A new trial funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) found that primary care pediatric clinicians could have an influence on more children going to the dentist and improving their oral health. The study revealed that children’s dental visits increased when primary care providers spoke with parents about the importance of … Read more
As of this year, America’s ToothFairy, a resource provider for increased access to oral health care, has received more than 20 million dollars in dental supplies and equipment since they launched in 2006 for their Dental Resource Program (DRP) members. American ToothFairy supports 31 nonprofit clinics and community partners to deliver education and treatment services … Read more
Dr. Sanj Mohanta speaks about the provincial program Health Smiles Ontario (HSO), which provides dental services for children from lower income families. Subscribe to Oral Health’s weekly e-newsletter to have the latest episode delivered straight to your inbox every week!
New research from JAMA Network Open has found that children with autism displayed significantly less stress in sensory-adapted dental environments (SADE) compared to a regular dental environment (RDE). Children with autism tend to have more oral health challenges, often due to sensory overresponsivity. Dental offices can be an overwhelming environment with the bright lights, loud … Read more
An Orillia realtor Mari Csumrik has donated $4,000 to the Vern Herron Dental Fund, which was created to help the youth of the city to access dental care. “Csumrik set up the fund in memory of her late father, a passionate local dentist for whom the fund is named, following discussions with the youth centre … Read more
Research out of the University of Queensland (UQ) School of Dentistry has found no link between community water fluoridation and adverse effects on children’s brain development. The study compared the brain development of children exposed to fluoridated water with those who had not been, taking in a total of 2,682 children, finding no discernible difference … Read more
A tooth-brushing program that is soon to be phased in across Quebec in elementary schools is raising concern among teachers because they’ll be the ones called upon to supervise the students as they clean their teeth. The public health protocols call on educators to monitor the two-minute tooth-brushing process from start to finish once a … Read more
Surveys have shown that around 16 percent of children have a fear of going to the dentist. When you work in the industry, that statistic probably doesn’t surprise you. You’ve likely had your fair share of fearful kids walking into your practice. Hopefully, by the time they leave, you’ve been able to calm their fears … Read more
“Dancing against decay,” that’s the latest approach students at the Charles Sturt School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences are taking to help educate pre-school and primary school children on the importance of caring for their ‘teeth for life’. The students have been rolling out a pilot program to schools in Orange recently to help counteract the … Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted access to dental care and routine immunizations for many children and a new report from Toronto’s top doctor says that the city needs to work with the province to create a plan to address the backlog. The report, which will be considered by Toronto’s Board of Health today, takes a wider … Read more
Glasgow dentists are to hold out-of-hours clinics to help stem the growing oral health emergency among children. Hundreds of children will be treated by dentists from 11 practices across the city who have pledged to help with the crisis. The move comes as statistics showed that just 55% of children in the most deprived areas … Read more
Treating the fear of dental care in childhood is effective and predicts more regular dental examinations later in life, according to a study by the University of Oulu, Finland. Approximately one in two adults say that they are at least somewhat afraid of dental care, and one in ten says that they are very afraid. … Read more
The thickness of growth marks in primary (or “baby”) teeth may help identify children at risk for depression and other mental health disorders later in life, according to researchers at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. The results of this study were published in JAMA Network Open. The researchers believe the findings could lead to the development of a much-needed … Read more
A Nunavut woman says her 12-year-old son lost 15 pounds while waiting to have a tooth removed this year. The boy in Rankin Inlet was recently one of more than 1,000 children on the territory’s waiting list for dental surgery. “He cried day and night, he stopped eating,” the woman, who did not want to … Read more
The combination of a carb-heavy diet and poor oral hygiene can leave children with early childhood caries (ECC), a severe form of dental decay that can have a lasting impact on their oral and overall health. A few years ago, scientists from Penn’s School of Dental Medicine found that the dental plaque that gives rise to ECC … Read more
A pioneering study led by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals will investigate whether Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) could help reduce the worryingly high number of children who are afraid of the dentist. Around one in three children are scared of going to the dentist, leading to dental avoidance, and end up with … Read more
Children are missing out on preventative dental care including teeth cleaning and checkups during the pandemic, according to a new survey. Covid-19 is a barrier to getting kids the dental care they need, said a third of parents responding to the survey released by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Since the … Read more
An ADA-supported study by two North Dakota dental professionals showed that proactive dental case management facilitates referrals and appointment compliance, reduces reimbursement barriers, and reduces the need for more costly future treatment for high-risk low-income children by promoting the prevention of dental disease. The study focused on Fargo-area Head Start programs, which provide services to … Read more
In the largest single commitment in its 33-year history, the AAPD Foundation has allocated up to $1.6 million to provide all AAPD members with one 50-count box supply of KN95 masks, in a joint collaboration between the Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. As part of Henry Schein, Inc.’s commitment to help enhance … Read more
The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) reports it has made a formal request to the provincial government to invest $50 million to its dental program for children in support of Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO), which provides care to kids under the age of 17 from low-income families. While 254,000 kids are currently treated by dentists under the program, … Read more