The first week of August is dental health week!
In 2012 the Australian Dental Association’s campaign was centred on the fact: by age 6, half of all Australian children will have tooth decay. Which is disturbing. And still true. In fact, Australian children (according to a Colgate study conducted at the beginning of 2014) have some of the worst teeth in the developed world.
Then 2013 was: you may think your teeth are indestructible. This was centred on taking better care of your teeth. And you know, not using your teeth for a bottle open. Interestingly, this was also the campaign where the ADA brought out the fact that oral sex can cause cancer.
This year dental health week is focusing on children and our little ones dental health. The focus this year is on, the sometimes obscene quantity of sugar children consume and the effects this has on their teeth.
Did you know milk teeth (a.k.a. baby teeth) are important for the long term health of your child’s oral health?
Milk teeth get your child’s gums and jaw used to having teeth as well as helping with speech and chewing. Decay that affects your child’s milk teeth can also have an adverse effect on adult teeth. Sometimes to the extent that the adult teeth can be decayed before they even erupt.
Maintaining optimal oral hygiene
Ensuring the health of your child’s milk teeth will not only help them see that a regular oral hygiene routine is normal; it will also help to ensure their teeth stay healthy.
Part of an oral hygiene routine is taking your child to the dentist every six months. When you bring your child to Redlands Dental Gentle Care our team of family-friendly dentists will look after you and your child to ensure they teeth are healthy and developing normally.
When should you bring your child to Redlands Gentle Dental Care?
The best time to bring your child to see our friendly team is shortly after their first tooth erupts. From this we can assess how their teeth are erupting and evaluate their overall oral health.
At home, you’ll need a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to clean their teeth. As they get older and more teeth come through it is necessary to bring them to the dentist. Early intervention and prevention treatments can potentially save your child from needing more extensive work like orthodontics later on.
At home care
Don’t put your child to bed with a bottle of milk, juice or any drink that isn’t water. Giving them a bottle of milk or juice can actually promote decay in their teeth. When we sleep our mouths produce less saliva so it is easier for bacteria to form and create problems for your teeth.
If your child doesn’t have teeth you can still wipe their gums down after feeding with a damp cloth to help keep their gums healthy. Until your child is around the age of 7 or 8 you’ll need to help them brush their teeth.
This year’s ADA dental health week
This year the Australian Dental Association is focusing on education. The more parents realise how important the milk teeth of their children are; and the health of their gums; and the negative impacts of obscene quantities of sugar (yes, drinking soft drink at breakfast is obscene) the fewer children will suffer dental decay and poor oral health.
Every week should be dental health week: look after your children’s teeth today and their teeth have a better chance of lasting longer.
If you would like to know more about how Redlands Gentle Dental Care can help you look after your child’s oral health, or to book an appointment, please contact us today.
