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Maternal and Child Health Bureau logoA Health Professionals Guide to Pediatric Oral Health Management
HomeModuleModule 1: An Introduction to Infants' and Young Children's Oral HealthModule 2: Managing Infants' and Young Children's Oral HealthModule 3: Oral Conditions and AbnormalitiesModule 4: Prevention of Oral DiseaseModule 5: Non-Nutritive Sucking HabitsModule 6: Oral InjuryModule 7: Infants and Young Children with Special Health Care NeedsContentsGlossaryEvaluationHelp
Module 1: An Introduction to Infants and Young Childrens Oral Health
Module Contents
Overview
1.1 The Health Professional’s Role in Promoting Oral Health
1.2 Trends in Oral Health

Access to Care
Tooth Decay
Untreated Tooth Decay
Fluoride
Malocclusion (current page)
Injury and Violence (current page)
Children with Special Health Care Needs (current page)
1.3 Oral Health, General Health, and Well-Being
Key Points
Post-Test
References
Additional Resources


1.2 Trends in Oral Health, continued

Malocclusion  (See Module 2, section 1.2, Malocclusion.)

  • Premature loss of primary molars predisposes children to malocclusion (improper alignment of the jaws and teeth).[10]

Injury and Violence  (See Module 6.)

  • Craniofacial, head, face, and neck injuries occur in more than half of the cases of child abuse.[15]

Children with Special Health Care Needs  (See Module 7.)

  • Results of the 1994-1995 National Health Interview Survey on access to care and use of services indicates that the most prevalent unmet health need among children with special health care needs is oral health care.[16]

Coordinated and collaborative efforts on the parts of all health professionals are needed to ensure that all infants and young children — regardless of their race/ethnicity and their socioeconomic status and of whether they have special health care needs — enjoy optimal oral health.

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logo: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau