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Pediatric Dentistry Prevent Tooth Decay in Children

Snacking -- it's a frequent ritual for all ages and a regular part of most kids' lives. Healthy snack foods can contribute to a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, giving our bodies the nutrients they need.

The Daily Food Pyramid established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is a good guide to daily food choices. The best snacks for good dental health include foods rich in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and protein. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, free of cholesterol, virtually fat-free, and low in calories -- which are good reasons for enjoying them as snacks.

Foods containing fats, oils, pastries, candy, and other sweets should be eaten sparingly. However, food products that are high in these things often have the large advertising budgets and are heavily promoted to children.

Serving your children healthy snacks or having these ingredients on hand for them to serve themselves is easy and convenient. Teaching them early about making healthful food choices is good guidance that lasts a lifetime.

At least five servings of fruits and vegetables are recommended daily. Snacks are a good way to get them. However, even natural sugars found in them can contribute to tooth decay. Limit the frequency of snacking because frequent "grazing" coats the teeth in cavity-causing bacteria.

Some research has shown that when cheese or peanuts are eaten with or after carbohydrates, they may help to counter the effects of acids harmful to teeth. In any event, be sure and rinse or brush after each snack!

Here are some fresh, snack ideas from a children's dentist for satisfying and healthy treats:

• Munch on a colorful assortment of fresh fruit. There's a rainbow of snack ideas - apples, pears, grapes, kiwi, berries, peaches, plums, melons, and more. Try some of the new fruits, too, from around the world now available in produce departments.
• Enjoy celery, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and other crunchy fresh vegetables plain or dunk them into a dressing or your favorite dip.
• Zip up a zesty snack with citrus fruits including juicy oranges, grapefruit, and those easy-to-peel, "zipper" fruits: tangerines and tangelos.
• Make frozen banana chips to have on hand whenever the snack urge strikes. Cut a green-tipped or ripe banana crosswise into rounds; spread rounds on aluminum foil, then wrap tightly. Freeze and enjoy a frosty snack.
• Make fruit smoothies for refreshing, satisfying, and healthful snacks. Choose from the cool collection of fruits. Combine chunks of fruit like bananas, berries, or nectarines with some milk and ice, and whirl in a blender. You can also add some yogurt or fruit juice or sweeten smoothies with a little sugar, if desired. The ideas are endless with the rainbow of fruits, flavored yogurts, and juices.
• Make a snack mix of low sugar cereals with peanuts, tiny snack crackers, sesame sticks, and raisins, or other dried fruits such as cranberries.

Encourage children to eat healthy snacks but limit the frequency of snacking. Let them know that brushing between meals whenever possible is an excellent way to fight cavities. Don't let snack attacks become plaque attacks!

by Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

The Baby Tooth - Children's Dental Care For Parents

Q. Does a woman's oral health during a pregnancy have any effect on the fetus?

A. Yes, a pregnant woman's oral health can affect the fetus. Studies have shown that women with many decayed teeth and advanced gum disease may have babies who are born underweight or prematurely.

Q. What about the juices? Can they cause baby tooth decay?

A. Juice causes 20 times more baby tooth decay than milk. Any beverage other than water will cause damage to your child's baby teeth if it is given constantly in a bottle or sippie cup.

Children whose stomachs's are full of liquid may have less of an appetite and eat less of the more nourishing foods. White grape juice contains more fluoride than the other juices. Consumption of white grape juice should be limited before four years of age.

Q. How does one know if her baby needs a fluoride supplement?

A. Fluoride supplements are necessary only if the baby is receiving no fluoride. These supplements may begin at six months of age.

If an infant is strictly breastfed, fluoride may be prescribed for optimal oral health. However, there are many sources of fluoride besides your tap water.

The following contain fluoride:

• juices
• bottled water
• baby foods, (especially chicken)

Q. If the baby receives only bottled water, should a fluoride supplement be used?

A. Bottled water may contain significant amounts of fluoride. The time of year, the source of the water, including the water table and plant from which the water was obtained, will cause fluctuations in the amount of fluoride.

Q. When should one begin brushing the baby's teeth?

A. Brushing may begin with a soft-bristled brush as soon as the first baby teeth erupt. Do not use toothpaste. Toothpaste contains too much fluoride, the taste may be unacceptable and the foaming may upset your child.

Q. Any toothbrush tips?

A. A toothbrush with a small, rounded head is safer. Bristles should be extra soft. Rinse the brush with hot water before and after brushing.

Change the toothbrush as soon as the bristles appear to be frayed. The toothbrush should also be changed after any illness.

Q. Can medicine harm baby teeth or second teeth?

A. >Tetracycline is the only antibiotic that can cause irreversible color change to the second teeth. It is no longer prescribed for children under eight years of age. Chronic illness and long-lasting high fevers may cause changes in the developing permanent teeth, but medication will not.

Children's medications are colored with dyes and have a very high sugar content to make them taste good. Some pharmacies are adding flavoring to improve the taste. The combination of the dye and sugar may cause staining of the teeth. This stain is easily removed when the teeth are polished during a cleaning by the pediatric dentist.

Q. What about injuries to the baby teeth?

A. If a baby tooth is knocked out, do not attempt to replace it in the tooth socket. This is not the same with permanent teeth.

Attempt to find the tooth. If the tooth cannot be located and your child is coughing, a chest X-ray must be performed in order to be sure that the tooth is not lodged in a lung. The baby tooth could also be intruded or pushed up into the gum and bone. This can be confirmed by an X-ray.

The baby tooth should come back into the mouth in six to eight weeks. Other treatment may be necessary, but not usually. Sometimes the permanent tooth that is developing in the bone just under the baby tooth is damaged when the baby tooth is pushed into the bone. The extent of the damage can not be predicted. When the permanent tooth erupts or comes in, the damage could range from a white spot to a dark indentation.

If the baby tooth is lost, a space maintainer with a denture tooth can be made. This may maintain the space for the permanent tooth and improve appearance, but it is not always necessary.

Q. When should my child have his or her first dental visit?

A. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommends the first visit be within six months of the eruption of the first baby tooth. This is generally around 12 months of age.

Early intervention is much easier on you and your little one than an emergency visit for advanced baby tooth decay. Injury to the teeth and mouth are common as children progress through crawling to walking.

By establishing a relationship earlier with a pediatric dentist, you will not only have someone to call in the event of an emergency, but your child will be familiar with the pediatric dentist and the dental environment. Give yourself and your child the advantage of the best of oral health and schedule that first visit.

By Jane A. Soxman, DDS

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.