Improving the Oral Health of Young Children: An AAP Policy Statement

Target Audience: Primary care pediatricians

Background and Objective

Dental caries, the most common childhood chronic disease, has increased in children aged 2 to 4 years during the past few decades, particularly in children from poor families. In a new policy statement, the AAP provides a summary of the pathogenesis of caries, information about risk factors, and specific recommendations for primary preventive care.

Key Recommendations

The AAP recommends that pediatricians focus prevention strategies in three areas:

—Dietary counseling

• Advise parents or primary caregivers to reduce sugary intake in young children. After children are weaned from breast-feeding, parents should consider re…