The Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation has launched a new campaign, Cavities Get Around, aimed at educating parents about the importance of baby teeth to a child's long-term health.
Caries in baby teeth can spread to adult teeth and sugary drinks, such as juice, fuel caries-causing bacteria, according to the foundation. Sugar can contribute to other problems as well, such as childhood obesity and diabetes.
According to a 2014 Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation survey:
- 87% of parents give their children juice at least several times a week and 55% say the beverage their child is most likely to walk around with during the day is juice.
- 72% of parents believe juice is important for the health and nutrition of their child (when in reality one glass of juice can have as much sugar as an 8-ounce glass of soda; sugar fuels bacteria that lead to caries).
Tooth decay is almost entirely preventable. Yet, according to a 2012 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment report, 40% of Colorado kindergartners and 55% of third graders had already experienced caries. Caries, when untreated, "can result in loss of tooth structure, inadequate tooth function, unsightly appearance, pain, infection, and tooth loss," the report noted.
The Cavities Get Around campaign includes a website available in English and Spanish, community health worker programs, partnerships, and grassroots events. The website serves as a resource for members of the community to learn how important baby teeth are and how to care for them properly.
