This month is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Explore ways to keep up and advance your child’s oral health.

Written by: Tehreem Khan
Media Contact: Anna Jones

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month — a chance for fogeys and guardians of young children to explore best practices about dental hygiene and prevention strategies against dental damage.  

In response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is some of the common childhood chronic diseases. Stephen Mitchell, DMD, associate professor and pediatric dentist within the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, says parents play a significant role in protecting children’s smiles. Mitchell recommends constructing a powerful foundation for good dental hygiene by helping children maintain a balanced food plan, brushing and flossing every day, and ensuring regular dental checkups.

Maintain dental hygiene

In response to Mitchell, brushing within the morning and before bed is essential for maintaining oral health.

“After we sleep, our mouths dry, allowing bacteria referred to as plaque to grow. We wish to brush away as much plaque off the teeth before bed as possible,” he said.

Proper brushing should concentrate on where the teeth and gums come together.

“That is where the bacteria wish to hide,” Mitchell said. “Often, you will have to drag the lower lip down so you may get the toothbrush all of the strategy to the gums of the lower teeth.”

Mitchell recommends that folks should oversee brushing until the kid develops mature hand-eye coordination, which is essential to effective brushing.

“Most youngsters will not be able to brush independently until 6-7 years of age,” Mitchell said. “Before that, let the kid practice brushing; but then go behind them to essentially get the teeth clean.”

One other necessary practice is flossing, beneficial no less than one a day. “A toothbrush cannot reach between the teeth, so floss is the one strategy to remove bacteria between the teeth,” Mitchell said.

Prevent tooth decay

Dental decay is a chronic disease that happens over an extended time frame, partially due to constant exposure to sugary treats. Due to this fact, managing consumption of sugary foods is essential in stopping tooth decay.

“While brushing and flossing will help prevent tooth decay, one of the best strategy to prevent tooth decay is to limit the variety of sugary foods your child eats every day,” Mitchell said. “People often connect candy to tooth decay; but sweet drinks like juice, sodas and flavored milks appear to cause more cavities in my patients.”

Limiting sugar consumption is an important step parents can take to scale back the danger of decay.

If a toddler has a dental injury, call your dentist immediately. UAB Dentistry provides quality, comprehensive general and specialty oral health take care of you and your loved ones. Make an appointment today at uab.edu/dentistry.

“Candy carefully will not be a nasty thing,” Mitchell said. “Sticky and sour candies that stay within the mouth an extended time are inclined to be the riskiest, while chocolate that melts away quickly tends to do the smallest amount of injury to the teeth. But, if parents want to essentially reduce cavity risk, reduce sweet drinks.”

Artificial sweeteners like sucralose, stevia or aspartame don’t cause cavities. Due to this fact, one other strategy to reduce the danger of developing cavities is switching drinks to products sweetened with these kind of sweeteners.

Reply to dental trauma immediately

Dental trauma is physical injury to the teeth, gums, the bone that holds the tooth sockets or the soft tissue of the mouth, including the lips and tongue.

While playing sports akin to softball or baseball, the danger for dental trauma is high. Mitchell and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend using a mouthguard in any sport that enables. If a everlasting tooth is ever knocked out, time is critical.

“If the tooth will be put back in under half-hour, there may be a greater probability of a very good end result,” he said. “Placing the tooth immediately into milk extends the time considerably.”

If a toddler has a dental injury, call your dentist immediately.

UAB Dentistry provides quality, comprehensive general and specialty oral health take care of you and your loved ones. Make an appointment today at uab.edu/dentistry.