Dental Hygiene Session

How do I prevent Cavities?

Good oral hygiene removes bacteria and the leftover food particles that combine to create cavities. For infants, use a wet gauze or clean washcloth to wipe the plaque from teeth and gums. Avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle filled with anything other than water. See “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay” for more information.

For older children, brush their teeth at least twice a day. Also, watch the number of snacks containing sugar that you give your children. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends visits every six months to the pediatric dentist, beginning at your child’s first birthday. Routine visits will start your child on a lifetime of good dental health.

Seal Out Decay–

A sealant is a protective coating that is applied to the chewing surfaces (grooves) of the back teeth (premolars and molars), where four out of five cavities in children are found. This sealant acts as a barrier to food, plaque and acid, thus protecting the decay-prone areas of the teeth.

Mouth Guards –

When a child begins to participate in recreational activities and organized sports, injuries can occur. A properly fitted mouth guard, or mouth protector, is an important piece of athletic gear that can help protect your child’s smile, and should be used during any activity that could result in a blow to the face or mouth.
Mouth guards help prevent broken teeth, and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw. A properly fitted mouth guard will stay in place while your child is wearing it, making it easy for them to talk and breathe.
Ask your pediatric dentist about custom and store-bought mouth protectors.

Adolescent to Adult

BEWARE OF SPORTS DRINKS -Due to the high sugar content and acids in sports drinks, they have erosive potential and the ability to dissolve even fluoride-rich enamel, which can lead to cavities. To minimize dental problems, children should avoid sports drinks and hydrate with water before, during and after sports.
Be sure to talk to your pediatric dentist before using sports drinks.

If sports drinks are consumed:

• reduce the frequency and contact time
• swallow immediately and do not swish them around the mouth
• neutralize the effect of sports drinks by alternating sips of water with the drink
• rinse mouth guards only in water
• seek out dentally friendly sports drinks

Tongue Piercing – Is it Really Cool?

You might not be surprised anymore to see people with pierced tongues, lips or cheeks, but you might be surprised to know just how dangerous these piercings can be.

There are many risks involved with oral piercings, including chipped or cracked teeth, blood clots, blood poisoning, heart infections, brain abscess, nerve disorders (trigeminal neuralgia), receding gums or scar tissue. Your mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection is a common complication of oral piercing. Your tongue could swell large enough to close off your airway!

Common symptoms after piercing include pain, swelling, infection, an increased flow of saliva and injuries to gum tissue. Difficult-to-control bleeding or nerve damage can result if a blood vessel or nerve bundle is in the path of the needle.

Tobacco – Bad News In Any Form

Tobacco in any form can jeopardize your child’s health and cause incurable damage. Teach your child about the dangers of tobacco.
Smokeless tobacco, also called spit, chew or snuff, is often used by teens who believe that it is a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. This is an unfortunate misconception. Studies show that spit tobacco may be more addictive than smoking cigarettes and maybe more difficult to quit. Teens who use it may be interested to know that one can of snuff per day delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. In as little as three to four months, smokeless tobacco use can cause periodontal disease and produce pre-cancerous lesions called leucoplakias.

If your child is a tobacco user you should watch for the following that could be early signs of oral cancer:

• A sore that won’t heal.
• White or red leathery patches on the lips, and on or under the tongue.
• Pain, tenderness or numbness anywhere in the mouth or lips.
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving the jaw or tongue; or a change inthe way the teeth fit together.

Because the early signs of oral cancer usually are not painful, people often ignore them. If it’s not caught in the early stages, oral cancer can require extensive, sometimes disfiguring, surgery. Even worse, it can kill.
Help your child avoid tobacco in any form. By doing so, they will avoid bringing cancer-causing chemicals in direct contact with their tongue, gums and cheek.

Xylitol – Reducing Cavities

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recognizes the benefits of xylitolon the oral health of infants, children, adolescents, and persons with special healthcare needs.

Studies using xylitol as either a sugar substitute or a small dietary addition have demonstrated a dramatic reduction in new tooth decay, along with some reversal of existing dental caries. Xylitol provides additional protection that enhances all existing prevention methods. This xylitol effect is long-lasting and possibly permanent. Low decay rates persist even years after the trials have been completed.

Studies suggest xylitol intake that consistently produces positive results ranged from4-20 grams per day, divided into 3-7 consumption periods. Higher results did not result in greater reduction and may lead to diminishing results. Similarly, consumption frequency of less than 3 times per day showed no effect.

Care of Your Child’s Teeth

Brushing Tips:

• Starting at birth, clean your child’s gums with a soft cloth and water.
• As soon as your child’s teeth erupt, brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
• If they are under the age of 2, use a small “smear” of toothpaste.
• If they’re 2-5 years old, use a “pea-size” amount of toothpaste.
• Be sure and use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste and make sure your child does not swallow it.
• When brushing, the parent should brush the child’s teeth until they are old enough to do a good job on their own.

Flossing Tips:

• Flossing removes plaque between teeth and under the gum line where a toothbrush can’t reach.
• Flossing should begin when any two teeth touch.
• Be sure and floss your child’s teeth daily until he or she can do it alone.

Brushing and Flossing Children’s Teeth

As soon as a baby’s teeth come through, called erupting, they need to be cleaned.
This can be done gently with a cloth at first before moving on to special baby tooth brushes.

Here are more tips on taking care of your child’s teeth:

• Take children to the dentist as soon as their first teeth appear. This will get the mused to the experience and a lifetime of check-ups – and it is free for children on the NHS.
• Pick a small, age-appropriate toothbrush designed for babies or children with softer bristles.
• Use fluoride toothpaste – just a smear for babies and infants and a pea sized blob from 3-6 years old. The NHS says general family toothpaste is OK for children.
• Teach children to spit out toothpaste after use rather than rinsing. Rinsing washes away the beneficial fluoride.
• Brush your child’s teeth twice a day for 2 minutes at a time. Have a routine, such as in the morning and just before bed.
• Replace the toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if it shows signs of wear.
• Don’t let children share their toothbrush or lick or suck toothpaste tubes. Don’t let them walk around or run with the brush in their mouth to avoid injuries.
• Children should be helped to brush their teeth or supervised until they are 7 or 8years old.
• Ask your dentist for specific advice about extra oral hygiene measures, such as flossing or using mouthwash.
• Ask your dentist about fluoride varnish or dental fissure sealants. These are thin, plastic protective barriers that fill in the chewing surfaces of the teeth, protecting them from tooth decay. They may be available from some NHS dentists.