IMPACTS OF FOOD HABITS ON CHILD'S ORAL HEALTH: LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Dental cavity on under school-aged patients, has been the subject for numerous researches, alimentation showed up to have a decisive role on the rise and development of this disease. Children go through a fast process of biological maturation and a healthy diet will benefit them in countless ways, for example, it would lower cases of diabetes, coronarian diseases, obesity, periodontal problems and dental cavity. The comprehension of the relation between early healthy alimentation and the development of dental cavity is fundamental to the child’s physical and social well being. This thesis aims to show, through the literary review, the impacts of eating habits on a child's oral health, to guide the food care needed by pediatric patients since their first visit at the dental clinic, evidencing the relation between alimentation and dental cavity. The synthesis of this literary review was made on 1995 to 2018 date range, with Pubmed, Scielo, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde and Scholar Google databases, using the description “saúde bucal”, "dieta e promoção da saúde”, resulting in 60 selected papers. Dental cavity on children shows aspects that prone to hasten an early case of caries, as well as inadequate eating habits. The control over the patient eating habits will be a fundamental factor to maintain his mouth and general health. The care is in the selection of the food, on its quantity and the way its eaten, cause cariogenic eating habits will mutate tooth enamel, causing it to be more susceptible to caries. This way, we reckon that the orientation and the early practice of good mouth hygiene and healthy oral habits is directly related to the reduction of caries cases on pediatric patients. To accomplish that its required to bring knowledge to the children parents about the importance of introduction of a correct alimentation since the first years of a children’s life.
Key-words: Mouth health, mouth hygiene, eating habits, primary prevention.