Dental Decay Is Five Times More Common In Children Than Asthma, But Preventable

In an article for The Inquirer, Dr. Daniel Taylor, an associate professor at Drexel College of Medicine and a pediatrician with St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, discussed early childhood caries, stating the condition is “five times more common” than asthma, yet preventable. Early childhood caries can cause a variety of problems, Dr. Taylor said, such as “pain, loss of teeth, infections in a child’s head and neck, cavities later in life, impaired growth and weight gain, missed school days, speech problems, and a poorer quality of life.” Dr. Taylor noted that the American Dental Association offers caries risk assessment forms to help evaluate a child’s risk of developing caries. Several risk factors for dental caries include not having a dental home, not having exposure to fluoride, and having a mother with recent caries.