Tooth decay Health Promotion

Dental caries is the major problem in oral health because of its prevalence and severity.
Tooth decay is presented as a common chronic disease in childhood and a great public health
problem worldwide. Severe untreated dental decay affects a child’s growth, body weight,
quality of life as well as cognitive development, and the effects extend beyond the child to the
family, the community and the health care system.
Health Promotion for dental carries among toddlers are the following:
 Teach the child to use only a small amount of toothpaste, about the size of a
grain of rice.
 Teach the child to floss their teeth daily after the age of 2
 Advice the parents to give a well-balanced diet to their child. Limit snacks that
are sticky and high in sugar, such as chips, candy, cookies and cake.
 Teach the mother, if the child uses bottle at bed time, only put water in it. Juice
and or formula contains sugar that can lead to tooth decay.
 Encourage the mother to bring her child to dentist for routine dental cleanings
and exams of the child every 6 months.

Diet History: Type of Snacks and Drinks

Frequent consumption of simple carbohydrates, primarily in the form of dietary sugars,
is significantly associated with increased dental caries risk. Lack of availability of quality food
stores in rural and poor neighborhoods, food insecurity, and changing dietary beliefs resulting
from acculturation, including changes in traditional ethnic eating behaviors, can further deter
healthful eating and increase risk for early childhood caries and obesity. Children need food
from all the major food groups to grow properly and stay healthy. Too many carbohydrates,
sugars (for example, from cake, cookies, candies, milk, fruit juice, and other sugary foods and
beverages), and savory foods and starches (for example, pretzels and potato chips) can
cause tooth decay. 
Foods that prevent dental carries among toddler are the following:
 Keep fruits and vegetables in your house to offer as "healthy snacks" instead of
carbohydrates.
 Serve cheese with lunch or as a snack
 Avoid sticky, chewy foods. 
 Serve sugary treats with meals, not as snacks
 Get your children in the habit of eating as few snacks as possible.
 Avoid sugary foods that linger on the teeth
  Buy foods that are sugar-free or unsweetened.
 Never put your baby to bed with a bottle filled with milk, formula, juice or soda
 Include good sources of calcium in your child’s diet to build strong teeth. 

Reference:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/tooth-decay-caries-or-
cavities-in-children
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-13-245
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4898231/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10963-nutrition-and-your-childs-dental-health