If
you’d like your kid to grow up cavity-free with a good smile, don’t smoke
around him or her. Exposure to secondhand smoke even at 4 months old can
increase their risk for tooth decay by 3 years old, researchers say.
In
a recent study, children whose parents smoke are twice as likely as kids whose
parents do not smoke to have cavities. Tobacco use during pregnancy though, was
not a factor in the study. Data was collected for nearly 77,000 kids born from
2004 to 2010. The participants were examined at birth, at 4, 9, and 18 months,
and again at age 3.
The
mothers of the participants also completed surveys regarding smoking at home,
their child’s exposure to it, and their family’s dietary and dental care
habits.
Based
on the survey responses, about 55 percent of parents smoked and 7 percent of
kids were exposed. Of the 77,000 kids, there were 13,000 cases of cavities.
Exposure
to secondhand smoke is common; 40 percent of kids worldwide are exposed. It
remains a largely unsolved health problem.
In
the study published in BMJ,
researchers proved an association between cavities and exposure to secondhand
smoke. The study’s findings do encourage education on the harms, particularly
for dentists. The opportunity for dentists to educate their patients on the
risks is huge.
Evidence
against secondhand smoke continues to mount. It puts kids at risk for breathing
difficulties, heart disease, and now, it appears, for cavities as well.