kids

The first line of protection for your child’s teeth is the enamel, which is the white, visible part of the tooth.  It’s also hardest substance in the human body, and yet it takes a lot of abuse.  Enamel can crack, chip and wear away.  What steps can you take to protect your child’s enamel?

Use a soft toothbrush.  While we may be tempted to use a toothbrush with hard bristles, thinking that a stiff bristle will be better and cleaning teeth, the best choice is one that provides more gentle care.  Additionally, children often use more force than needed when brushing their teeth.  This can be damaging to sensitive gum tissue and only serves to wear down precious enamel.

Limit starchy foods.  While we all understand that certain starchy foods like potato chips and french fries aren’t always the healthiest choices, we don’t often associate these foods as being bad for teeth.  Interestingly, starch turns to sugar so quickly that it raises blood glucose levels even faster than table sugar.  The sugar produced by starchy foods feeds bacteria that act as microscopic jack-hammers on your child’s enamel.

Don’t forget the cheese.  Cheese truly is a dental powerhouse.  Dairy neutralizes acid, contains calcium and a protein called casein which acts as an enamel protector.  Cheese is a great choice for an afterschool snack.

Drink water after meals.  Drinking water shortly after eating is an excellent way to quickly wash away some of the food that lingers on and between the teeth.  Even having children simply rinse their mouths with water after meals has been shown to be an effective way to protect enamel.

Avoid “whitening” toothpastes.  Toothpaste made specifically for children if often the best choice when deciding what they should brush with.  Not only are flavors often more kid friendly, but they generally don’t carry the harsh abrasives that many whitening toothpastes have.  These abrasives can act line sandpaper by wearing down the enamel on young teeth.  Remember, any toothpaste you choose should always carry the ADA’s seal of approval.

Gummy vitamins have become very popular in the last several years and even adults now have the option of getting essential vitamins and nutrients through a tasty gummy treat.  But while this can be a great way to get children to take their vitamins, gummy vitamins can harm your teeth.  Yes, they are enhanced with vitamins, but also often contain ingredients that can be found in traditional candy, such as glucose syrup (sugar).  Even sugar free gummies can also contain sticky gelatin and enamel eating citric acid.

Deciding whether or not to use gummy vitamins may come down to what you or your children are most likely to actually use as well as what your own dietary requirements.  If it’s difficult to encourage children to take a regular vitamin, or if you don’t like the taste yourself, then considering a gummy vitamin might not be all bad.  Simply make sure that teeth are brushed shortly after taking them so that these “almost candies” don’t sit on your teeth for long periods of time.

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Dental Sealants: A Shield Against Cavities

[caption id="attachment_37" align="alignnone" width="300"] What are Sealants? How do they protect against Cavities?[/caption]

Brushing and flossing daily will allow you to maintain good oral hygiene and avoid the formation of cavities. However, to further diminish the likelihood of tooth decay and the future need for treatments such as crowns and fillings, dentists use sealants. This early cavity prevention technique acts as a protective barrier, shielding enamel (the outer covering of teeth) from acid and plaque, which lead to tooth decay. Now, you may be thinking, “why can’t I simply use fluoride instead of sealants to protect my teeth from decay?” While it is true that fluoride protects our enamel from breaking down, it is more effective in reducing smooth surface cavities as opposed to cavities on the pits and fissures of our teeth, where the majority of cavities develop. These deep grooves are much more difficult to clean with a toothbrush, so sealants provide an extra layer of protection in these specific regions to further hinder cavities.
Studies have shown that kids between the ages of 6 and 11 without dental sealants experience three times more cavities in their first molars than do kids with sealants. Other studies have also provided evidence for sealant placement being cost-effective; it improves outcomes and saves money for patients who typically will avoid the need for future invasive treatments related to cavities. Our office has BPA free sealants as we are committed to providing the safest materials available to our patients.
Sealant placement is especially beneficial for patients who are more vulnerable to experiencing cavities. However, the use of sealants in combination with other primary preventive procedures such as fluoride therapy, plaque control, and dietary/sugar monitoring, have positive outcomes for patients overall.