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March 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Caring for
Little Teeth
is a Pretty
Big Deal
By Dana Sizemore
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
tooth decay is the most common
chronic disease among children in
the U. S. today. It is a rapidly growing problem that can affect children
as young as one year of age. The
American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry (AAPD) believes this early
tooth decay can have a lasting negative impact on the oral health, as well
as, the overall well-being of children
affected. Experts say the reason tooth
decay is increasing so rapidly in such
young children is because of the types
of foods they are consuming and
how often they are consuming them.
Children are eating more processed
carbohydrates like goldfish and pretzels, along with more sugary drinks,
than they ever have before. Once
eaten, these simple sugars surround
every nook and cranny of the teeth.
The bacterium inside the mouth then
gobbles up the sugars, leaving a trail
of acid behind. This acid will eat away
at a tooth’s protective layers, compromising its structure.
With these issues in mind, parents of today’s young children must
be proactive about taking care of
their little one’s teeth. Dr. Morgan
Dillow, a pediatric dentist at Pediatric
Dentistry of Hamburg, states that
“cavities are almost 100 percent preventable.” “The key,” he says, “is early
prevention.”
child goes on a regular basis to the
same dental office, he or she will start
to feel at home there, and, hopefully,
at ease. Children should be seen at
one year and again every six months.
A pediatric dentist is recommended
because they are specially trained for
dealing with children and will use
an approach that will help alleviate a
child’s anxiety.
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adults. Let them mimic you taking
care of your teeth.
Make it fun by letting them brush
to fun music or even do a silly wiggle
while they brush.
Have your child pretend to be a
dinosaur and open his mouth really
wide to growl at you. This makes it
fun and gives the parent room to get
in there and brush.
Additional Information: The
Establish a routine – A routine
for oral care should be started early as AAPD is launching the Monster-Free
Mouths Movement, which is an eduwell. Parents can actually start before
teeth even come through by brushing cational campaign to give caregivers
the child’s gums with an infant brush. the information they need to prevent
tooth decay, also known as the “little
Teeth should be brushed twice a day
monsters’ inside the mouth. Coloring
and flossing should begin when the
sheets, teeth brushing charts and
teeth are touching. Dr. Dillow says,
Ronald Reaganother fun tools can be found at
was the 40th president.
“repetition is the key.” If established
http://www.mychildrensteeth.org.
early enough, oral care will become
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second nature.
T H E Y E A R WA S 1 9 8 5
What can parents
do to establish good
oral health habits at
home?
A gallon of gas cost one dollar and twenty cents.
Start Early - The AAPD recomHere are some tips for
mends that children be seen by a
motivating your child
pediatric dentist by their first birthday. Although this one year rule may
to cooperate with
seem extremely early to some, Dr.
brushing:
Dillow explains the purpose of this
first visit is to educate parents and
Let the child help pick out her
to establish a relationship with the
own age appropriate dental care supchild. Dentists hope that if children
plies - the brush, the toothpaste and
can be seen early enough, and often
T floss. Y E A him W A T E 8 5 …
S
the H EThis will giveR a sense of H1 9 Y E A R W A S 1 9
enough, then early decay can be preownership in the process. was the 40th president.
vented. This will also give your child
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Ronald Reagan was the 40th presiden
Brush and were fast becoming Golden Girls” were fast on TV.
an opportunity to establish what the “The Golden Girls”floss together, when friends on their first season becoming friends on their
“The
possible. gallon of gas costmimic
Children love to one dollar and twenty cents.gas cost one dollar and twenty
AAPD calls a “dental home”. If the
A
A gallon of