Encouraging healthier lifestyles--1. Children and their teeth

The dental health of children under five years has stagnated in recent years. In 2005, 39.6% of five year olds in England and Wales and 55.4% in Scotland had evidence of decay. Deprived communities are most at risk. All practitioners in child health, especially health visitor teams and general practitioners, must take the initiative in preventing oral disease, working more closely with dental health teams. A change in attitude is needed so that the whole community health team regard oral health as an integral part of general health. As well as monitoring pregnant women and young families, there are three key messages to get across for caries prevention. These are brushing with a fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth erupts, keeping sugary foods to mealtimes and establishing a pattern of regular visits to the dentist. Minimising the frequency of exposure to sweet food and drink is much more important than the quantity of sugar ingested in preventing dental caries. Fluoridation of water supplies is another key preventive measure; at present, fluoridated water reaches less than 14% of the UK's population.