Cavities in Siblings

Children ages six and older should have a dental check-up every six months. This is especially important if a child in the family has already had cavities, as a research team at the University of Basel has now discovered.

The researchers examined 13,596 children between the ages of four and 15 – and for the first time, also analyzed the connection between cavities in siblings. Their result: A child’s risk of cavities is 3.7 times higher if the oldest child in the family has had cavities. The smaller the age difference between siblings, the higher the risk.

Only about half of the children examined were caries-free – dentist Andreina Grieshaber wants to change that: “Thanks to this finding, preventive measures can now be implemented more specifically for affected families, so that we can get closer to the goal of caries-free children and adolescents.”

So, put prevention on your calendar—especially if one of your children has already been diagnosed with cavities. You can even bring your child to us before they get their first tooth: This way, they’ll get used to going to the dentist early and won’t develop any fears. After all, prevention doesn’t hurt.

Source: University of Basel