In conjunction with National Children's Dental Health Month, Delta Dental has released the findings of a new survey of nearly 1,000 caregivers.
The 2013 Delta Dental Children's Oral Health Survey shows that Americans are unaware that they can pass cavity-causing bacteria to children, and that they also need to improve on some critical children's dental health habits, including basics such as brushing and flossing.
One in four caregivers said that their children received a filling for caries, and that among those who had restorative treatment in the past year, 53% had two or more restorations.
Some of the oral health habits reported that fall short of what's recommended by dental professionals include the following:
- 75% of caregivers say they share utensils such as a spoon, fork, or glass with a child.
- 49% of Americans with a child 4 years or younger report that the child sometimes takes a nap or goes to bed with a bottle or sippy cup containing milk or juice.
- For children who have visited the dentist, the average age at the first visit was 3 years old.
- Only 58% of children had their teeth brushed twice a day, and 34% of children brush for less than two minutes.
- 43% of parents or caregivers report that their children's teeth are never flossed, and of children whose teeth are flossed, only 23% are flossed daily.
