Does your child floss daily? Find out what others are saying about their children’s oral health.
While a majority of Americans (58 percent) rate their children’s oral health as “excellent,” there are clear gaps in understanding about basic oral health procedures and discrepancies between what parents know about children’s dental health and kids’ actual behavior.
That’s one of the key findings from a survey of American children’s oral health, conducted by Morpace, Inc., on behalf of Delta Dental Plans Association.* Delta Dental commissioned the survey to build greater knowledge about the state of children’s oral health.
Other key findings from the survey include:
- Among those who rate their child’s oral health as less than excellent, 45 percent say that not enough brushing or poor brushing technique is the biggest obstacle to excellent oral health. Another 20 percent say the biggest obstacle is a poor diet – not enough fruits and vegetables – or too many sweets.
- While the AAPD recommends daily flossing, a quarter of the survey respondents say their child never flosses; only 7 percent report their child flosses daily.
- Nearly nine of 10 Americans (87 percent) agree that it is equally important to get good medical care and dental care. The survey also showed that children covered by dental insurance are much more likely to have visited the dentist than uninsured children, 69 percent versus 54 percent, and to have made their first visit at an earlier age, 2.5 years compared to 3 years.
- About one in five (18 percent) survey respondents report their child has had a cavity in the past year. Among those children who have had cavities, nearly one in five (17 percent) experienced four or more cavities.
The oral health information on this web site is intended for educational purposes only. You should always consult a licensed dentist or other qualified health care professional for any questions concerning your oral health.
