Wellness for kids isn’t confined to the mouth—but it can begin there.

Good dental care is important for children starting at age 1, experts say, and this summer new research is showing a connection between youngsters’ dental health and their chances of being too heavy.

The new study by University at Buffalo faculty members, which was presented last month at a national conference, shows that 2-to 5-yearolds who had cavities in their baby teeth requiring intensive intervention had a much greater chance than other children of being overweight or obese.

“What we found was, almost 28 percent of these kids were overweight or obese,” said Dr. Kathleen Bethin, associate professor of pediatrics at UB and lead author of the new study.

The study, covering an 18-month period, involved 65 children who were treated for dental problems in the operating room at Women & Children’s Hospital.

“This is pointing us in the direction that our hypotheses might be right,” said Bethin, who explained that anecdotal observation by health professionals of overweight youngsters with tooth decay led to the study. “We have to do more patients (in this study) for it to be conclusive.”

Parents and dental care professionals, meanwhile, should keep this worrying link in mind, she said.

“Perhaps when a dentist sees tooth decay, it might be a good time to mention (to the parents) about seeing a nutritionist,” she said.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that parents and caregivers make sure that children see their dentist for the first

time by age 1. That recommendation is echoed by the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

According to a survey by the pediatric dentistry association, 97 percent of parents and guardians didn’t know about that recommendation.

The survey also found that only 33 percent of mothers considered oral health “a concern” for their toddlers.

At Winning Smiles Pediatric Dentistry in Amherst, Dr. Michael J. Foley said parents should make sure their children receive dental care at their first birthdays, then build a relationship with a pediatric dentistry office so that tooth and mouth issues during childhood and the teen years can be handled smoothly.

“We’re the pediatricians of the mouth,” said Foley, a 1998 graduate of UB’s dental school who owns and heads the Sheridan Drive practice. “If we can provide families with that message early on, we’re ahead of the game.”

Some pediatric dentistry offices go out of their way to make their facilities places children hate to leave, rather than hate to visit.

At Winning Smiles, a video-gaming room adjacent to the waiting room offers young patients Xbox and PlayStation games; a coffee bar nearby allows parents to brew themselves gourmet blends and read magazines while they wait. In another corner, a darkened “movie theater” alcove lets youngsters watch movies from tiered seating. Smaller children can play with a kitchen set or train play table.

Patient-care rooms are decorated with oversized wall decals —in themes ranging from Hannah Montana and Disney princesses to the Buffalo Bills—and television sets near each patient chair show children’s films.

“We wanted to make this look like a fun place,” said Foley, an Orchard Park resident and father of three boys. “We wanted to try to get away from what a typical dentist’s office looks like. It’s got a lot of creature comforts from home.”

It seems to be working. Foley said the practice, which he bought as an established office, has grown to a staff of five pediatric dentists, with a sixth expected to be added in the fall.

More information about dental care for young children is available at the Web site of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, www.aapd.org .

For more information about Winning Smiles, see www.winningsmilespd.com , or call 332-2444.