Overall care of your child's teeth
Can your child tie his or her shoes? The level of dexterity to master this skill is a benchmark for dexterity needed to effectively brush teeth. Until your child can tie those laces, grab a brush and help your kid at bedtime. The morning can be a time for him or her to work on practicing those skills independently. The evening brushing, to remove all food eaten during the day, should be the one with parental assistance.
How do I prevent cavities?
We consider three factors in cavity prevention: good oral hygiene, a healthy diet, and the correct amount of fluoride exposure.
Good oral hygiene includes brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, and flossing daily to clean between the teeth.
A cavity-preventing diet means an eating pattern where your child has three meals daily with a snack or two in between. Grazing or snacking throughout the day can lead to cavity development, as the teeth are constantly covered in food debris and plaque. Soda, cookies and candy are not the only foods that contribute to cavities. Crunchy, dry foods such as pretzels, dry cereal, crackers and chips cause cavities by sticking in the grooves of the molars and remaining there until thoroughly brushed away. We strongly recommend drinking milk and water rather than energy drinks, soda, and juice.
Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that prevents cavities by strengthening enamel, and slowing or stopping the progression of early cavities called decalcifications. It can be found in our local tap water, in toothpaste and in mouthwashes. If your child is at high risk for cavities, we may prescribe a strong fluoride toothpaste to be used in place of your typical toothpaste for extra cavity prevention.
Seal Out Decay
A sealant is a coating applied to the chewing surfaces, pits and fissures of the adult molars to prevent food and bacteria from sitting in the grooves of the teeth and causing cavities. Sealants reduce decay by 80% within two years of placement. We generally seal the first and second molars. The first molars erupt between 6 and 8 years of age, and the second molars erupt between 11 and 13 years of age. We evaluate the integrity of the sealants at each cleaning visit to determine if they need to be resealed.
Mouth Guards
These days, our children are participating in contact sports that are more and more competitive. With this increased frequency of sporting events and increased level of skill comes the possibility of sports injuries. We strongly recommend that all athletes participating in contact sports use a properly fitted mouthguard during play, both practice and competitive. A boil-and-bite mouthguard can be properly adapted to your child’s teeth and is a good alternative to a custom mouthguard in a growing child. However, if your child has all permanent teeth, a custom mouthguard can be made at our office.
