Perspective Chapter: Oral Health and Community Prevention in Children

Abstract

The child population is the most affected by the presence of caries. A preventable disease, which causes pain and school absenteeism, generates a significant expense in its treatment. If left untreated, it causes early tooth loss and malocclusion. Altering the quality of life at an early age leaves sequels. Primary care is essential in the prevention of oral diseases. Contact with the health team in first-level medical units, which begins during pregnancy and continues in the following stages of the child, plays an important role in its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Across the health system, these primary care practitioners play an important role in children oral health which includes provide preventive care, referral to dentists or dental care providers and caries risk assessment. This team will know how to refer the child to the dentist specialized in the treatment. This strategy largely represents community prevention. To this must be added the family, and the school, making use of the promotion of oral health in favor of children. Efforts to prevent childhood dental caries cannot only focus on individuals and their biology and behaviors individually. It should consider the backup determinants of children’s dental health as well.