Blame your Mom!

Partners In Prevention 1For many years, studies have shown that dental decay originates in early life from a cross-infection of bacteria from the mother to the child.

In the current issue of the Journal of Dental Research, researchers show that children of mothers with high levels of mutans streptococci in their saliva, have double the level of dental decay.

mother-and-child
Our group has pioneered on ways and means of reducing this cross-infection. In one study involving over 400 pairs of young, high-risk mothers and their infants, we showed that Prevora could reduce the rate of Severe Early Childhood Caries (SECC) by 35% over 18 months. SECC is that level of decay which requires the young child to be admitted to hospital for extensive restorations under general sedation. In this study, Prevora was administered to the mothers, not the child.

In my community, the children’s hospital dedicates significant resources to sedating kids so that it can surgically repair decayed teeth. Only to find a few months later, that the cavities and recurrent decay are back.

Just another reason to take a biological approach to this disease.

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