STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING ORAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN: PREVENTIVE CARE, BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, AND INTERVENTIONS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES

Abstract

It is widely recognized that early intervention in children's oral health is an important aspect of lifelong health promotion. A significant part of optimizing oral health for children and families is to provide preventive care and behavior management techniques to young children and to assess the need for intervention in cases where disease has already developed. This historic essay discusses the importance of such an approach to the prevention and negation of the millions of individuals who may already, like 13-year-old Marie, be on the verge of losing all their teeth to early childhood caries. (Krol et al., 2023)

It will take a system-wide approach with dental, medical, and allied health professionals collaborating in many roles. To address early childhood caries, it is crucial that pediatricians and other health professionals recognize oral disease as the chronic infectious disease it is, are aware of the need for oral healthcare referral, have knowledge of basic oral health promotion, can use motivational and behavioral management techniques, and are involved with families, schools, and communities to advocate for oral disease prevention. To gain knowledge of such multi-faceted dental interprofessional roles, we must invest in systems change that encourage the sharing of professional expertise and a range of oral health care among the multiple disciplines involved in oral health care. Cultural and technological updates are also necessary in 21st-century practices, given today's economy and dental resource challenges. (Ferrazzano et al.2020)