Kids with Positive Parents Get Fewer Cavities, Says Science

February 23, 2015

To conduct their study, researchers analyzed the parenting styles and child behavior of 132 parent/child groups at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio during their first dental appointment. The children in the study group were ages 3 to 6 years old.

Authoritative parents who provided discipline and guidance while allowing the child some freedom were compared to permissive parents who didn’t control their child’s decisions and ignored misbehavior. The research data showed that 80 percent of the kids with authoritative parents had cavities, compared to 97 percent of the children with permissive parents.

Photo: Getty

Vicki Clinebell majored in journalism at the University of Colorado and headed to an advertising agency before beginning a long career in broadcasting, spanning production and copywriting to Sales and Management for an ABC affiliate station.

Her decision to switch gears to pursue a career in writing fulfilled a lifelong ambition. She started as a blogger for a diverse group of businesses, and now writes for a number of digital publications for companies stationed in her hometown in the Rocky Mountains, and provides advertising copy and media buys for national and regional clients. She finds the research as intersting as the writing—she loves learning about subjects as diverse as construction scaffolding, child safety seats, and the newest trends in beauty and fashion.