Did you know? Protecting dental health should start from primary and secondary school students!

Author: Tang Qin, Deputy Secretary-General and Researcher of the Science Popularization Expert Committee of the Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Qiao Jing, deputy chief physician, Peking University School of Stomatology

Having healthy and white teeth is the basic guarantee of good health. We should always pay attention to oral hygiene in our lives, especially to carry out publicity and guidance on oral health for primary and secondary school students.

So, why should we pay attention to the promotion of oral health in primary and secondary schools? This should start from the growth stage of teeth.

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1. The concept of tooth replacement period

Children in primary and secondary school are between 6 and 12 years old, which is a period of rapid physical growth and development. The whole process from the first permanent tooth to the replacement of the deciduous teeth is called the tooth replacement period. The tooth replacement period is an important period for the development and growth of the child's jaw and dental arch, and it is also the peak period for the onset of oral diseases such as caries and gingivitis.

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During the tooth replacement period, the replacement of teeth follows a certain pattern, that is, first down and then up, first front and then back, and the two sides erupt symmetrically. This is a long and complex physiological process, which is affected by many factors such as genes, environment, and brushing habits. Therefore, parents should always observe the order and position of the eruption of their children's teeth to prevent oral diseases and chewing disorders caused by uneven teeth and malocclusion, which may even affect the growth of children's teeth and be detrimental to their physical and mental health.

Second, the primary and secondary school stage is a critical period for children's oral health

During the period of 6 to 12 years old, children have both deciduous teeth and permanent teeth in their mouths. This is the main growth and development period of the jaw and dental arch, and it is also a critical period for the establishment of permanent teeth. Children in primary and secondary schools are lively and active. If they collide during sports and fighting, it is easy to cause tooth dislocation and damage, which is not conducive to tooth growth. At the same time, because children do not brush their teeth carefully (especially the upper teeth that are difficult to clean), their movements are not well coordinated, and they fail to master the regular brushing methods, they are prone to tooth decay.

The fourth national oral health epidemiological survey shows that the caries prevalence rate of permanent teeth in 12-year-old children in my country is 34.5%, and the caries prevalence rate of deciduous teeth in 5-year-old children is 70.9%, and the caries prevalence rate is showing a clear upward trend. Dental caries is a chronic disease that not only affects oral function and increases the incidence of oral diseases in children, but also affects their later growth and development.

Unhealthy teeth will also bring many adverse effects to children's future life.

1. Affect chewing function

Primary and secondary school students are in a critical period of growth and development. If their teeth are not good, it will affect their chewing function, which in turn will affect their body growth. In severe cases, it will also lead to indigestion and other gastrointestinal diseases.

2. Affects pronunciation function

Some bad habits of children, such as sticking out the tongue, biting the tongue, biting fingers or pencils, licking teeth with the tongue, etc., will affect the growth of teeth, and may cause tooth deformation, uneven alignment, and abnormal contact between the upper and lower teeth. Over time, it will also affect normal pronunciation and language expression ability.

3. Affects breathing and swallowing functions

If the teeth are not well developed, with severe protrusion of the lower front teeth, or protrusion of the upper front teeth or both the upper and lower front teeth, it may cause swallowing abnormalities, and may also cause the lips to be unable to close freely, and even difficulty breathing, resulting in abnormal respiratory function.

So, how can we protect the dental health of primary and secondary school students and strengthen oral health promotion?

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III. Improving the oral health of primary and secondary school students requires joint efforts from all parties

Children aged 6 to 12 are in the period of replacement of deciduous teeth with permanent teeth, and oral diseases such as caries are prevalent. Oral health education at this stage requires joint efforts from all parties. Through the joint mechanism of home and school, we can give full play to the supervision and demonstration role of parents, help children develop good oral hygiene habits, and effectively reduce the incidence of caries. There are 5 specific methods.

1. Learn more about oral health care

Primary and secondary school students are in an important period of learning knowledge. Teachers can strengthen the dissemination of oral health knowledge based on the reading comprehension ability of students of different age groups through various forms such as recommending relevant reading materials and displaying on bulletin boards, so as to improve primary and secondary school students' understanding of protecting teeth and cultivate their awareness of oral health care.

2. Have regular oral health checks

For primary and secondary school students, it is necessary to have an oral health check at least once a year. In this way, if oral diseases are found, they can be discovered and solved early.

3. Learn the correct way to brush your teeth

The common factor causing dental caries and periodontal diseases is dental plaque. Therefore, removing dental plaque is the key to maintaining oral hygiene. The easiest way to remove dental plaque is to choose the right brushing tools and master the correct brushing method.

Brush your teeth in the morning and evening, and rinse your mouth after meals. Each time you brush your teeth, you should spend at least 2 to 3 minutes. Parents should help their children develop good oral hygiene habits from an early age.

4. Eat a healthy diet

Eat less or no high-sugar snacks and delicate pastries that are easy to stick to teeth. If you eat such snacks or pastries, you should rinse your mouth or brush your teeth immediately after eating. At the same time, parents should educate and inform their children to form the concept of not eating after brushing their teeth at night.

5. Actively participate in the Love Teeth Day activities

Schools can organize primary and secondary school students to participate in the National Love Teeth Day activities on September 20 every year, and strengthen oral hygiene health education for primary and secondary school students through activities to understand oral health knowledge.

As an important part of school public health education, oral health care for primary and secondary school students should focus on daily publicity. Through various channels and different methods, the awareness of primary and secondary school students on caring for their teeth should be continuously improved.

References

[1] Kuang Siqi, Huang Wei, Li Yue, et al. Analysis of OPG and RANKL expression levels in children during the dentition period[J]. Practical Clinical Medicine, 2022, 23(1): 56-58, 78.

[2] Yang Mei, Jiang Changyong, Shen Haiying, et al. Study on parents' willingness and influencing factors for contracting family doctors for children's oral health care services[J]. Chinese Journal of General Practice, 2021, 24(16): 2057-2061.