| "ATLANTA -- Tooth decay in young children's baby teeth is on the rise, a worrying trend that signals the preschool crowd is eating too much sugar, according to the largest government study of the nation's dental health in more than 25 years." "Twenty-eight percent of children ages 2 to 5 had cavities in their baby teeth, according to the study, which looked at data from 1999 to 2004. That was up from 24 percent in the 1988-94 period previously studied." "Tooth decay in young children had been decreasing for 40 years. Earlier studies have suggested the trend might have ended, but the new report contains the first statistically significant proof the trend has reversed, dental experts said." "One reason is that parents are giving their children more processed snack foods than in the past, and more bottled water or other drinks instead of fluoridated tap water, said the study's lead author, Dr. Bruce Dye of the National Center for Health Statistics." "Other experts agree diet is at least part of the explanation for the rising cavity rates." ""The same things contributing to the obesity epidemic can also contribute to tooth decay," said Dr. Gary Rozier, a dentist who teaches public-health policy at the University of North Carolina." "Inadequate dental care may also play a role. Cavities in young children can form very quickly, and parents should begin bringing their children to the dentist at age 1, said Dr. Joel Berg, chairman of the University of Washington's Department of Pediatric Dentistry." "Parents also must help their young children brush properly. "Preschoolers don't have the dexterity to really clean their teeth," Berg said." "Baby teeth naturally fall out as children age, but dentists say untreated decay can spread and is too dangerous to go untreated." "Rotten baby teeth are treated with fillings or -- if the decay is extensive -- extraction. But if a baby tooth is extracted before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, the nearby teeth can shift into that space and leave insufficient space for the permanent tooth to come in correctly." "elderly adults who have visited a dentist in the past year, a possible indicator of declining dental insurance." "But there was some good news: Older children have fewer cavities, adults have less periodontal disease than in the past, and more of the elderly are retaining
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