TLC’s for your Child’s Tooth

Misconception of how early the child should visit a dentist paves the way for more dental complication in children aged 2 years old. Twenty-five percent have never seen a dentist by the time they reached kindergarten. This is the scenario even though dental decay is dubbed as the common childhood disease in America, second only to asthma and bronchitis.

Factors that add up to the misunderstanding of proper dental care for a child’s tooth are: 1) lack of knowledge of the parents as to the right time for a child to see a dentist; and 2) constant and long term exposure of a child’s tooth to sugar-filled beverages.

To address the first question, parents are encouraged to bring a child for the first dental check-up 6 months after the emergence of the first tooth. The dentist can brief the parents on the proper way to care for the child’s tooth such as wiping a damp cloth after feeding and reminding parents against frequent consumption of sugary beverages which may result to a condition commonly known as the baby bottle tooth decay. Most of the parents know about baby bottle tooth decay but unaware of the effect of long term and regular consumption of sugary liquid in a bottle or cups puts a child’s growing teeth at an increased risk for tooth decay.

The Academy of General Dentistry through its spokesperson Cindi Sherwood, DDS said that oral and overall health in a child can be best promoted by encouraging the child’s consumption of sugarless fruit juices, teas, and water. On the contrary, fruit juice in a bottle, cup or box in a child’s mouth throughout the day is discouraged because this can cause tooth decay which can result to pain and infection if left untreated. Dr. Sherwood stressed the importance of preserving baby teeth. She said, baby teeth hold the place and guide permanent teeth into their proper position. Severely decayed tooth may be extracted which can have an effect on the development of permanent teeth, manner of speaking and manner of chewing of a child.

Ways of reducing the risk of tooth decay in a child aside from the general recommendation of introducing early oral health care.

· Weaning a child from bottle or from the mother’s breast at age 1.

· Using a spill-proof cups with collapsible rubber straws at meal or snack times when there is ample salivary activity as transitional step but never allow the use of spill-proof cups throughout the day.

· Using straw in drinking beverages.

· Wiping baby’s gums with a damp cloth after feeding.

· Introducing the use of a soft-bristle brush and water when the first baby tooth appears.

· Brushing with fluoridated toothpaste at age 2.

Proper dental care of a child’s teeth from infancy promotes good oral health care habits for a lifetime and increases the chances of a child’s healthy permanent teeth.