9 Ways To Raise A Cavity Free Child

“As dental professionals, our wish for all children is to grow up cavity free” according to Socorro, New Mexico dentist Ginger Bratzel D.D.S. The American Dental Association has promoted this concept with many programs throughout the years and will continue to do so. February is “Children’s Dental Health Month” and with programs like the “Give Kids a Smile”, it is our professional opportunity to promote awareness, project dentistry in a positive light, and see kids who have not been getting regular dental care. The basis of all these programs is educating parents, Bratzel says. Despite all the efforts made by the dental community, cavities are still occurring and are wide spread among children and teens. It doesn’t have to be this way.

The thing that makes the biggest impact is the role of the parents getting involved in their child’s health and well being. Here’s a list of 9 things you need to know to raise a cavity free kid.

9. Make dental visits a positive experience. As a parent, don’t influence your child with you own hang ups about dental care. Routine dental visits at our office aren’t uncomfortable so there is no need to share your past experiences and issues with your child. Even a well intentioned parent might think she is helping by “letting the kids know what’s going to happen”. With our ever advancing technology, the childhood dental visits you knew are long gone. We have special terms and methods to prepare your child BEFORE we do anything so there won’t be any surprises. We can make this a wonderful experience for your child.

8. Children need to be seen young before dental problems start. The American Dental Association recommends that your child be seen at age 1 for an exam. If your child has not had a cleaning and exam by age 3, you are way behind. It is important to check things early and set up a positive dental experience from the start. That is precisely how our office works. This is our opportunity to show your child that this can be fun and set them up to be cavity free.

7. Proper tooth brushing at home. Children should have their teeth brushed twice a day for 1-2 minutes. Because young children lack the fine motor control to do a proper job, Mom or Dad needs to brush your child until they can do it themselves. If they don’t have the hand coordination to write, they won’t have the skill level to brush well either. Do let them play with the toothbrush during brushing time so they can practice but Mom and Dad are responsible for doing the final brush and making sure the teeth are clean.

6. Keep those teeth clean as soon as they appear. Children vary when they get their baby teeth. Some are born with teeth while it is not unusual for a child to be one year old and get his first tooth. BUT, as soon as the first tooth appears, it needs to be cleaned after any food or drink (other than water). With a wet, soft wash cloth over your finger, wipe the teeth off on the inside and outside as well as the top. No toothpaste is necessary. So if you are breast feeding, the teeth still need to be cleaned because cavities can start. JUST KEEP THEM CLEAN. Once the first teeth appear, NO SLEEPING WITH A BOTTLE WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN WATER. When nighttime or naptime bottles are used, that formula, milk, or juice becomes sticky and stays on the teeth. This is toxic to the teeth and cavities will start very easily.

5. Eat a healthy well balanced diet. It is common knowledge what things are good for our body and that goes for our teeth as well. It is no coincident that in today’s society, childhood obesity and the number of cavities are on the rise. If sweets are going to be consumed, this should be done in moderation and eaten during the mealtime to minimize the effects. We all love sweets so it is difficult to make them off limits. Unhealthy snacks like potato chips and fries can be just as destructive as sweets, also. Be smart and a little common sense goes a long way.

4. SODA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In recent years the incidence of cavities in kids and teens has skyrocketed. With the invention of the Big Gulp and the Super Sized Cokes, this creates an opportunity to sip these beverages all day long. From the teeth’s standpoint, that keeps them in a state of constant acid attack and prone to breakdown, therefore starting cavities. Just like with sweets, common sense rules. If drinking these beverages, do it at meal time only.

3. Sealants. These thin plastic resin fillings cover the deep grooves and makes it harder for cavities to start. But the key is to get your child in early and followed every 6 months so those permanent teeth can get sealed as soon as each one of them appears.

2. Seeing the dentist every 6 months and keeping up with those appointments for life.

1. BE THE ROLE MODEL. “Talk the talk and walk the walk”. At the beginning of this article, I told you that parents play the biggest role in their child’s oral health. If you don’t go to the dentist every 6 months also, get all your dental work done, and project a positive image, then don’t expect your child to do so either. Like it our not, they are looking at you.