been transmitted directly through the mother. From the second month of pregnancy begin to create the structures of the baby teeth. That is why pregnant women should pay special attention to the care of teeth and gums before birth. Due to hormonal changes is greater vascularity of the gums during pregnancy are more likely to bleed, and are at risk of developing gum disease.

The specialist in pediatric dentistry and dentistry Aparicio Maternal-Infant Kids, Manuella Surette, warns that “significant inflammation of the gums can lead to premature delivery.” This situation can be avoided if you take out a good dental cleaning, going through proper brushing at least twice a day and floss daily use. At birth the baby is important to care for teeth cleaning habits from the beginning to get used to oral care. When the first tooth should be incorporated in the habit of daily brushing and that from that moment on, the risk of cavities. “The goal is to prevent children from going to the dentist with tooth decay because they constitute a disease even though many people interpreted as normal.” Even eight years of age, children do not have good motor coordination that allows them to make a correct brushing, so should be the parents who help in the final review.

Breastfeeding also plays an important role in dental development of the baby. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for the first two years of life. Manuella Surette recommends breastfeeding for its nutritional content and avoid the bottle. Continued breastfeeding may also have negative consequences because it creates a perfect environment for tooth decay, especially at night. In the first years of life must be extremely careful of the baby teeth and see a specialist regularly. Another controversial aspect is the use of pacifiers.

Most dentists agree to restrict its use because it can contribute to malposition of the teeth and tongue. However, there are two cases in which the pacifier can make an important role. When the baby sucks her thumb pacifier should be replaced because, according to the specialist Manuela Surette, “if the pacifier is bad, thumb sucking is worse.” The other case occurs in babies who have been unable to breastfeed because the feeding pacifier baby’s natural instinct to suck.

Intervida Works to Reduce Tooth Decay

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
A disease that has affected 5,000 million people worldwide. Oral diseases are a major global health affecting both the industrialized and developing countries, especially in the poorest communities. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 5,000 million people worldwide had experienced dental caries. Given the high incidence of this disease among disadvantaged populations, the INTERVIDA Health teams are working to bring those communities that require dental services. As a result of this work, in 2005 there were almost 4,100,000 more de135.000 fluoridation and dental care in schools and communities.

The main causes of oral disease include poor nutrition, high consumption of sugar and lack of calcium and micronutrients, and poor hygiene habits as well as environmental risk factors such as unsafe water, all linked to the limited availability and access to oral health services. Likewise, the poverty which prevents them afford the treatments, the low level of education and lack of traditions supporting oral health strongly influence the incidence of these diseases.

Peru, for example, is one of the countries where the incidence of dental health problems are reaching alarming levels. According to Health Ministry data, 95% of the population is affected by decay and 80% suffer from misalignment of teeth. These data are corroborated by INTERVIDA teams in Andahuaylas, where each school has an average of eleven decayed teeth and oral hygiene index bad or very bad.

Poor oral health has a profound impact on the health and quality of life in general. Pain, trouble eating or chewing, loss of teeth and the presence of discolored or damaged teeth have important effects on the lives and welfare of people everyday. Moreover, loss of teeth at an early age poses serious problems of nutrition and increases the risk of infections, which requires an urgent solution.

Therefore, teams INTERVIDA Health sector have a basis for its work in the dental care, developing projects for prevention and treatment of oral diseases in all countries in which they carry out their work. One of the great challenges that are facing these professionals is the difficult access to communities that are remote or poorly communicated. Therefore, INTERVIDA dentists moving to the ground in mobile medical units that have the tools and equipment necessary to perform dental examinations. As a result, in 2005, could be performed more than 135,000 dental care in schools and communities.

On the other hand, to avoid further aggravating the problem, it is very important to prevention actions that contribute to improving the oral health of children. Among these measures, in 2005, performed nearly 4,100,000 INTERVIDA free fluoridation among schoolchildren through periodic campaigns. It promotes tooth brushing through the free distribution of toothbrushes and toothpastes in schools and empower parents about the importance of proper oral hygiene, with the celebration of Preventive Medicine Conference. Also encourages the use of this good practice across the corners of Bath (made brushes, soap, nail clippers and towels) present in the classroom.