Dr. Burton Edelstein, a dentist based at Columbia University, presents a great argument for including more community members in children’s oral health. Dental caries is the largest preventable disease in North America. It costs our society millions of dollars in dental fees, surgical fees for those who need to have dental work done within a hospital, and labour costs of care givers who have to take time off to deal with these outcomes. And let’s not forget about the child who is suffering from pain and cannot eat nutritious foods, or rest well (and concentrate on school work). And it’s all preventable!!!
But, as Dr. Edelstein points out, there can be barriers for families despite their good intentions. Language, lack of knowledge about nutritious food, income for food, oral care products, and household maintenance (how do you cook nutritious food if your stove or fridge is not working?) – these can all stand in the way of oral care. So he recommends community involvement with nutrition workers, social workers, community members, etc. to help address these barriers. Their group has the goal of eliminating dental caries in children by 2026. Sounds crazy – but what an exciting initiative!
