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  4.43 (Worth a try) from 33 votes (7307 Visits) |
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How to look after your childrens' teeth |
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by NickysMumMum  (January 2007) (rank 86th) |
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Teeth are very important not only for the practical reason of eating but also for aesthetic reasons. Tooth decay is extremely common in young children. Sugary liquids and foods rot their teeth, causing cavities and dental caries. When their teeth get really bad the only thing for paediatric dentists to do is pull them out lest they begin to rot the adult teeth which lay behind the milk teeth. Parents can begin to care for their childrens teeth before they even emerge. There are a number of things parents can do to care for their childrens' teeth.
- Start brushing early: A toothbrush is actually a really good tool to use to sooth bubs' sore gums when teething. New baby toothbrushes have grip handles for bubs to hold and use themselves. My little boy loves playing with his toothbrush. Parents can carefully brush the inside of bub's mouth. When teeth come through parents can brush the teeth across the front where sugary foods are deposited. Babies don't lick their teeth like we do so this is very important. We have to brush the sugar off the front teeth because the sugar causes decay. Parents can brush their children's teeth until about five years to make sure it's done properly.
- Minimise snacking. Our mouth needs at least two hours between eating times to neutralise the acid. Eating makes our mouth acidic. Acid causes tooth decay so if we cut down on snacks between meals, our mouth will be neutral for longer. It can be difficult with little babies and toddlers who graze throughout the day. You might try brushing after snacks or using a damp wash cloth to wipe the inside of a little baby's mouth.
- Don't offer sweet drinks. Only put milk or water in bottles. Bottles are continually in babies mouths and if the drink is filled with sugar the acid will rot the teeth. I only ever give my little boy water, luckily aside from milk it's the only drink he knows. He drinks water from a cup really well and I don't ever have to worry about him dehydrating. Besides sweet drinks aren't really very thirst quenching. Water, aside form milk, is really the only drink kids need. Children get alot of their vitamin C from eating fruit so there is no need for juices.
- Look after your own teeth. If our mouth is full of bad bacteria and dental cavities we will pass bacteria on to our children. How? When we taste bubs' food, share drinks, kiss, etc. We can go to the dentists, use anti-bacterial mouthwash, brush and floss regularly. A safety warning about mouthwash. Keep out of reach of children!! mouthwash is alcohol and is therefore extremely dangerous to children.
Hopefully with these bits of advice we can save our childrens teeth from the growing epidemic of childhood tooth decay. It would be really horrible to have your gorgeous little child with no baby teeth at the age of two, but it does happen. We can prevent this by following a few simple steps. |
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| ADVICE RATING |
4.43 (Worth a try) from 33 votes |
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Pregnancy & Dentistry
Dental examinations & treatment should not be regarded as an isolated episode undertaken during pregnancy. Dental care is an essential part of health care which should continue through childhood, adolescence, the child-bearing years, & onwards.
X-rays: Where necessary for the assessment or treatment of infection or pain, there is no reason to defer X-rays during pregnancy as long as standard precautions such as high-speed films, collimated beams, & lead shielding over the abdomen are used.
Pain or infection: Prompt treatment of infections &/or pain is essential to prevent a rise in body temperature, & to prevent the release of bacterial poisons
If required, paracetamol (e.g."Panadol") is the painkiller of choice, & a penicillin (e.g. amoxycillin - "Moxacin") is the best type of antibiotic. The local anaesthetics used in dentistry such as lignocaine are safe.
Routine treatment: Elective treatment is usually performed in the 4th, 5th, or 6th months ( 2nd trimester ) of pregnancy, & the sessions are kept relatively short for comfort. If you are having difficulties with your pregnancy, the dentist may discuss treatment with your doctor.
Preventive treatment requiring cleaning & topical fluorides should continue to be performed regularly, preferably in the 1st & 3rd trimesters. Take particular care to keep gums clean & healthy as they are more susceptible to infection due to the hormonal changes. A balanced diet following general dietary principles is advised. Food & drinks containing sugars should be minimised for the mother's dental health.
"A tooth lost for every child.." is a myth that is NOT true. The developing child does NOT take its Calcium from your teeth, but from your long bones instead e.g. legs, ribs. Teeth do not contain bone marrow. True reasons for the decay relating to pregnancy can be vomiting of stomach acids during morning sickness, or changes in eating & oral hygiene habits.
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baby teeth when will they fall out
Timing of Tooth Development
These development dates are a rough guide only, & there is wide variation in the population.
If you are concerned about the development of your teeth, please arrange a consultation.
Start growing
Erupt into mouth
Baby incisors
4 - 6 mo in utero
6 - 9 mo after birth
Baby canines
4 - 6 mo in utero
16 -18 mo after birth
Baby 1st molars
4 - 6 mo in utero
12 - 14 mo after birth
Baby 2nd molars
4 - 6 mo in utero
20 - 30 mo after birth
Adult incisors
Adult canines
3 - 8 mo after birth
4 - 5 mo after birth
UPPER
LOWER
7-9 yrs
6-8 yrs
11-12 yrs
9-10 yrs
Adult premolars
1.5 - 2.5 yrs old
10 - 12 yrs
Adult 1st molars
just before birth
6 - 7 yrs
Adult 2nd molars
2.5 - 3 yrs old
11 - 13 yrs
Adult 3rd molars ("wisdom teeth")
7 - 10 yrs old
17 - 21 yrs
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i am a dental oral health educator if you have any questions i would be happy to help.
here are some information that might help some of you's that we give our patients in our surgery.
Caring for Children's Teeth
How important are baby teeth? Unfortunately, many people think that baby teeth will "fall out in a few years" & that there's little need to look after them too much.
When do they fall out? The front baby teeth fall out between 6-8 years old; the back baby teeth fall out between 10-15 years old & are the most important teeth to maintain
How does decay occur? Decay occurs when the bacteria in your mouth eat sugars from your food. They then produce acids which decay or "eat away" the tooth, just like rust eats into iron.
How can I prevent decay?
Oral hygiene - Baby teeth must be brushed at least TWICE daily by an ADULT, especially just before bed. Brush their teeth first, & then let them try themselves for practice. Use a gently-flavoured toothpaste (e.g. Colgate "Junior") & a small amount of paste. Use floss between the baby molars.
Diet - Minimise sugary foods. The most common & damaging foods are soft drinks, juices (of any type), cordials, & lollies.
Snacking - Minimise snacks or sweet drinks between meals. The more frequently children eat/drink, then the more often the bacteria eat too.
In summary... Brush their teeth TWICE daily. Keep them to 3 meals a day with no snacking. If thirsty, encourage water or artificially-sweetened cordials. Take them for regular check-ups, not just when you think there is a problem. They will become familiar with the dentist & easier to treat. Follow his advice regarding preventive treatment e.g. fluorides & fissure sealants.
A common myth is that decayed baby teeth leads to decayed adult teeth. This is NOT true. However, any poor habits established during childhood will be carried into adulthood, so for your childrens' health, try to develop good habits as above.
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teeth help
Hi i read what you where saying and thought i would let you know. My name is hollee i am a Oral health educator at my practice and would be happy to give any body advice on looking after your childrens teeth as that is part of my job. any questions just email me. Now you said that your son has yellow on the tops of his teeth well that is fine unless his gums look red and sore then it means that you need to brush ina circular motion on the tops of his teeth where the gum line is. That means their is bacteria that is not getting cleaned up in that area but also if his gums are a nice pink colour then the discolouration is normal. Normal healthy teeth are a yellowy colour. The white colour that we all think teeth should look like is just cosmetic which all the mags and stars make us beleive is the way we should look. I find it really sad when i have 8 year olds ask me how they can bleach their teeth too look like the girls in the mags and when a 8 year old is asking me that, then thats pretty bad it's all about image these days. Yes i have falling into the whole white teeth factor my self i bleach my teeth but just so every knows that teeth are naturally yellow when yous babys start to get older their teeth will go a yellow colour and that is fine it dosent mean your not brushing enought. But when the gums are a little red and swollen tahts when you can tell they are not brushing correctly i wil post up some advice sheets to help any ones who is interested. Please feel free to ask me any questions as my boss the dentist and my self would be very happy to help any confused parent out. Oral health is important an teaching your children as soon as they have their 1st tooth come up how too look after them will pay off in the long run.
Caring for Children's Teeth
How important are baby teeth? Unfortunately, many people think that baby teeth will "fall out in a few years" & that there's little need to look after them too much.
When do they fall out? The front baby teeth fall out between 6-8 years old; the back baby teeth fall out between 10-15 years old & are the most important teeth to maintain
How does decay occur? Decay occurs when the bacteria in your mouth eat sugars from your food. They then produce acids which decay or "eat away" the tooth, just like rust eats into iron.
How can I prevent decay?
Oral hygiene - Baby teeth must be brushed at least TWICE daily by an ADULT, especially just before bed. Brush their teeth first, & then let them try themselves for practice. Use a gently-flavoured toothpaste (e.g. Colgate "Junior") & a small amount of paste. Use floss between the baby molars.
Diet - Minimise sugary foods. The most common & damaging foods are soft drinks, juices (of any type), cordials, & lollies.
Snacking - Minimise snacks or sweet drinks between meals. The more frequently children eat/drink, then the more often the bacteria eat too.
In summary... Brush their teeth TWICE daily. Keep them to 3 meals a day with no snacking. If thirsty, encourage water or artificially-sweetened cordials. Take them for regular check-ups, not just when you think there is a problem. They will become familiar with the dentist & easier to treat. Follow his advice regarding preventive treatment e.g. fluorides & fissure sealants.
A common myth is that decayed baby teeth leads to decayed adult teeth. This is NOT true. However, any poor habits established during childhood will be carried into adulthood, so for your childrens' health, try to develop good habits as above.
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Related keywords: dentist, drink, teeth, teething, toothbrush, toothbrushes
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Happy birthday Sarah Michelle!!
) 
