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    Understanding Your Child's Dental Health

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    99tomells
    Understanding your child's dental health

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    Understanding Your Child's Dental Health

    Uploaded by

    99tomells
    23 views5 pages
    Understanding your child's dental health

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    Understanding your child's dental health

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    Understanding your child's dental health

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    23 views5 pages

    Understanding Your Child's Dental Health

    Uploaded by

    99tomells
    Understanding your child's dental health

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    A Guide to Healthier Smiles for Your Small Child

    Learn how to best care for your child’s oral health starting with their first tooth!

    “My child’s baby teeth are going to fall out anyway, so why does taking care of them
    matter?” If you’ve found yourself asking this question while wrestling with your toddler
    during your nightly tooth brushing routine, you’re not alone. Almost half of parents say
    getting their child to brush their teeth is “one of the most challenging things” to make
    their child do.1 So if caring for your child’s oral health feels like an impossible task, or if
    you are unsure why it is necessary in the first place, you will find helpful responses to
    each of those points and more in the information below.

    Why is pediatric dental health important?


    68% of parents believe caring for baby teeth, also known as primary teeth, is not
    necessary because they will eventually fall out.2 But it is important to remember that
    baby teeth are placeholders for permanent teeth, and the treatment of those baby teeth
    will have an impact on your child’s permanent teeth.

    In fact, research shows that cavities in baby teeth, also known as early childhood caries,
    make those children three times more likely to develop cavities in permanent teeth.3

    1 “Delta Dental of Massachusetts Press Releases - Delta Dental Mass,” Delta Dental of Massachusetts,
    https://deltadentalma.com/about-us/press-releases/2015/delta-dental-survey-says-parents-have-harder-
    time#:~:text=Nearly%20half%20of%20parents%20(45,household%20chores%20(41%20percent).
    2Mahesh Ramakrishnan et al., “Evaluation of Knowledge and Attitude of Parents about the Importance of

    Maintaining Primary Dentition - a Cross-Sectional Study,” Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care 8, no. 2
    (2019): 414, https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_371_18.
    3 Phoebe Pui Ying Lam et al., “Does Early Childhood Caries Increase Caries Development Among School Children

    and Adolescents? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” International Journal of Environmental Research and
    Preventing these conditions is imperative; oral health does not simply affect the mouth.
    In addition to cavities, poor oral hygiene can contribute to health problems in other
    areas of the body such as endocarditis, respiratory conditions, and heart disease. 4

    Many parents assume their child’s dental health care begins when their first teeth
    appear — in fact, 32% of parents believe children only need dental care once all of their
    baby teeth appear.5 However, this is a myth! Dental care for children should begin
    before a child’s teeth appear. Dentists recommend wiping your child’s gums twice a day
    with a clean cloth to help prevent bacteria that can cause tooth decay from forming.

    What causes tooth decay?


    Damage to a tooth’s enamel (or the surface of a tooth) is called tooth decay. Tooth decay
    is caused by a variety of factors, but generally, tooth decay is caused by acids from
    mouth bacteria that damage enamel. These acids are formed by plaque, which is the
    result of bad mouth bacteria combining with food. Plaque then uses the sugar and
    starches in foods and drinks to create the acid that attacks and destroys enamel. This
    process happens in everyone; saliva and fluoride work to repair enamel. However,
    consuming excessive amounts of starchy and sugary foods and beverages can lead to an
    amount of plaque and acid that your body’s natural defenses cannot overcome. That’s
    why proper oral care is important — it is possible to take steps to limit the development
    of plaque and to prevent tooth damage and conditions like gum disease. 6

    You can improve your child’s oral health one day at a


    time.
    There are numerous minor steps a parent can take to help improve the oral health of
    their child. While parents may find it difficult to encourage children to brush their teeth,
    it is paramount to their oral health. Research shows that brushing your child’s teeth
    with fluoride toothpaste at least once per day (or preferably, twice per day: once in the
    morning and once before bed) can reduce oral health issues like cavities by 50 percent.7
    Additionally, mouth bacteria that causes tooth decay begins forming in children as
    young as 6 months old, so it is important to follow dentist recommendations and gently
    wipe your child’s gums twice daily.

    What is a dental home? How do I find one?

    Public Health/International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 20 (October 18, 2022):
    13459, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013459.
    4 “Oral Health: A Window to Your Overall Health,” Mayo Clinic, March 14, 2024,

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-20047475.
    5Mahesh Ramakrishnan et al., “Evaluation of Knowledge and Attitude of Parents about the Importance of

    Maintaining Primary Dentition - a Cross-Sectional Study,” Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care 8, no. 2
    (2019): 414, https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_371_18.
    6 National Library of Medicine, “Tooth Decay,” n.d., https://medlineplus.gov/toothdecay.html.
    7 Rothen et al., “Oral Hygiene Behaviors and Caries Experience in Northwest Precedent Patients,” Community

    Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 42, no. 6 (April 27, 2014): 526–35, https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12107.
    You may have heard of the American Pediatrics Association definition of the “medical
    home.” But did you know the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, along with the
    American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, and the
    American Osteopathic Association, recommends a dental home for your child?

    A dental home is not just where you take your child for preventative and acute dental
    care. It is also the ongoing relationship between the dental care providers, the patient,
    and the patient’s family.8 The care provided in a dental home should be “comprehensive,
    continuous, prevention-based care that is accessible, family-centered, compassionate,
    and culturally competent.”9

    Providing your child with a dental home is one of the best ways to make sure they are
    consistently receiving the best care available.

    Conclusion
    While caring for your child’s oral health may feel overwhelming, approaching it one day
    at a time is all you can do — and it happens to be the most effective way to manage your
    child’s health! Remember to consider healthier, less sugary food options, brush your
    child’s teeth twice every day, and take your child to the dentist regularly to help improve
    and maintain your child’s oral health.
    Key Words: Pediatric dental health, child oral health, baby teeth care, early childhood caries, tooth
    decay prevention, children's dental care, dental home for children, oral hygiene for kids, fluoride
    toothpaste benefits, healthy smiles for kids, preventing cavities in children, importance of primary teeth,
    dental care for toddlers, pediatric dentist recommendations, managing child oral health.

    8AAPD. Overview, https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies--recommendations/Dental-Home/.


    9Girish Babu and Doddamani, “Dental Home: Patient Centered Dentistry,” Journal of International Society of
    Preventive and Community Dentistry 2, no. 1 (2012): 8, https://doi.org/10.4103/2231-0762.103448.
    Bibliography

    AAPD. Overview. https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies--

    recommendations/Dental-Home/.

    Delta Dental of Massachusetts. “Delta Dental of Massachusetts Press Releases - Delta

    Dental Mass.” https://deltadentalma.com/about-us/press-releases/2015/delta-

    dental-survey-says-parents-have-harder-

    time#:~:text=Nearly%20half%20of%20parents%20(45,household%20chores%20(

    41%20percent).

    Girish Babu, KL, and GM Doddamani. “Dental Home: Patient Centered Dentistry.”

    Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry 2, no. 1

    (2012): 8. https://doi.org/10.4103/2231-0762.103448.

    Lam, Phoebe Pui Ying, Helene Chua, Manikandan Ekambaram, Edward Chin Man Lo,

    and Cynthia Kar Yung Yiu. “Does Early Childhood Caries Increase Caries

    Development Among School Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review and

    Meta-Analysis.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public

    Health/International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19,

    no. 20 (October 18, 2022): 13459. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013459.

    Mayo Clinic. “Oral Health: A Window to Your Overall Health,” March 14, 2024.

    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-

    20047475.

    National Library of Medicine. “Tooth Decay,” n.d.

    https://medlineplus.gov/toothdecay.html.
    Rothen, Marilynn, Joana Cunha‐Cruz, Lingmei Zhou, Lloyd Mancl, Jackie S. Jones, and

    Joel Berg. “Oral Hygiene Behaviors and Caries Experience in Northwest Precedent

    Patients.” Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 42, no. 6 (April 27, 2014):

    526–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12107.

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