HHS HealthBeat (October 16, 2012)

Moms’ lives, kids’ teeth

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

There may be more to keeping a kid’s teeth healthy than dental insurance. Researchers say mothers with more than a high school education, more knowledge of eating right, and good emotional health had kids with better dental health.

At the dental school of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Suchitra Nelson looked in data from a long-term study, checking dental records of 224 teenagers and questionnaires from their mothers. She noticed something about teens whose mothers had more reason for life stress:

“The children had significantly less prevention, poor oral hygiene, and less-often dental visits.”

The study in the Journal of Dental Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: October 16, 2012