Have we come to accept that tooth decay is inevitable for many children in our community? We shouldn’t. Are we corporately contributing to the issue? Let us not sugarcoat the problem.
Dental decay is the most common chronic disease in Canadian children (a and b) and yet it is preventable.
Dental decay accounts for a third of all day surgeries performed on children aged 1 to 5 in Canada. Nationally, 2.26 million school days are missed each year due to dental-related illness.
Prevention is far better than cure. Perhaps as a community we could work on this? One simple way would be to reduce the frequency and visibility of sugary treats.
I believe we can all make a difference, whether it be rethinking the candy pot on the business counter, the snacks and drinks at sporting events or the reward for good effort.
It may not be easy, but we all have a duty of care to our young people. It takes a village to raise a “decay-free” child.
Natalie Murphy,
Olds
