Elizabeth Carr is the chair of dental hygiene at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
“Children in Mississippi definitely suffer disparately in a negative manner when it comes to their oral care and their oral health,” she said. “Actually, in the whole nation, tooth decay is more prevalent than asthma, and asthma is just a chronic illness that affects so many kids across the nation.”
One reason behind poor oral hygiene lies in the diet of some children.
“We tend to drink a lot of sugary things, and kids will choose a sugary drink over water pretty much any day,” Carr said.
She says the length of time between dental appointments is another reason children have issues.
“The ADA recommends that kids get their first dental visit at age one, and that's sometimes rare, especially in Mississippi,” she said. “So if we can get children to the dentist earlier, then you can have a dental professional counsel parents on how to care for children's teeth right out the gate.”
Parents can help provide dental hygiene support for their children in between visits.
“Before a child ever has teeth erupt into the oral cavity, a mother can take their finger with a rag over it, and they can swab out the inside of their babies mouths after they feed them,” Carr said. “That'll just kind of clear out any residual milk.”
Carr says although Mississippi has made progress with the amount of dental providers in the state, there are still shortage areas and some families may find it difficult to get to a dentist.
“it's very difficult to get to the dentist because typically dentist hours are not reflective of what people work,” she said. “If there is any advice I would give to a parent, I would say please take the time and effort and make it part of your daily routine to brush your child's teeth twice a day. That is ultimately what's going to keep your child healthy.”
Having healthy teeth is also important for a child’s development, Carr says.
“It forms how you can speak,” she said. “It helps you eat and if you're not able to speak well or eat well, then you don't grow well. Another problem with pediatric dentistry issues is that children don't particularly know how to come to their mother and say, hey, I've got a toothache.”
Carr says parents and guardians can teach children 12 months and older to start a regular routine to encourage proper dental care.
“Older children should be having their teeth brushed every day, twice a day,” she said. “You don't need to use a lot of toothpaste. In fact, you could use the size of a grain of rice worth of toothpaste on a child's toothbrush.”
UMMC provides dental care at reduced costs from current dental students.
