| Nothing but the Tooth |
By: Meghan Forder, Kids and Health Columnist
On 11/19/05
For most people, the term “childhood disease” does not bring to mind tooth decay. Yet according to Oral Health in America, a 2000 report issued by the surgeon general, dental cavities are the most common childhood disease—
| "The AAPD says cheese can actually disrupt the development of cavities. The calcium and phosphorous in cheese decreases the acidity in the mouth and helps rebuild damaged teeth." |
—five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever.
More than 50 percent of elementary school children and 78 percent of adolescents have one or more cavities or fillings, the report says.
Although children’s cavities may not seem very threatening—after all, those baby teeth will fall out anyway—dental care does matter.
There is a definite connection between good dental health and good overall health, according to both the surgeon general’s report and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD). Infections that start in the mouth can easily enter the bloodstream. And baby teeth are more important than you think. Strong baby teeth promote good nutrition by enabling a child to chew properly, aid in speech development, and save spaces so that permanent teeth can grow in the right way in the right place.
The AAPD says that 90 percent of all cavities are preventable with the magic combination of good oral hygiene and regular dental care. Good hygiene begins even before there are teeth to brush. Although you can’t see them, your infant has a full set of teeth just below her gums. You can start keeping her mouth clean from birth by cleaning her gums with a soft infant toothbrush and water.
When that first tooth makes an appearance, and certainly no later than her first birthday, you can schedule a trip to the dentist.
Dentists not only make sure everything is growing in OK, their cleanings and fluoride treatments can help reverse early-stage cavities. Dentists can also apply sealants to kids’ back teeth to help prevent cavities.
Pediatric dentists, who have an extra two or three years of training in children’s dental issues, can also help you figure out when your child is ready for the next stage of tooth care: brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
When your child is two or three, you can start to include a pea-sized amount of fluoride-containing toothpaste on the toothbrush. When young children do start using toothpaste, it’s important for parents to monitor brushing to make sure your child spits out the toothpaste instead of swallowing it.
Fluoride fights tooth decay in two ways. First, it helps strengthen tooth enamel to better resist the acid in plaque that causes cavities. Second, it can actually help damaged teeth re-mineralize themselves, repairing early-stage cavities.
Several cities around the country began adding fluoride to drinking water in the late 1940s. By the 1950s, the surgeon general’s report says that cavities were declining among kids who grew up in cities with fluoridated water. In fact, the American Dental Association says that fluoridated water alone can reduce cavities by 20 to 40 percent.
Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 66 percent of the US population has fluoridated tap water. Your dentist may be able to determine the fluoride content in your drinking water.
But be aware that fluoride is a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde substance. Too much fluoride while teeth are still developing can cause defects in the tooth enamel that show up as rough, brown, or hard to clean surfaces on the teeth and may cause other health problems. If you search Google for “fluoridated water,” you’ll get a good sense of the controversy raging around the use of fluoride in drinking water.
As a parent, it’s up to you to ensure good oral health and hygiene for your kids. First, make sure your child is brushing and flossing regularly—at least twice a day.
Second, watch out for snacks. Although sugary snacks like candy get most of the rap, starchy foods, such as pretzels and bread, are just as bad, according to the AAPD. Both the sugar and starch combine with bacteria to form an acid that attacks the teeth for about 20 minutes after eating. Instead, choose snacks like vegetables, yogurt, unsweetened peanut butter, and cheese.
The AAPD says cheese can actually disrupt the development of cavities. The calcium and phosphorous in cheese decreases the acidity in the mouth and helps rebuild damaged teeth. Cheddar, Swiss, and mozzarella cheeses also stimulate the flow of saliva, helping to clear the mouth and neutralize acids.
Finally, a child should never go to sleep with a bottle full of milk. The sugars and starches in milk will cause acid production all night long. However, a bottle of water, a pacifier, and even a thumb are OK. The AAPD says you don’t have to worry about affecting the position of teeth until the permanent ones come in.
To find a pediatric dentist near you, go to www.aapd.org/finddentist. They’ll prompt you to fill in a city, state, and zip code, but for some reason, it won’t return any dentist names if you enter a city, so just fill in your state and zip code.
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