Pediatricians' views about oral health care
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Abstract
Pediatricians and family practitioners have the responsibility of providing the crucial primary care for the children. They are considered to be in a unique position to contribute to the dental health of their young patients. In view of this a study was conducted in Mangalore city (India) to assess pediatricians' views about oral health care and their advice regarding oral hygiene maintenance. Fifty pediatricians were personally interviewed with a questionnaire. All pediatricians acknowledged their role in oral hygiene maintenance of their patients. This study showed that there is a need for more communication between the two pediatric specialties of medicine and dentistry so as to deliver better child health care.
Keywords: Oral health care; Oral hygiene maintenance
How to cite this article:
Bhat SS, Sargod SS, Kiran Kumar BS. Pediatricians' views about oral health care. Indian J Pediatr 2006;73:535-536
How to cite this URL:
Bhat SS, Sargod SS, Kiran Kumar BS. Pediatricians' views about oral health care. Indian J Pediatr [serial online] 2006 [cited 2006 Jul 14];73:535-536. Available from: http://www.ijppediatricsindia.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5456;year=2006;volume=73;issue=6;spage=535;epage=536;aulast=Bhat
The significance of dentistry through primary years of child's life has been appreciated well.[1] Contemporary guidelines for oral disease management recommend early professional intervention so that the effects of oral disease can be reduced or eliminated.[2] Pediatricians are considered to be in a unique position to contribute to the dental health of their young patients because of the early age at which children are brought to their offices and parents will accept their recommendations.[3]
Early intervention provides the opportunity to educate parents in many areas such as good oral hygiene, prevention of dental injuries and prevention of nursing caries by establishing proper feeding habits.[4]
The most important factor which affects the preventive dentistry performance, is the knowledge and function of medical group concerning the issue.[5] Few studies assess how much physicians know about aspects of preventive dental care in children other than fluoride supplementation.[6]
The American Academy of Pediatric dentistry (AAPD) emphasizes the importance of prevention, diagnosis and treatment necessary to restore and maintain the oral health of infants, children and adolescents. Comprehensive health care cannot be achieved unless dental care is a strong priority in all health service programs.[7] Considering all these aspects, a study was conducted in Mangalore city (Karnataka State). The aim of the study was to assess pediatricians' views about oral health care in their day-to-day practice.
Materials and Methods
Addresses of all pediatricians in and around Mangalore city were obtained from the association of pediatricians of Mangalore. 50 pediatricians were randomly selected for this study. They were personally met and were given a questionnaire along with a covering letter describing the purpose of the study. All the pediatricians were requested to answer them and their opinions were elicited. The results of the survey were statistically analyzed.
Results
The survey was performed on pediatricians who were attached to various health institutions or having private practice in Mangalore city. All pediatricians acknowledged the need for preventive dental care to begin at the earliest. All respondents understood their importance in providing information about oral health care to the parents. The results are summarized as follows:
1. Consultation for dental related ailments- 22% said often and 78% occasionally
2. 60% of pediatricians said that they examine oral cavity routinely.
3. Information regarding oral health maintenance was provided to parents always by 68% and occasionally 32%.
4. Advise to mothers to clean the gumpads of the child was however given only by 58% respondents
5. Opinion regarding sugar free syrups- 62% said they were unaware of this. Many were of the opinion that if introduced into the market they would prefer it but questioned the palatability of those drugs to the child.
6. Thumb sucking habit was considered as harmful by 90% of pediatricians. Many pediatricians expressed strong reservations about use of pacifiers.
7. Pediatricians also pointed out the lack of availability of specialized care for dental ailments of child patients.
Discussion
The present study was designed to assess pediatricians' views about oral health care and their advice regarding oral hygiene maintenance of the child patients to their parents. Results from this study suggest that pediatricians have a fair understanding about their importance in oral hygiene maintenance but they routinely do not advice it and the advice given is often inadequate. But many pediatricians particularly with private practice pointed out about time factor as one of the constraints for give oral hygiene instructions routinely. A major problem confronting dentists who treat young children is the significant number of young patients presenting with nursing bottle caries, primarily caused by the prolonged use of the feeding bottle in bedtime. Pediatricians are invariably the first to examine infants and young children. Therefore, they can certainly have a major impact on this problem, with early intervention and education about the cariogenic nature of the baby bottle's contents and continued use after 1 year of age.[8]
Conclusion
Many of the dental diseases of the childhood can be prevented by proper education of the parents. To achieve this objective, a greater interaction between pediatricians and pedodontists are a must. The results of this study show that there is a need for more communication between the two specialties of medicine and dentistry respectively.
References
1. Venugopal T. Role of pediatricians in dental caries. Indian J Pediatr 1998; 65: 85-88.
2. Infant oral health care. AAPD oral health policies. Pediatr Dent 1994; 16 : 29.
3. Ripa LW. The role of pediatricians in dental caries detection and prevention. Pediatrics 1974; 54: 176-182.
4. Johnsen DC. Baby bottle tooth decay: A preventable health problems in infants. Pediatr Dent 1988; 2 : 1-4.
5. Sharon M Elvey. The pediatricians' dental evaluation. Pediatr Clin N Am 1982; 29(3): 761.
6. Tsamtsouris A, White GE. Survey of pediatricians' attitudes towards pediatric dental health. J Pedod 1990; 14: 152-157.
7. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Reference Manual. Oral health policies. Pediatr Dent 2004; 26(7): 14-61.
8. Ranold G Abrams, Stuart D. Josell. The role of pediatrician in oral health care. Pediatr Clin N Am 1991; 38(5): 1049-1052.(Bhat Sham S, Sargod Shara)
Pediatricians and family practitioners have the responsibility of providing the crucial primary care for the children. They are considered to be in a unique position to contribute to the dental health of their young patients. In view of this a study was conducted in Mangalore city (India) to assess pediatricians' views about oral health care and their advice regarding oral hygiene maintenance. Fifty pediatricians were personally interviewed with a questionnaire. All pediatricians acknowledged their role in oral hygiene maintenance of their patients. This study showed that there is a need for more communication between the two pediatric specialties of medicine and dentistry so as to deliver better child health care.
Keywords: Oral health care; Oral hygiene maintenance
How to cite this article:
Bhat SS, Sargod SS, Kiran Kumar BS. Pediatricians' views about oral health care. Indian J Pediatr 2006;73:535-536
How to cite this URL:
Bhat SS, Sargod SS, Kiran Kumar BS. Pediatricians' views about oral health care. Indian J Pediatr [serial online] 2006 [cited 2006 Jul 14];73:535-536. Available from: http://www.ijppediatricsindia.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5456;year=2006;volume=73;issue=6;spage=535;epage=536;aulast=Bhat
The significance of dentistry through primary years of child's life has been appreciated well.[1] Contemporary guidelines for oral disease management recommend early professional intervention so that the effects of oral disease can be reduced or eliminated.[2] Pediatricians are considered to be in a unique position to contribute to the dental health of their young patients because of the early age at which children are brought to their offices and parents will accept their recommendations.[3]
Early intervention provides the opportunity to educate parents in many areas such as good oral hygiene, prevention of dental injuries and prevention of nursing caries by establishing proper feeding habits.[4]
The most important factor which affects the preventive dentistry performance, is the knowledge and function of medical group concerning the issue.[5] Few studies assess how much physicians know about aspects of preventive dental care in children other than fluoride supplementation.[6]
The American Academy of Pediatric dentistry (AAPD) emphasizes the importance of prevention, diagnosis and treatment necessary to restore and maintain the oral health of infants, children and adolescents. Comprehensive health care cannot be achieved unless dental care is a strong priority in all health service programs.[7] Considering all these aspects, a study was conducted in Mangalore city (Karnataka State). The aim of the study was to assess pediatricians' views about oral health care in their day-to-day practice.
Materials and Methods
Addresses of all pediatricians in and around Mangalore city were obtained from the association of pediatricians of Mangalore. 50 pediatricians were randomly selected for this study. They were personally met and were given a questionnaire along with a covering letter describing the purpose of the study. All the pediatricians were requested to answer them and their opinions were elicited. The results of the survey were statistically analyzed.
Results
The survey was performed on pediatricians who were attached to various health institutions or having private practice in Mangalore city. All pediatricians acknowledged the need for preventive dental care to begin at the earliest. All respondents understood their importance in providing information about oral health care to the parents. The results are summarized as follows:
1. Consultation for dental related ailments- 22% said often and 78% occasionally
2. 60% of pediatricians said that they examine oral cavity routinely.
3. Information regarding oral health maintenance was provided to parents always by 68% and occasionally 32%.
4. Advise to mothers to clean the gumpads of the child was however given only by 58% respondents
5. Opinion regarding sugar free syrups- 62% said they were unaware of this. Many were of the opinion that if introduced into the market they would prefer it but questioned the palatability of those drugs to the child.
6. Thumb sucking habit was considered as harmful by 90% of pediatricians. Many pediatricians expressed strong reservations about use of pacifiers.
7. Pediatricians also pointed out the lack of availability of specialized care for dental ailments of child patients.
Discussion
The present study was designed to assess pediatricians' views about oral health care and their advice regarding oral hygiene maintenance of the child patients to their parents. Results from this study suggest that pediatricians have a fair understanding about their importance in oral hygiene maintenance but they routinely do not advice it and the advice given is often inadequate. But many pediatricians particularly with private practice pointed out about time factor as one of the constraints for give oral hygiene instructions routinely. A major problem confronting dentists who treat young children is the significant number of young patients presenting with nursing bottle caries, primarily caused by the prolonged use of the feeding bottle in bedtime. Pediatricians are invariably the first to examine infants and young children. Therefore, they can certainly have a major impact on this problem, with early intervention and education about the cariogenic nature of the baby bottle's contents and continued use after 1 year of age.[8]
Conclusion
Many of the dental diseases of the childhood can be prevented by proper education of the parents. To achieve this objective, a greater interaction between pediatricians and pedodontists are a must. The results of this study show that there is a need for more communication between the two specialties of medicine and dentistry respectively.
References
1. Venugopal T. Role of pediatricians in dental caries. Indian J Pediatr 1998; 65: 85-88.
2. Infant oral health care. AAPD oral health policies. Pediatr Dent 1994; 16 : 29.
3. Ripa LW. The role of pediatricians in dental caries detection and prevention. Pediatrics 1974; 54: 176-182.
4. Johnsen DC. Baby bottle tooth decay: A preventable health problems in infants. Pediatr Dent 1988; 2 : 1-4.
5. Sharon M Elvey. The pediatricians' dental evaluation. Pediatr Clin N Am 1982; 29(3): 761.
6. Tsamtsouris A, White GE. Survey of pediatricians' attitudes towards pediatric dental health. J Pedod 1990; 14: 152-157.
7. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Reference Manual. Oral health policies. Pediatr Dent 2004; 26(7): 14-61.
8. Ranold G Abrams, Stuart D. Josell. The role of pediatrician in oral health care. Pediatr Clin N Am 1991; 38(5): 1049-1052.(Bhat Sham S, Sargod Shara)