An American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report, with a companion technical report, addresses oral health in adolescents from the paediatrician's side of the consultation. It notes that poor oral health in this age group brings pain, missed school, effects on general health and reduced social engagement.
The report singles out issues particular to adolescence: preventing dental injury in sport, orthodontic problems, and behaviours that harm oral health. It aims to give paediatricians practical prevention and management skills and recommends building them into routine health supervision visits.
This is a US professional report, not a trial, and its specific recommendations should be read in full before being adopted. Its central point travels well: adolescents see a doctor more often than a dentist, and the mouth is rarely examined.
- Look in the mouth at adolescent health checks; caries and gum disease are often missed.
- Ask about sugary drinks, tobacco and vaping, which affect oral as well as general health.
- Advise a mouthguard for contact sports.
- Ask when the adolescent last saw a dentist and refer if there is no regular dental care.
Why it matters
Adolescents often slip out of dental care, and the paediatrician may be the only clinician who sees them.
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