Preventive Dental Care - Children in Mississippi

Mississippi

Oral health is a vital component of overall health. If left untreated, oral health issues can lead to school absences and poor academic outcomes in children. Poor oral health during early childhood can impact health into adolescence and adulthood, including by increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Early preventive dental visits can preempt many oral health problems. Fluoride and dental sealants can help prevent cavities and promote oral health. For example, dental sealants can prevent 80% of back teeth cavities in children. Cavities are a common problem among children in the United States. Early regular dental check-ups are particularly cost-effective and beneficial for children in high-risk populations.

Populations with a higher percentage of at least one preventive dental visit in the past year include:

• Older children (ages 6-17) compared with younger children (ages 1-5).
• Non-Hispanic white children compared with non-Hispanic Black and Asian children.
• Children from higher-income families compared with those from lower-income families.  
• Children from families with higher educational attainment compared with those from families with lower educational attainment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children visit a dentist by their first birthday to identify any problems early. 

To promote the importance of children’s oral health, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends:

• Changing the perception of oral health among policymakers and the public to make oral health a primary component of general health.
• Removing barriers to accessing dental care.
• Encouraging the scientific study of oral health problems and applying research findings to practice.
• Supporting public and private health resources that encourage a responsive, competent, diverse and flexible dental health workforce.
• Promoting partnerships between the public and private sectors to build shared goals that address those disproportionately affected by oral disease.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends implementing school-based dental sealant delivery programs in low-income school districts or for select at-risk individuals.

Healthy People 2030 has two objectives related to preventive dental care for children: increasing the proportion of low-income youth who have a preventive dental visit and increasing the proportion of children and adolescents who have dental sealants on one or more molars.

Bhaskar, Vaishnavi, Kathleen A. McGraw, and Kimon Divaris. “The Importance of Preventive Dental Visits from a Young Age: Systematic Review and Current Perspectives.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry 6 (March 20, 2014): 21–27. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCIDE.S41499.

Lee, Jessica Y., Thomas J. Bouwens, Matthew F. Savage, and Jr Vann William F. “Examining the Cost-Effectiveness of Early Dental Visits.” Pediatric Dentistry 28, no. 2 (March 1, 2006): 102–5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16708783/.

Pussinen, Pirkko J., Susanna Paju, Jaana Koponen, Jorma S. A. Viikari, Leena Taittonen, Tomi Laitinen, David P. Burgner, et al. “Association of Childhood Oral Infections With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Adulthood.” JAMA Network Open 2, no. 4 (April 26, 2019): e192523–e192523. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.2523.

Seirawan, Hazem, Sharon Faust, and Roseann Mulligan. “The Impact of Oral Health on the Academic Performance of Disadvantaged Children.” American Journal of Public Health 102, no. 9 (September 2012): 1729–34. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300478.

Shearer, D.M., W. Murray Thomson, Jonathan M. Broadbent, and Richie Poulton. “Maternal Oral Health Predicts Their Children’s Caries Experience in Adulthood.” Journal of Dental Research 90, no. 5 (May 2011): 672–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034510393349.