Tooth decay is an infectious disease, and is not to be taken lightly. Tooth decay, also known a dental caries, is an infectious disease that damages the tooth, as well as tooth structures, resulting in cavities. This can of course lead to much more serious causes if left untreated, including tooth loss, infection, and in rare cases, death. Everyone is prone to tooth decay, although it is most severe in children.

The problem today is that tooth decay is not receiving the attention it warrants, and as a result, this generation of children is not being properly informed. This is especially serious at this age when children are most vulnerable. The reason they are so vulnerable is that less and less children are being informed of the dangers of tooth decay, and they are living in a world where sweets and junk food are available everywhere and at anytime. In 2000, the US Centers for Disease Control reported that dental caries is the most common childhood disease for children between the ages of five and seventeen. It is five times more common than asthma. Studies also show that children with asthma are particularly susceptible to tooth decay because of the oral side-effects of their medication.

Problems of tooth decay go far beyond the destruction of baby teeth. Evidence shows that untreated caries may affect the growth of adult teeth, lead to infection, pain, abscesses, chewing problems, malnutrition and gastrointestinal disorders, and could contribute to malnutrition and childhood obesity.

Tips to help prevent tooth decay include regular brushing habits (as recommended by your dentist), flossing once a day when your child’s teeth are touching, changing your toothbrush every one to three months or directly after an illness, visiting your dentist regularly for checkups, as well as avoiding the sharing of spoons, cups, food, toothbrushes, etc. with your children to prevent spreading germs that cause tooth decay.

Parents should act immediately and make sure to spend that extra effort to assure your child’s health and safety. Dental caries is preventable in most cases, and I urge everyone to do the right thing and prevent it. We owe it to our children and our families to perform the aforementioned tasks in order to keep tooth decay out of the mouths of our children.