Rudd fails on prevention

Health reform reports like ‘A healthier future for all Australians’ (item 86) recommend that Government should finance improved evidence based oral health promotion.

Tooth decay that is the most common global disease affecting 11 million Australians each year, touching every family even in fluoridated communities, that have fewer cavities.

Food is left on teeth after every meal or snack and any carbohydrate is converted to acid, causing cavities where demineralization exceeds saliva, fluoride or other remineralisation.

Over 80% of cavities occur inside pits and fissures where brushing cannot reach and saliva has no access after eating every meal or snack to remineralise demineralised tooth.

Costly fissure sealants, dentists place over chewing surfaces are the most effective preventive treatment, blocking food from being trapped and halting the caries process.

An elastomer strip can force sealants deeper inside the pits and fissures of all opposing left or right back teeth at once, eliminating saliva contamination, saving chair time and cost.

This sealant shows where the first food is forced deepest inside pits and fissures to fuel demineralization if a carbohydrate, or to inhibit demineralization if carbohydrate free.

This also indicates that chewing fibre like celery after eating forces saliva into trapped food under chewing pressure to dilute carbohydrate like sugar, neutralize acid and remineralise tooth. Chewing gum was less effective when tested with a glass model of a fissure.

The elastomer can also force fluoride toothpaste inside pits and fissures before brushing to remineralise and toughen demineralised tooth. www.supertoothndk.org

The glass model of a fissure was developed for Supertooth and Good Food Friends project to promote better personal tooth care to show how food is trapped under chewing pressure replacing previously trapped food.

This shows how sealants, even sugar free food, saliva and toothpaste can be forced inside pits and fissures under chewing pressure where brushing cannot reach to help improve prevention of tooth decay.

Chewing sugar free food like nuts or cheese before meals or snacks will help reduce demineralization and chewing fibre like celery after eating will help saliva neutralize acid and remineralise demineralised tooth. www.supertoothndk.org

I do agree.
but maybe thats too easy to just say education - what is the problem . Surely its a bit like medicine
- not enough emphasis on self care .
- too much cry wolf by wolves of various kinds
- the very nature of children
- so many things...
- the unsustainable growing political focus on emergency management

If the real pain of caries aren't enough to drive better education in a major health cost , what's the point of more suck eggs stuff.

As for the wonder covers - can i afford them ?

Conclusion: don't expect the government to be effective here .
You may have to do it yourself- you would do a better job esp with Dr whyte
Have you seen this one? http://embracethis.com.uk; or this http://daddydaycare.blogspot.com
---Maybe a website with photos of faces with missing teeth----
Copyright EA