The age one dental visit-don't leave home without it.

I don’t know how the reader of this editorial is feeling, but I have become weary of the constant emphasis by the press, which includes television, concentrating on negatives in our society, whether it is the “War on Terrorism”, the War in Iraq, and yes, the recent November election. Recently, I had one of those “significant positive emotional events” that alleviated my perseveration on current affairs, and re-enforced how fortunate we are to be pediatric dentists. The age one dental visit has become the foundation for pediatric dentistry and the AAPD. As a full-time clinician in private practice, I am finding it evermore difficult to deal with the “tidal wave” of Early Childhood Caries that is causing so much pain and suffering for children. I feel more than ever that it is virtually impossible to eliminate this problem through normal restorative and/or surgical means. Therefore, prevention is the only answer, by establishing a “dental home” at age one for all children! This concept was reinforced dramatically when I was privileged to examine a wonderful 13-month old child, who has a serious cardiac ventricular septal defect. The child, who will be undergoing extensive cardiac surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto in the near future, was referred to my pediatric practice by a cardiologist. After completing a thorough oral exam by means of the “head-to-toe/knee-to-knee” technique utilizing the mother The Age One Dental Visit—Don’t Leave Home Without It