Waterford, MI Dentist
Lloyd H. Alpert, D.D.S.
4025 Highland Road
Waterford, MI 48328
(248) 682-6010

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Posts for category: Children Dental

January 04, 2016
Category: Children Dental

Six Creative Ways to Get Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth

Is your child ready to start brushing his or her own teeth? Try these tips to get your young one on the road to developing an oral care routine. Once your child gets the hang of doing it, he or she will be excited to do it.

Start Brushing Children’s Teeth Early

•Work together to establish a clear routine and stick to it!

•Reinforce the importance of brushing teeth by giving them good, clear reasons. Tell them that brushing everyday helps to prevent cavities and will give them a beautiful smile.

Show and Tell with a Toothbrush

•Brush your own teeth while your child is brushing. Get down on their level so they can see what you are doing.

•Demonstrate how to brush in circles, like train wheels going around on a track from left-to-right and right-to left.

•Show them how you brush all their teeth, top and bottom, front and back.

Let Them Pick Their Own Toothbrush & Toothpaste

•Children's toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors and varieties- some even feature their favorite characters. Let them pick a couple of different ones, so they can switch it up.

•There are several children's toothbrushes that are colorful and fun. Let them pick one with their favorite colors and characters.

Encourage Them to Brush on Their Own (Around Age 2)

•Let them put the toothpaste on the brush and do it by themselves.

•Don't worry about the mess - it cleans up easily.

Make a Game of Brushing Teeth

•The minimum amount of time your children should brush is 2 minutes. Set a timer and see if they can continue for the correct amount of time.

•Brush along with them. Have a contest to see who can create the most bubbles with their brushing.

•Ask your children to show you how clean their teeth are after getting rid of all the cavity monsters.

Compliment Your Child’s Brushing

•You want them to develop a life-lifelong oral care routine, so use positive reinforcement.

•Create a sticker chart and give them stars for brushing their teeth twice a day and for flossing once a day.

 

Courtesy of Orajel

http://www.orajel.com/en/Resource-Center/Learning-to-Brush/Tips-to-Get-Kids-to-Brush-Their-Own-Teeth

 

 

 

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November 14, 2015
Category: Children Dental
Tags: Cavities   Oral health   smoking   children  

Study Explores How Secondhand Smoke May Affect Children's Teeth

A possible link exists between secondhand smoke and caries—or cavities—in children, according to a scientific article published in The Journal of the American Dental Association.

Authors reviewed 15 high-quality observational studies and discovered that 10 of the studies showed a weak to moderate link between cavities in primary teeth and secondhand smoke. The five other studies showed a weak link between secondhand smoke and permanent teeth.

According to the JADA article, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regards cavities as the most prevalent chronic disease in children ages 6 to 11 years and in teens ages 12 to 19 years. A cavity is tooth decay that has destroyed tooth enamel, which is the hard, outer layer of teeth.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services aims to reduce the prevalence of cavities in children by 10 percent by 2020. The prevalence of cavities in American children ages 3 to 5 years in 1999–2004 was 33.3 percent, according to Healthy People 2020--an initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve the health of all Americans. Healthy People determined that the prevalence of cavities in children ages 6 to 9 years was 54.4 percent and 53.7 percent in children 13 to 15 years.

Dentists want to understand the link between human behaviors and the development of cavities, especially as dentistry moves from surgical treatment of caries to prevention and medical management that accounts for a person’s risks toward the disease. Factors for high-cavities risk include low socioeconomic status, a diet high in refined carbohydrates, low fluoride exposure and poor or infrequent oral hygiene.

Secondhand smoke also may prove to be a risk factor, though more research is needed to affirm it as causing cavities.

The American Dental Association has valuable information about cavities on its consumer website, MouthHealthy.org. Click the A-Z Topics section from the home page to access individual topics by alphabet.

 © 2015 American Dental Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction or republication is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission from the American Dental Association.

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October 12, 2015
Category: Children Dental
Tags: Baby Teeth  

Important Information About Baby Teeth: They Do Matter

A child's primary teeth, sometimes called "baby teeth," are as important as the permanent adult teeth.

When Do Baby Teeth Come In?

A baby’s 20 primary teeth are already present in the jaws at birth and typically begin to appear when a baby is between 6 months and 1 year.

When teeth first come in, some babies may have sore or tender gums. Gently rubbing your child's gums with a clean finger, a small, cool spoon or a wet gauze pad can be soothing. You can also give the baby a clean teething ring to chew on. If your child is still cranky and in pain, consult your dentist or physician. Most children have a full set of 20 primary teeth by the time they are 3.

Why Baby Teeth Matter

Not only do primary teeth help children chew and speak, they also hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth that are growing under the gums. When a baby tooth is lost too early, the permanent teeth can drift into the empty space and make it difficult for other adult teeth to find room when they come in. This can make teeth crooked or crowded. That’s why starting infants off with good oral care can help protect their teeth for decades to come.

When Should I Start Taking My Child to the Dentist?

The ADA recommends that a dentist examine a child within six months after the first tooth comes in and no later than the first birthday. A dental visit at an early age is a "well-baby checkup" for the teeth. Besides checking for tooth decay and other problems, the dentist can show you how to clean the child's teeth properly and how to evaluate any adverse habits such as thumb sucking.

How to Care for Your Child's Teeth

It’s important to care for your baby’s teeth from the start. Here's what to do:

    Begin cleaning your baby’s mouth during the first few days after birth by wiping the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth. As soon as teeth appear, decay can occur. A baby’s front four teeth usually push through the gums at about 6 months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months.

    For children younger than 3 years, caregivers should begin brushing children’s teeth as soon as they begin to come into the mouth by using fluoride toothpaste in an amount no more than a smear or the size of a grain of rice. Brush teeth thoroughly twice per day (morning and night) or as directed by a dentist or physician. Supervise children’s brushing to ensure that they use of the appropriate amount of toothpaste.

    For children 3 to 6 years of age, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Brush teeth thoroughly twice per day (morning and night) or as directed by a dentist or physician. Supervise children’s brushing and remind them not to swallow the toothpaste.

    Until you’re comfortable that your child can brush on his or her own, continue to brush your child's teeth twice a day with a child-size toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. When your child has two teeth that touch, you should begin flossing their teeth daily.

Mouth Healthy

American Dental Association

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