Improving Children’s Oral Health

Abstract

Despite the concerted efforts of research and professional and advocacy stakeholders, recent evidence suggests that improvements in the oral health of young children in the United States has not followed the prevailing trend of oral health improvement in other age groups. In fact, oral health disparities in the youngest children may be widening, yet efforts to translate advances in science and technology into meaningful improvements in populations’ health have had limited success. Nevertheless, the great strides in genomics, biological, behavioral, social, and health services research in the past decade have strengthened the evidence base available to support initiatives and translational efforts. Concerted actions to accelerate this translation and implementation process are warranted; at the same time, policies that can help tackle the upstream determinants of oral health disparities are imperative. This article summarizes the proceedings from the symposium on the interdisciplinary continuum of pediatric oral health that was held during the 43rd annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. This report showcases the latest contributions across the interdisciplinary continuum of pediatric oral health research and provides insights into future research priorities and necessary intersectoral synergies. Issues are discussed as related to the overwhelming dominance of social determinants on oral disease and the difficulty of translating science into action.

Lessons learnt in recruiting disadvantaged families to a birth cohort study

“…In the current study, the nurses emphasised the importance for inter-professional collaboration for successful research recruitment. Casamassimo and colleagues have highlighted the importance of inter-disciplinary research framework for improving oral health outcomes in children [ 58 ]. In recent years, most Australian states and territories support an early childhood oral health program that links oral health professionals with general health professionals [ 14 , 15 ].…”

Precision Dentistry in Early Childhood

“…Translating this body of evidence to actionable knowledge has not been realized to its full potential, and coordinated interdisciplinary efforts are warranted. 1 The elimination of oral health disparities should arguably be the first priority in any research and policy agenda. 2 A parallel and synergistic goal remains the development of optimal, personalized oral health care, tailored to individual profiles, risk factors and innate susceptibilities—a notion that has been termed “precision dentistry”.…”

Follow-up of an Intervention to Reduce Dental Caries in Indigenous Australian Children

“…Poor oral health in childhood is socially patterned. 1 It is a reflection of the social determinants of health and of the structure, access, and policies of dental health service providers. Dental disease in childhood may contribute to poor nutrition, alter ability to sleep and learn and play, negatively influence quality of life, and lead to increased financial stress in the family.…”