April 10, 2004

By: Jeremy Bason
Website: http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com

Childrens Dental Health – Tips For Healthy Teeth

Gov. Mark Schweiker today proclaimed February as Children’s Dental Health Month in Pennsylvania. To support dental health awareness, Physician General Dr. Robert Muscalus is encouraging parents to teach their children about proper techniques to prevent dental decay.

This month serves to remind us that many children in Pennsylvania suffer from dental decay, the single most common chronic childhood disease, Dr. Muscalus said. Left untreated, this can lead to a lot of pain and suffering. By maintaining good oral health habits, this disease can be prevented.

Dental decay is more common in children than asthma. Almost half of the children in Pennsylvania age 15 and under have experienced dental decay, especially children from poorer families. Dental decay is largely preventable by beginning proper oral hygiene procedures in infancy, along with the appropriate use of fluoride products throughout childhood.

In Pennsylvania, tooth decay has affected an average of 48 percent of children who are 8, and about 50 percent of children by the time they reach 15. In low-income children, almost 33 percent have untreated tooth decay, whereas only 10 percent of higher-income children have untreated tooth decay. Left untreated, this problem may result in pain, dysfunction, underweight and poor appearance, which can greatly reduce a child’s ability to succeed in the educational environment.

Dr. Muscalus suggests the following tips for healthy teeth:

• Start cleaning early. As soon as the first tooth appears, use a clean, damp cloth for cleaning. When more teeth grow in, use a soft toothbrush. Begin using toothpaste with fluoride when the child is 2-years-old.
• Use the right amount of fluoride toothpaste. Although fluoride is important to fight cavities, use only a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste when brushing a child’s teeth. If children younger than six years old swallow too much fluoride, their permanent teeth may develop white spots. Teach children to always spit out the toothpaste and to rinse well after brushing.
• Supervise brushing. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day until the child has the skill to handle brushing alone. Continue to closely watch brushing to make sure the child is doing a thorough job and using only a small amount of toothpaste.
• Talk with your child’s doctor or dentist. Check with the doctor or dentist about your child’s specific needs. After age 2, most children get the right amount of fluoride to help prevent cavities if they drink water that contains fluoride and brush their teeth with a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste twice a day.
• If children older than six months are drinking water that does not have enough fluoride, their parents should ask their doctor or dentist about the need for a fluoride supplement.

A dental professional should see a child at age 1 for an initial examination and risk assessment for common oral diseases and injuries. This first visit provides an opportunity for parents to learn about multiple oral health issues -- dental caries, periodontal health, injury prevention, dental development, oral habits, common soft tissue sores, and bite development -- as well as how to promote their child’s complete oral health.

Author Notes:

Jeremy Bason contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.teeth-whitening-smiles.com.  Everything you need to know to get a whiter, brighter smile!