As
soon as the first teeth begin to erupt, parents should cleanse these teeth.
The lower front teeth are the first teeth to make an appearance and this occurs
usually at around 6-8 months. This is the perfect time to begin a routine that,
at this age, the child is likely to accept. One does not have to use a tooth
brush at this stage. In fact, a wash cloth wrapped around your finger may prove
to be more gentle and easier to manipulate. The stimulation may even prove to
be more pleasurable to the tender gums around the newly erupting teeth. The
introduction of a toothbrush can occur at any time. Any toothbrush will do as
long as it is small. As an added incentive, a parent can purchase a kid's toothbrush
with popular characters or fancy designs. Toothpaste should not be used until
the parent is sure that the child understands not to swallow the paste. Learning
how to spit out the toothpaste is a skill that may not be mastered until the
child is 3-4 years old. When introducing toothpaste, you may choose to begin
with a non-fluoride containing paste just in case the child does swallow some.
There is also toothpaste with fancy designs, characters and pleasing tastes
such as bubble gum for kids. Brushing should occur at least twice a day: morning
and before bed (but after the evening bottle).
Many
children have digit habits and/or use a pacifier. This can become a powerfully
addictive habit. It even becomes one which parents come to rely on. When our
children are unhappy, we grasp for anything that will quickly make them happy.--
for example a pacifier. It is easier for a parent to give the child the pacifier
then it is to find some creative way to divert their displeasure. A diversion
mat not even be possible if the habit is strong enough and the child will continue
to cry.
Pacifiers
today are designed such that they create forces to counteract the sucking
forces. They are therefore called orthodontic pacifiers and keep the teeth
and jaw bones stable while the sucking is occurring. The thumb or finger is
another story. There are no counteracting forces and the long term results
of digit sucking include splayed front teeth, abnormal jaw development and
the inability for the top and bottom teeth to come together. The treatment
for these problems is orthodontics. However , the best outcome is to discontinue
the habit well before the adult teeth erupt. This occurs at around six years
of age. If the child is unable to stop the digit sucking on his/her own, an
appliance can be cemented to the upper teeth. This appliance has an attachment
that sits in the roof of the mouth and disallows room for the thumb or finger.
It is left in place until the habit is curbed.
High
Quality Dental Care and Patient Comfort
This
simple answer to this question is NO! One of the worst dental diseases in children
is called nursing bottle cavities. In this syndrome, the teeth of the child,
usually a very young child, are riddled with decay. Many of the teeth may need
to be extracted or at the very least, be heavily filled. The early loss of teeth
may increase the possibility for the child to require orthodontic treatment
in the future. Treatment of nursing bottle cavities usually needs to be done
while the child is under a general anesthetic since the treatment is difficult,
lengthy and the child is usually 2-3 years old and cannot tolerate the appointment
while awake, This syndrome occurs because the sugars from the milk or juice
are allowed to bathe the child's teeth for the whole night. While the child
is sleeping, there is very little salivary flow and the tongue is not moving
around to naturally cleanse the teeth. With night after night of being bathed
in sugar, the teeth become severely decayed. If you think your child needs a
bottle at night, or you are having difficulty taking the bottle away "cold
turkey" and putting up with a few nights of crying, slowly dilute the milk
or juice with water, adding more and more water each night until there is only
water.
