Lack of guidance may delay a child’s first trip to the dentist

Ann Arbor: Less than half of parents received guidance about starting dental visits from a doctor or dentist, worse among low-income parents.Without a doctor or dentist’s guidance, some parents don’t follow national recommendations for early dental care for their children, a new national poll finds.One in 6 parents who did not receive advice from a health care provider believed children should delay dentist visits until age 4 or older – years later than what experts recommend –  according to this month’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. (link is external)

Fluoride for all

Copenhagen: Fluoride can help prevent dental cavities. This is the main point of a new publication from the University of Copenhagen, which presents the latest information about fluoride, its effects, and opportunities for using it in preventing illness. Fluoride deficiency is especially prevalent in developing countries, but the problem also appears in Eastern Europe, where dental diseases are a major issue in the field of public health.