by
Katrina Welch
The month of February is recognised as Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 20 per cent of children between the ages of five and 11 have at least one decayed tooth which has never received treatment. Furthermore, their data also reveal that cavities are classified as one of the most common chronic diseases of children.
Cavities can be prevented with good oral hygiene practices. Local dental practitioner, Dr Lois Applewhite, took the time to share with Better Health more information on how parents and guardians can help their children avoid tooth decay and tooth loss, especially in their early years.
Teeth Brushing When should a parent begin to brush a child’s teeth?
Even prior to the appearance of the first teeth, it is good practice to clean a baby’s mouth with a clean, damp washcloth or piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. Then, begin cleaning a child’s teeth as soon as they appear.
The lower front teeth (central incisors) are usually the first to make an appearance around six months of age.
A finger brush of very small-headed and soft-bristled children’s toothbrush can be used with a tiny smear of fluoridated children’s toothpaste. From the age of two or three, a pea-sized amount of the children’s toothpaste should be used.
As children get older, parents allow them to brush their teeth on their own, is there a preferred age for this transition to occur?
It is recommended that children start brushing their own teeth only when their fine motor skills are sufficiently developed. A good way to gauge this is their ability to hold a pencil well and write their name legibly; this usually occurs by age seven. However, the continued supervision of a parent or guardian is invaluable.
What is the value in parents brushing teeth for children?
There are always those hard-to-reach areas, even for us adults, where help is necessary from time to time. These include the upper and lower back teeth called the molars, where cavities can very easily form, as well as the inner surfaces of the teeth which face the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Let’s not forget in between the teeth, which requires the use of floss on a daily basis.
What are the dos and don’ts of teeth brushing for children?
Do:
• Brush your child’s teeth twice daily: in the morning and just before bedtime at night.
• Spend two minutes brushing thoroughly to clean all the surfaces of each tooth.
• Floss your child’s teeth daily as soon as there are two teeth touching each other.
• Use the appropriate amount of toothpaste for your child’s age.
Don’t:
• Use a toothbrush for more than three months.
• Give your child anything to eat or drink, besides water, after brushing at bedtime.
• Rinse with too much water after
• brushing. Rather, spit/wipe out as much of the toothpaste as possible, and allow the residual fluoride to remain on the teeth.
Allow children to fall asleep with a bottle or nipple in their mouth
Dental Visits At what age should dental health visits begin, and how often should these visits occur?
Dental visits should start by age one, or six months after the first tooth emerges, whichever is first. At this visit, the child should be introduced to the dental chair and environment.
A general oral assessment is done and the parents or guardians are educated on caring for the child’s teeth.
Provided there are no concerns, the next visit is usually at age two, then every six months thereafter.
Occasionally, babies may be born with dental anomalies or may develop them before their first birthday, which will necessitate an early dental visit.
How can parents make children feel more comfortable about visiting the dentist?
Over the years, I have found that parents can contribute significantly to the fears that children may have in visiting the dentist. While it is understood that many people may have had bad dental experiences in the past, I encourage parents not to project these experiences on to their children. Allow your child to come with an open mind and a blank slate.
Here is what I recommend:
• Be excited to take your child to their dental visit. Try not to be nervous yourself. Children pick up on this.
• Avoid using trigger words and phrases such as “pain” and “injection”. Allowing your child to watch a clip or read a book portraying other children/characters visiting the dentist can be very helpful.
Rewards! All children love to be rewarded, and the promise of an appropriate reward can positively influence a child’s behaviour at the dentist.
Apart from the regularly scheduled visits, what are some of the signs that a child might need to see a dentist sooner?
Any deviation from the “normal” is a good indication that a dental visit is in order.
Some of the common signs include:
• White/yellow/brown/black stains or holes, which may indicate cavities at various stages of progression
• Bleeding or swollen gums
• Abscess or swollen face
• Abnormal loosening of teeth
• Retained baby teeth and “riders” growing inwards
• Traumatic injuries to the teeth or mouth
• Displaced or malpositioned teeth Persistent finger/tongue sucking habits, among others.
