Biomaterial Database

Infant/toddler oral health care: guidelines for the primary care physician. 1996

L T Veselicky, and P Ngan

Department of Periodontics, West Virginia University, School of Dentistry, Morgantown, USA.

Since primary care physicians treat infants and toddlers on a regular basis, they oversee the growth and development of children and are usually the first health care providers to evaluate their oral health status. When examining an infant or a toddler, certain oral health conditions should be considered, such as tooth eruption, fluoridation, preventive oral hygiene, diet, and orofacial development. This article provides pertinent information in these areas that can serve as a guide for primary care physicians in their routine care of the infant/toddler.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D009909	Oral Health	The optimal state of the mouth and normal functioning of the organs of the mouth without evidence of disease.	Health, Oral
D011320	Primary Health Care	Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (JAMA 1995;273(3):192)	Primary Care,Primary Healthcare,Care, Primary,Care, Primary Health,Health Care, Primary,Healthcare, Primary
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003773	Dental Plaque	A film that attaches to teeth, often causing DENTAL CARIES and GINGIVITIS. It is composed of MUCINS, secreted from salivary glands, and microorganisms.	Plaque, Dental
D004032	Diet	Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.	Diets
D005460	Fluorides, Topical	Fluorides, usually in pastes or gels, used for topical application to reduce the incidence of DENTAL CARIES.	Fluoride Varnishes,Topical Fluorides,Varnishes, Fluoride
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D017410	Practice Guidelines as Topic	Works about directions or principles presenting current or future rules of policy for assisting health care practitioners in patient care decisions regarding diagnosis, therapy, or related clinical circumstances. The guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, professional societies, governing boards, or by the convening of expert panels. The guidelines form a basis for the evaluation of all aspects of health care and delivery.	Clinical Guidelines as Topic,Best Practices,Best Practice