EDUCATION
Oral health for tiny tots
Taking care of tiny tots’ teeth can prevent future oral problems
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Children are always observing, so be sure to lead by example and take good care of your own teeth
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We all know that brushing our teeth and flossing regularly is vital to healthy teeth and gums, but what about the tiny tots in our midst? Is caring for milk teeth as important as caring for permanent teeth and at what age should we start enforcing the importance of oral health? Dr Laurika Krynauw, practicing dentist at Medicross Langeberg, shares valuable advice.
“ Many parents see milk teeth as something that will‘ fall out anyway’ and therefore do not see the need for oral care at a young age. The truth is, milk teeth are just as important as permanent teeth,” explains Krynauw.
“ Even though milk teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth eventually, the early loss of milk teeth due to damage or decay, can cause future oral health problems. These problems can be prevented by proper dental care from a young age,” she explains.“ Premature loss of milk teeth can result in‘ space loss’. This means that there will not be enough space for permanent teeth to develop and this will most likely create the need for braces in later, teenage years. Also, severely decayed milk teeth can cause abscesses that can irreversibly damage the permanent teeth underneath the milk teeth.
“ The moment you see a tooth in your baby’ s mouth, you need to start cleaning it. It is never too early to
encourage good oral hygiene. When cleaning a baby’ s mouth, it is imperative to use a special toothbrush that is soft and tailor-made for little mouths. If the bristles of a toothbrush are too hard, it could damage their gums and teeth. You can find these special toothbrushes at most pharmacies and dentists.
“ You should also use children’ s toothpaste, it is not just a gimmick,” Krynauw adds.“ Most toothpastes contain fluoride and children tend to swallow toothpaste, because they find it difficult to spit out the excess. If they ingest too much fluoride, it can lead to fluorosis which will result in permanent white stains on their teeth.
“ Children’ s toothpaste contains less fluoride than adult toothpaste and this prevents fluorosis. Also, the mint flavouring in many toothpastes cause a‘ burning’ sensation in their mouths that many children find disturbing. Children’ s toothpastes are much milder and gentle to their taste buds.”
Krynauw mentions that babies should also be taken for regular visits to the dentist.“ You should make an appointment at your local dentist as soon as you see teeth developing. The first appointment will mainly focus on educating parents on how to properly clean their baby’ s teeth and other ways to protect their child’ s
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Severely decayed milk teeth can cause abscesses that can irreversibly damage the permanent teeth underneath the milk teeth
Pharmacy Magazine MAY 2017 | 11