A importância do acompanhamento odontopediátrico como precursor de saúde

Abstract

There is still a misunderstanding on the part of the population about the search for dental care with priority to intervention only after the manifestation of oral lesions and diseases. In this sense, parents and guardians often fail to take their children to pediatric dental appointments, compromising prevention and oral health care for children prior to the occurrence of tooth decay and other oral diseases. Thus, considering the importance of pediatric dental monitoring for the oral health of children, the present study aims to describe the importance of pediatric dental monitoring as a precursor of health in the course of life. This is a narrative literature review, with a qualitative approach, based on scientific publications made available in databases such as the Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), National Library of Medicine National Institutes oh Health (PUBMED), Latin American Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Academic Google, including national and international articles, books and gray literature. To search for the studies, the following keywords were used in Portuguese, English and Spanish: preventive dentistry (odontologia preventiva, odontología preventiva); pediatric dentistry (odontopediatria, odontología pediátrica); dental care for children (assistência odontológica para crianças, atención dental para niños); child health (saúde da criança, salud del niño). For pediatric dental care, it is essential that parents and guardians are first aware of the importance of oral health at this stage of life. From there, they will be able to start caring for the baby, ideally from the gestational period, or at least during the child's first year of life, with the first dental appointment. Dental appointments in the first years of life are mainly aimed at preventing diseases, promoting oral and systemic health, in addition to familiarizing the child with the dental office. Pediatric dental monitoring performed during childhood, together with the co-participation of parents and/or guardians, are essential in maintaining the child's oral and systemic health, being also responsible for the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity, in childhood and the course of life as a whole.