Sunday, November 2, 2014

It's All About Prevention

Fortunately, most dental problems are preventable, and if we are unable to prevent a problem, if we can catch it soon enough (in an early stage) it is usually very easy to treat. One of the earliest dental problems that can occur is a condition called "Early Childhood Caries". Caries is the dental term for tooth decay or cavities. This is tooth decay that starts on the baby teeth very early in life. It can cause pain, infection, inability to eat or sleep, and very often requires extensive, which can be expensive, dental treatment. This can be prevented by introducing your child to good oral hygiene practices very early ( I flossed and brushed my kids' teeth every night until they were close to 10 years old). Start flossing as soon as the baby molar teeth (the larger back teeth) enter the mouth. This is especially important as the permanent first molars erupt around 6 years old. These teeth can become closer together as the permanent molars erupt and decay-causing bacteria can be more difficult to remove from between these teeth. Thumb sucking should be stopped by 4 years old. Sucking can place excessive forces on the teeth and have a deleterious impact on the "bite" ... the way the teeth and jaws utimately come together. This is corrected by orthodontic/orthopedic treatment. Children are very accident prone. They are learning to walk and finding their way around in the world. Proper precautions should be taken to prevent damage from these accidents. Proper car seats are very important to prevent oral/facial trauma. Accident proof your home with proper locks on closet doors, gates etc. Don't leave your child unattended in walkers, jumpers, bath seats, the play pen. It only takes a second for something serious to occur. Wear properly fitted helmets for bike riding, roller blading, scooters, skateboarding. If your child has an accident that involves a tooth, broken or not, it is very important to see your dentist right away. Only approximately 1/3 of the tooth is visible above the gum. Even though a tooth might look fine after an accident, there could be damage to the nerve inside the tooth, to the jaw bone, and other related structures. The best time to take your baby to the dentist for their first dental visit is sometime between 6 and 12 months. This visit is very important for many reasons. This is a well-baby visit. It helps the child get accustomed to being in a dental chair in what is usually a very non-threatening appointment, and allows the dentist the chance to learn the child's medical and birth history, to assess the current health status of your child's mouth, and to educate the parent and provide guidance on how to care for and maintain their child's teeth. Regular dental visits can help with the maintenance of good oral health, allows for early detection of tooth decay and gum problems. This is the best way to start your child on a path to good oral health habits, and life long excellent oral health. To summarize, here are the steps to healthy teeth for life ... 1) HEALTHY PREGNANCY 2) HEALTHY NUTRITION - EXCELLENT DIET 3) GOOD ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICES 4) APPROPRIATE USE OF FLUORIDE 5) REGULAR DENTAL VISITS I hope you have found this information to be of value and that you will take action to ensure the very best for you and your children. Yours for excellent health, Dr. Marty Frankel, 5775 Yonge St., Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario Canada, 416-770-8526, drmartyfrankel@rogers.com

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