Healthy teeth starting from the deciduous teeth

Area: Public Health

News

Area: Public Health

Published April 5, 2022

You don't often see children of 6 months in the dental office. Nevertheless, it seems like a good idea if parents do take them with them according to researchers from the Centre for Dentistry and Dental Hygiene UMCG, TNO and Erasmus University. Starting from the moment the first deciduous tooth breaks through. 'Parents can then learn from the beginning how to care for their child's teeth,' says health scientist and PhD candidate Ashley Verlinden.

Verlinden followed the children from 6 months until they were 5 years old and looked at behaviour, attitude, knowledge, cost-effectiveness, and the risks of getting cavities. The parents who participated in GigaGaaf! received guidance from oral care professionals even before their child's first birthday. Other parents formed a control group, answered the same questions, but received no guidance. The data that Ashley collected in this way should answer the question of whether you can offer children better chances of having healthy teeth with the GigaGaaf! intervention. There are no firm conclusions yet due to 'corona delay', but: 'We can say that it looks hopeful.'

Read the entire interview (in Dutch)