Primary care providers often first defense against dental decay

Primary care providers often first defense against dental decay
Julee Waldrop, DNP, PNP, FNPMarch 15, 2012
Dental repairs performed under general anesthesia have always been an option for children that are unable to cooperate with dental procedures for physical or mental health reasons. But a recent New York Times article pointed out that these costly procedures are becoming more common, as the number of fillings, root canals, crowns and extractions that children undergo increases.

Studies show that 41% of children aged 2 to 11 years have cavities in their primary teeth, and 42% of those aged 6 to 19 years have cavities in their permanent teeth. Although children of lower socioeconomic status are affected more, this is a problem for all children. It is now becoming unreasonable to expect children to cooperate with the amount of dental work they require, and also very expensive, with costs ranging anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000.

So why are so many more children suffering from rampant dental decay when most homes have water supplies treated with fluoride? There are two main reasons......

Because it doesn't work. So why bathe in it, cook with it and drink it?