PREVENTIVE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Infant oral health care can be understood as the foundation on which a life time of prevention education and dental care can be built up in order to help acquire optimal oral health into child and adulthood. Poor oral health in children has been shown to affect growth and development, contribute to poor quality of life and a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions.1 Early identification of dental caries (the infection), especially in infants and toddlers is a prerequisite for the secondary prevention of decay and for preventing the destruction of primary teeth and eventually placing the permanent teeth at risk for the continuation of the disease process.