![]() ![]() Historically, because dental care has not been considered integral to health care, it is not subject to the tenets of the Canada Health Act (CHA): that is, publicly administered, universal, portable, accessible and comprehensive. Outline of Canada’s dental delivery system Several steps have been taken nationally since then – the establishment of the Office of the Chief Dental Officer, the development of the Canadian Oral Health Strategy, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences commission on oral health access – but much work still needs to be done. ![]() Oral health has traditionally received low priority in public policy discussions in Canada, and was not included in the final Romanow Commission report on the Future of Health Care in Canada in 2002. and has been the focus of much research and policy development. acknowledged their own oral health crisis in a landmark surgeon general’s report in 2000, and since that time, dental care has been identified as the most prevalent unmet health need of children in the U.S. Advanced forms of ECC frequently necessitate rehabilitative surgery under general anesthesia this is the most common surgical procedure performed in preschool children at most paediatric Canadian hospitals. In urban areas of Canada, the prevalence of ECC in preschool children is 6% to 8%, but in some disadvantaged Indigenous communities, the prevalence of decay exceeds 90%. Įarly childhood caries (ECC) is defined as the presence of one or more decayed, missing (due to caries) or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a preschool-aged child. Caries rates are increasing among children two to four years of age. A 2010 Canadian Health Measures Survey reported that 57% of Canadian children six to 11 years of age have had a cavity, with an average of 2.5 teeth affected by decay. The United States (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease, five times more common than asthma in children five to 17 years of age. ![]() ĭental decay in children is an important public health issue. There is also recent evidence linking oral disease to other health problems, such as low birth weight, - preterm delivery and iron deficiency. Dental problems are associated with a substantial reduction in school attendance and in parental working days. Developmentally crucial processes of communication, socialization and self-esteem are also affected by poor dental health. Oral pain has devastating effects on children, including lost sleep, poor growth, behavioural problems and poor learning. Backgroundĭental health can affect the functional, psychological and social dimensions of a child’s well-being.
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