Moms key to kids' dental health

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CLEVELAND, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A child's good dental health has more to do than whether the child has dental insurance, a U.S. researcher says.

Suchitra Nelson of the dental school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland said mothers with more than a high school education, more knowledge of eating right and good emotional health had kids with better dental health.

Nelson analyzed data from a long-term study involving the dental records of 224 teenagers and questionnaires from their mothers. Teens whose mothers had more reason for life stress had fewer dental visits.

"The children had significantly less prevention, poor oral hygiene and fewer dental visits," Nelson said.

The study was published in the Journal of Dental Research.