Help A Child Smile
A dental education book for children
Did you know that dental caries (cavities) is the 2 nd most common disease in children after asthma? Did you know that periodontal disease (gum disease) is the leading cause of tooth loss in the world? Did you know that dental disease is completely 100% preventable if you take care of your teeth and gums early on?
Why are our teeth so important ? Our teeth are the first step in our digestive process and making food smaller They help us chew the foods we love. Teeth keep our jawbones and gums strong and in position. They help us speak clearly.
Why is it important to take care of baby teeth? Many people think that it is not important to look after baby teeth because they will be replaced by adult teeth eventually. But baby teeth play an important role in guiding adult teeth into position. Decay once started can cause teeth to be sensitive to hot and cold, and can affect a child’s nutrition and disposition. If baby teeth have to be pulled out because of decay, it can hinder a child’s speech and ability to swallow properly. Also, the space that is needed for permanent teeth later, may get disturbed and the child may need braces later on.
Types of Teeth Incisors – these eight front teeth are used for biting Canines – these 4 teeth next to the incisors are used for tearing food Premolars – these back teeth grind and chew food 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd Molars – These teeth are also used to chew and grind food
Deciduous Tooth Development Chart The first baby tooth usually comes in when a child is 6 months old. The chart below gives the names of the teeth and shows the times when they come in and are lost. Children don’t get all the teeth at the same time, timings can vary and teeth can erupt earlier or later
Permanent Tooth Development Chart The first permanent tooth usually comes in when a child is 6 years old. By about 12 years, a child usually has most of the permanent teeth. The chart below gives the names of the teeth and their eruption times.
How to take care of baby teeth A new baby’s mouth care should begin within a week. Plaque and bacteria begin to collect after every feeding and should be gently wiped off with a wet gauze. Massage the baby’s gums and cheeks with clean fingers. Once the first tooth comes in, use a soft bristle toothbrush to brush the teeth See the dentist for the first dental checkup when the child turns one.
Dental Care from 3-6 years By age 3, children have all 20 baby teeth in place. It is important to keep them clean and prevent plaque build up by brushing twice a day. Let a child begin brushing and then finish up for them. It is also time to start flossing between the teeth. A child may have spacing between their baby teeth and this is because the permanent teeth that replace them will be twice as large. By age 6, a child’s jaws are growing to make room for the permanent 1 st molars. These molars are important because they help determine the shape of the lower face.
Brushing Brushing keeps the mouth clean and prevents the buildup of food and plaque which cause cavities and gum disease. Brush at least twice a day: once in the morning, and once at night. Use a good-quality toothbrush with a small head, so that it can cover every tooth. Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and do not swallow it. Make sure to scrub all of your teeth when brushing. Tilt the brush at a 45° angle and clean with a circular motion.
Brushing Technique
Flossing • Floss regularly – once a day • When flossing, make sure to rub and clean the sides of teeth as well as the gums at the bottom. • Flossing helps to remove plaque from where your toothbrush can’t reach.
What happens if you don’t take care of your teeth? • Tooth decay – Dental Caries • Gum disease – Gingivitis and Periodontitis • Tartar Buildup
Tooth decay or dental caries Bacteria and food can cause tooth decay. After you eat, a thin layer of plaque covers your teeth. The plaque feeds on the sugars in the food you eat. It produces acids, which break down your tooth enamel and cause tooth decay. These are called cavities and can be painful if they get very deep.
This is what dental caries (cavities) looks like
Baby Bottle Caries Baby bottle decay is caused by frequent exposure to liquids with sugar - milk, formula, and fruit juices. As parents, it is tempting to put a cranky baby to bed with a bottle to soothe them. But the milk breaks down to sugar and this attacks tooth enamel and causes serious rampant decay. Children can end up needing crowns on their teeth or extractions at a very early age. It can be avoided by only using water in a bottle when putting a baby to bed.
Dental Abscess A dental abscess is an infection and collection of pus is caused because of bacteria that have spread from a gum infection or a cavity. It can be extremely painful and a person can become very seriously ill if infection spreads to the blood stream or the brain.
Tartar buildup Every day a new layer of plaque covers your teeth. Plaque is a soft film of food and bacteria. If plaque builds up and is not brushed off, it mineralizes into tartar. Tartar has bacteria which can dissolve the bone around teeth. This leads to gum disease, gingivitis, periodontitis, and finally loss of teeth.
Gum disease The mouth is full of bacteria and eating food causes plaque to build up around the teeth. If it is not brushed away properly, it can cause tartar build up. Tartar buildup causes inflammation of gums, which leads to gum disease and gingivitis .
Diet for healthy teeth If you eat the right foods, you can prevent the buildup of tartar and plaque. Calcium-rich foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese can strengthen your teeth. Other good foods are leafy greens, apples, almonds, carrots, and celery. Sugary, sticky foods like candy and soda will cause tooth decay and cavities.
Teeth-friendly foods • Fruits • Vegetables • Milk • Water • Nuts • Cheese
Teeth-damaging foods • Candies • Soda • Coffee • Chips • Peanut butter • Cookies
Protecting teeth with Sealants
• A sealant is a material that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay occurs most often. • These teeth have pits and grooves that are hard to clean because toothbrush bristles cannot reach into them. That is how decay starts in the pits and the grooves and a cavity forms. • The sealant flows into the pits and the grooves, bonds to the tooth, and protects it from bacteria and acid attacks. • Sealants can be applied quickly and painlessly. • When teeth are treated with sealants, they are less likely to get cavities.
Fluoride – Nature’s Cavity Fighter
Fluoride is a mineral that is added to many water sources. It helps make teeth stronger and protects them from decay because it penetrates the tooth enamel making it harder and more resistant. Children who drink tap water with the right amount of fluoride are less likely to get cavities. Fluoride can be found in some toothpastes, mouth rinses, and treatments applied in the dental office.
Preventing Sports Injuries with Mouth Guards • Sports-related dental injuries can be prevented by wearing a properly fitted mouth guard made by a dentist. Mouth guards cushion impacts that can cause broken teeth, jaw injuries, or cuts to the lip and tongue. • Mouth guards are mostly used in contact sports like boxing, football, hockey, and lacrosse, and some non-contact sports like gymnastics or skateboarding.
Braces (Orthodontic treatment for bad bites) A bad bite is when the teeth are crowded, crooked, out of line, or when the jaws don’t meet properly. A bad bite can cause problems • It’s harder to keep tooth and gums clean causing decay and gum disease. • Crooked and crowded teeth can keep the jaws from developing normally or keep a person from eating and speaking properly. • Teeth that are out of line can get worn down or damaged more easily. • A bad bite or crooked teeth can make children feel less confident about looks.
The Sad Story of Deamonte Driver
A Sobering Report KEY FINDNGS • More than 47 million people live in places where it is difficult to access dental care. • About 17 million low-income children received no dental care in 2009. • One fourth of adults in the U.S. ages 65 and older have lost all of their teeth.3 • Low-income adults are almost twice as likely as higher-income adults to have gone without a dental check up in the previous year. • Bad dental health impacts overall health and increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease, and poor birth outcomes. • There were over 830,000 visits to emergency rooms across the country for preventable dental conditions in 2009 - a 16% increase since 2006. • Almost 60% of kids ages 5 to 17 have cavities making tooth decay five times more common than asthma among children of this age.
Dental disease affects the rest of our body
The Mouth- Body Connection Dental disease has been linked to •
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Build-up of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis) • Heart Disease and Strokes • Increased risk of head and neck cancer • Diabetes • Alzheimer's Disease • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Pancreatic and Kidney cancer Increased risk of pregnant women having low birth- weight babies
In 2000, the US Surgeon General called the mouth “a mirror of health and disease in the body”
It is imperative that we tackle the problem of dental disease and focus on it’s prevention.
Thank you for reading “Help A Child Smile� Creating a community of children with beautiful teeth and healthy smiles