The Importance Of Dental Health

I have considered Dental Health for my health determinant, as there is a growing concern that children are having more than their recommended daily amount of sugar. According to (World Health Organisation, 2012) 60-90% of children nationally have dental caries. There are many dangers of sugar, children who regularly drink fruit juices and fizzy drinks are more prone to tooth decay due to the buildup of plaque on the teeth. When the plaque reacts with the sugars from the drink, it produces acid. The acid causes the tooth enamel to disintegrate leading to tooth decay. If left untreated, children are at risk of developing toothache and extreme cases, tooth loss. (Childs, 2001).

Parents are the child’s biggest influences and the main deciders

This means that children’s diets are lacking essential nutrients such as fruits and vegetables, and instead exposed to fats and sugars, which have negative effects on academic ability and health. The Good Child Report (2017) states families from a low-income background are not entitled to free school meals as the parent is working. This is a huge concern, as children need a healthy school meal in order to thrive. Without free school meals, parents may struggle to find a healthy, balanced meal for their child and may opt for a cheaper, unhealthy meal due to money troubles. This shows that the Macrosystem is failing the child, as the child is not getting the meal that they need due to the government’s guidelines. Consistently eating processed and sugary foods can cause obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease later in adulthood. (The Children’s Society, 2012) This links with the Health Belief Model’s perceived susceptibility (Glanz, 1997) as the children may start to think about their own risk of developing a health condition due to poor diet; however, the child may believe that the condition will only affect adults so they will be less likely to change their behaviour. Furthermore, the parent may start to think of the perceived severity and want to avoid the consequences of the condition due to

Posters should not only be in dentists, but supermarkets, hospitals, public transport, and in schools. It would inform and perhaps prevent children from dental carries, obesity, and heart disease later on in life. Posters are more beneficial as you will see them whilst passing, whereas with a leaflet, you would have to actively look for it and parents may not have time to look through a leaflet. Posters are child friendly, eye catching and include little, but relevant information that informs parents. According to (Illic and Rowe, 2013) a posters presentation is most important when increasing knowledge and changing behaviour, however only when combined with another source of promotion. The design of the poster is most important in the success of delivering information. If the poster looks dull, then parents are less likely to read