Journal of public health dentistry
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J Public Health Dent · Jan 2001
Biography Historical Article2001 Public Service Award: David Satcher, MD, PhD.
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J Public Health Dent · Jan 2000
Meta AnalysisDietary determinants of dental caries and dietary recommendations for preschool children.
The purpose of this review, commissioned by the Administration for Children and Families, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Health Care Financing Administration, and the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, was to update the evidence of the dietary factors that affect dental caries, and subsequently formulate dietary recommendations for preschool children based on principles of cariology. ⋯ Nutrition education and counseling for the purposes of reducing caries in children is aimed at teaching parents the importance of reducing high frequency exposures to obvious and hidden sugars. Guidelines include: avoiding frequent consumption of juice or other sugar-containing drinks in the bottle or sippy cup, discouraging the behavior of a child sleeping with a bottle, promoting noncariogenic foods for snacks, fostering eating patterns consistent with the Food Guide Pyramid, limiting cariogenic foods to mealtimes, rapidly clearing cariogenic foods from the child's oral cavity either by toothbrushing or by consumption of protective foods, and restricting sugar-containing snacks that are slowly eaten (e.g., candy, cough drops, lollipops, suckers). Along with nutritional factors, a comprehensive approach to preventing dental caries in preschool children must include improved general dietary habits, good oral hygiene, appropriate use of fluorides, and access to preventive and restorative dental care.
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This study sought to estimate and characterize the proportion of California adults who visited a dentist in the preceding year and to identify reasons for not going. ⋯ Substantial variation in use of dental services exists among California's adults. Achieving equity in access and opportunity for disease prevention in this state may require expanded dental insurance coverage and serious efforts in oral health promotion.
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The visit of Dr. Trendley Dean to Dublin in the mid-1950s helped accelerate the decision to introduce water fluoridation as a public health measure in the prevention of caries in the Republic of Ireland. ⋯ Currently, 67 percent of the 3.5 million people in the country reside in fluoridated communities. Studies conducted over the last 20 years show that residents of fluoridated communities have better dental health than those in nonfluoridated communities--the mean dmft is lower in children and the number of natural teeth present in adults is higher.