RT Book, Section
A1 Ng, Man Wai
A1 Chase, Isabelle I.
A2 Kline, Mark W.
SR Print(0)
ID 1182906549
T1 Dental Caries
T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e
YR 2018
FD 2018
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781259588594
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182906549
RD 2024/04/24
AB Dental  caries,  more  commonly  known  as  tooth  decay  or  cavities,  is  an  infectious,  transmissible,  diet-mediated  oral  disease  that  is  largely  preventable.  It  is  the  most  common  chronic  disease  among  US  children—5  times  more  common  than  asthma  and  7  times  more  common  than  hay  fever.  In  the  United  States,  approximately  1  in  4  children  who  are  2  to  5  years  of  age  have  experienced  dental  caries.  Caries  prevalence  increases  with  age,  such  that  approximately  1  in  2  children  aged  6  to  8  years  have  experienced  caries  in  their  primary  teeth.  In  permanent  teeth,  approximately  1  in  5  children  aged  6  to  11  years,  1  in  2  adolescents  aged  12  to  15  years,  and  2  in  3  adolescents  aged  16  to  19  years  have  experienced  caries.  Children  of  racial  and  ethnic  minorities  and  low-income  families  have  higher  rates  of  dental  caries  and  untreated  dental  caries  compared  to  their  higher-income,  non-Hispanic  white  counterparts.  Since  young  children  see  their  pediatrician  for  preventive  visits  more  often  (up  to  10  times  before  age  2  years)  than  they  visit  their  dentist,  it  is  important  that  pediatricians  and  other  primary  care  providers  are  knowledgeable  about  addressing  dental  caries  by  assessing  risk  and  intervening  with  various  strategies  to  prevent  dental  caries  and  promote  optimal  oral  health  in  children.