The Big PictureRole of the oral health care professional
Section snippets
Background
All age groups of children in the United States face a high prevalence of being either overweight or obese, making this a significant public health concern. One goal of Healthy People 2020 is to reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who fall into these categories because these individuals run a greater risk for being overweight as adults and developing chronic diseases. Specifically, the prevention of overweight or obesity may also prevent the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Obesity and Oral Health
The link between obesity and oral health has not always been clear, with studies offering contradictory findings in this area. Some evidence suggests overweight or underweight may raise the risk for caries. Studies in various populations can arrive at differing conclusions, suggesting that the problem may be a localized situation related to socioeconomic factors, cultural factors, and problems with accessing appropriate food supplies. Even if the link is not direct between dental caries and BMI
Diet, Oral Health, and Weight Screening
Both nutrition and oral health education can be readily incorporated into the dental visit. Such interventions can provide valuable information to patients and their parents and engender a greater level of comfort related to discussions of weight-related issues. Oral health care practitioners must be sensitive to weight status screening, maintain empathy, evidence nonjudgmental behavior, and ensure privacy during the measurements.
The dental practitioner can begin by respectfully introducing the
Referrals
Recognizing a weight status not in the normal range should prompt a referral to a registered dietitian/nutritionist or physician. There the child will undergo more in-depth evaluations.
Before the referral, the oral health care provider can share information on weight screening, identify what healthy diet and oral health behaviors are, encourage parents and patients to limit sugar-sweetened beverage intake, and maintain contact with other health care providers to ensure any problems are being
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Ziegler J, Hughes CV: Weighing in on pediatric obesity: Weight screening at the dental visit. J Am Dent Assoc 147:146-150, 2016
Reprints available from J Ziegler, Graduate Programs in Clinical Nutrition, School of Health Related Professions, Rutgers, The State Univ of New Jersey, 65 Bergen St, Rm 157, Newark, NJ 07107; e-mail: [email protected]