DENTAL CARE
ORAL HEALTH IS WIDELY USED AS AN ‘INDICATIVE MEASURE’ OF CHILDREN’S GENERAL HEALTH. TOOTH DECAY IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON, PREVENTABLE CHILDHOOD DISEASES, BUT, AS PHARMACIST CHANEL JONES POINTS OUT, NHS SCOTLAND IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF IMPROVING CHILD ORAL HEALTH.
TOOTH DECAY IN CHILDREN A
By Chanel Jones
lthough we may not think of it, tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases. It can impact a child’s quality of life through pain, infection, diet, loss of sleep and loss of time from school.1
According to the World
Health Organisation, 60-90 per cent of school children have dental cavities.2 In England, tooth extraction due to dental decay is the most common procedure among five-nine year olds, with nearly 24,945 extractions in 2015/16.3
While tooth decay is
almost entirely preventable, it is the single most common reason for children to be admitted to hospital in Scotland.4
As a matter of fact, children in Scotland have substantially 34 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST
higher levels of recorded tooth decay than any other European country. In 2009/10 there were over 106,000 hospital admissions for children fourteen years and under. Of this quantity, 24.7 per cent of admissions were elective and were mainly attributed to dental caries.5
HOW TOOTH DECAY IS CAUSED The early manifestation of a cavity is a small patch of demineralised (softened) enamel on the tooth surface which is often hidden from sight in the groves of the teeth or in between the teeth.6
be stopped or reversed at this point via remineralisation of the enamel. Extended decay causes further softening of the enamel into the dentine of the tooth, which is more
sensitive as it is close to the nerves in the tooth. The weakened enamel collapses to form what we call a cavity.6
Tooth decay can
This process is started by the action of acids on the tooth enamel. This acid is made by bacteria in dental plaque which adheres to the teeth. The mouth is full of hundreds of types of bacteria which live on the teeth, gums and tongue. Some of the bacteria are useful whilst others play a role in the tooth decay process. Streptococcus mutans is the species which is mainly associated with the cause of cavities. Consumption of sugary foods and drinks (mainly sucrose) feed the bacteria in the plaque which then form the enamel destroying acid. Exposure to other acidity from sources
The most common
symptom of a cavity is pain and difficulty, especially when eating.
Saliva plays a major role as a natural anticaries agent. In addition to the enzymes which help in the digestion of food, minerals such as calcium and phosphate are components in saliva which aid in remineralisation of teeth.7 Saliva also helps to maintain normal flora and tooth surface integrity through bacterial clearance, direct antimicrobial activity and buffering plaque acids. As a result, one of the risk factors of developing tooth decay is dry mouth or reduced salivary flow. Children suffering from dry mouth
such as dried fruit and fruit drinks also contributes to enamel erosion. The colour of cavities can range from yellow to black.6
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
