5 Tips for Fighting Cavities

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

Tooth decay is the most common, chronic childhood disease. The good news? It’s preventable! By following the below tips, you’ll be well on your way to ensuring your kids have a lifetime of good dental health!

1. Start Prevention Early - Even though you may not see teeth erupting in your child’s mouth, early oral care should still begin. Wipe your child’s gums with gauze or a soft, damp cloth after each feeding. Getting your little one used to having their mouth cleaned can help when it’s time for the toothbrush to come into play!

2. Avoid Giving Baby Juice or Formula at Bed Time - It’s common to put your child to bed with a sippy cup or bottle, but do be careful of what liquid you put in there. Milk, formula, and juice all contain sugar. Giving your child any of these liquids overnight gives bacteria its chance to eat away at tooth enamel, contributing to tooth decay.

3. Teach Your Kids How to Floss - In addition to brushing teeth two minutes, twice a day, its also important to ensure flossing is in their oral health routine as well. Brushing doesn’t reach all the crevices in the mouth and that’s where floss comes in. Flossing is the most effective way to remove any food and plaque that gets trapped between the teeth.

4. Limit Sports Drinks and Sodas - Both are huge sources of sugar and if not cleaned off the teeth well, the bacteria in the mouth can feed on it producing acids. Over time, this acid wears away at the teeth and the process of decay begins. Stick with water whenever possible!

5. Talk to a Dentist About Sealants - Sealants are just a thin, plastic coating painted on teeth. When applied to the chewing surfaces of molars, sealants act as a barrier between the tooth and harmful bacteria. This helps protect the teeth through the cavity-prone years of ages 6-14. 

Finally, another tried and true method of cavity prevention is bringing your children in for their regularly schedule dental appointments. This way we have the opportunity to spot an irregularities and catch any problems fast. Call (516) 798-1111 or visit our website to schedule an appointment. Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for updates and industry news.

How to Prevent Cavities in Your Children

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

 

Dental decay, for the most part, is a preventable disease. In fact, many children grow up cavity free - and it’s not due to luck or good genes! By learning about cavity prevention early on, parents are able to implement certain behaviors in their young children - starting them on the path to a lifetime of good oral health.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Bottles do not cause cavities, it’s the liquid inside that can promote tooth decay. Milk, juice, formula - just about everything your child drinks contains sugar. When sugar is left in the mouth, bacteria starts to break it down and turn it into acid which starts eating away at tooth enamel. Putting your child to bed with a bottle of juice or milk over night is the ideal way to start the above process. Work to limit your child’s time with a bottle, fill it with water, and as soon as possible - teach him or her how to drink from a cup.
• A child with past caries experience is at risk for future cavities. The best chance of avoiding any problems in the future is to not develop them as an infant or toddler. Limit the amount of candy and sugary snacks that can get stuck to teeth. Also, look at the ingredients on the packages of the groceries you are buying - many times sugar and high fructose corn syrup are at the top of the list.
• Using fluoridated water and the use of a fluoridated toothpaste increases the chance of stopping cavities from developing. In a recent paper in the Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene, Robert Compton, DDS, the executive director of the DentaQuest Institute, reported: “The result of behavior modification and goal setting along with frequent application of fluoride varnish and home fluoride toothpaste was a reduction of 65% in new cavitation.”

It’s also important to be a good role model for your children. If you make brushing and flossing a daily part of your routine, you have a greater chance of having kids who brush and floss regularly.

If you have any questions in preventing early childhood caries - contact any of our three offices today!

 

Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dentistry has three Long Island locations. We specialize in caring for children’s teeth in a comfortable and caring environment. Call (516) 798-1111 or visit our website to schedule an appointment. Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for updates and industry news!

Won’t They Fall Out Anyway?

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

Many people neglect to realize that a child’s oral health can affect their overall health. There is a large misconception that cavities in primary (baby) teeth don’t need to be treated since they eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent (adult) teeth. But did you know, when a child has cavities they are actually more susceptible to infections in other parts of their bodies?

It has been noted that kids with cavities are prone to infections of the ears and sinuses as well. Overall, having unhealthy primary teeth unleashes a whole slew of possible problems for your child:

• Due to dental discomfort children have reported trouble sleeping and poor school performance due to the inability to concentrate.
• Tooth decay can cause difficulty chewing and in turn can lead to a decreased appetite.  Being that children are constantly growing they need a good appetite for both physical and mental growth.
• If the cavity becomes large and the tooth is deemed un-restorable, it may need to be extracted or removed, thus increasing the chance of speech articulation difficulties. Missing teeth can also lead to low self-esteem or social ostracism.
• When a baby tooth has a significant infection it is possible that the permanent tooth erupts out of proper position.  When this occurs there is an increased risk of gum disease and an increase chance that the child will need orthodontics (braces).

One of the reasons we are seeing an increase in dental decay is that children are not seeing the dentist early enough.  Baby teeth can develop decay from the very moment they erupt into the mouth at about 6 months old.  That is why the first exam is recommended by 12 months of age.  We hope you now realize just how important infant oral health is, and how crucial the age 1 dental visit is. 

Help your child start positive oral health from their very first tooth.  Call us to schedule your appointment 631-360-PEDS (7337)!