Ottley Carol
J Fam Health Care. 2002;12(5):122-5.
Surveys show that tooth decay in young children is becoming concentrated in more deprived sectors of the population. Only by targeting families with young children in underprivileged areas will dental health be improved further. An analysis of dental health promotion advice has shown that simple, direct advice to "brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste" is just as effective as complicated health promoting activities. Questions about the development of the teeth and oral structures are common among new parents but they rarely turn to the dental team for answers. Nurses, health visitors and midwives are very much in the front line because of their work with young families. Dental health advice for families with young children, delivered by community health professionals including health visitors and midwives, may be the key to tackling inequalities in oral health in young children.
调查显示，幼儿龋齿现象正日益集中在人口中较为贫困的群体。只有针对贫困地区有幼儿的家庭采取措施，才能进一步改善牙齿健康状况。一项关于牙齿健康促进建议的分析表明，简单直接的“每天用含氟牙膏刷牙两次”的建议与复杂的健康促进活动同样有效。新父母经常会问到有关牙齿和口腔结构发育的问题，但他们很少向牙科团队寻求答案。护士、健康访视员和助产士由于与年轻家庭打交道，处于非常重要的前沿位置。由包括健康访视员和助产士在内的社区卫生专业人员为有幼儿的家庭提供牙齿健康建议，可能是解决幼儿口腔健康不平等问题的关键。
