More than 45 percent of all U.S. children experience dental caries – or tooth decay – by age 19, and disparities due to poverty, insurance and language barriers prevent many families from accessing proper care at a dentist’s office.
The American Academy of Pediatrics addresses this chronic and common childhood disease within an updated clinical report, “Maintaining and Improving the Oral Health of Young Children,” published in the January 2023 Pediatrics (published online Dec. 19).
To help with conversations with parents and families about their child’s oral health, consider using this HealthyChildren.org resource: Good Oral Health Starts Early: AAP Policy Explained.
