Comments on: Top cavity causes for kids

By: Marina

Marina — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:21:41 +0000

I recently took my kids to the dentist and was told that children shouln’t even be brushing their own teeth till the age of 9, just because they dont brush as well as they should. My kids are 5 1/2 and almost 7 and they both brush on their own but after they are done they come and show us their teeth and we do an “inspection” if we think they didnt do such a good job we send them back to do it again.

By: Kristina

Kristina — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:16:13 +0000

Fruit snacks are soooo bad for the teeth. Especially becuase kids dont floss as much as they should.

By: RDH

RDH — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:29:42 +0000

Plan B Mom has a lot of good info. Water down all juices given to children. Fruits are high in natually occuring sugars so even fresh squeezed can be diluted. Don’t forget that “power” drinks are not recommended either as a drink of choice as they have some sugars and citric acids. They were actually developed for athletes who sweat out a ton of water while exercising- not the occational kid who may run a few bases. Canned sweet teas with lemon as well as fast-food sweet teas are also loaded with sugar. Bananas and pretzels can stick on teeth. Filtered water usually has the fluoride removed. As a hygienist I do see a difference in a populations’ teeth when fluoride in not in the water supply. Some country folks have naturally occuring fl2 in their well water. Best to have water tested. Donna may have some recession that has exposed dentin surfaces of her teeth below the enamel line that have become sensitive and can be prone to abrasion when brushing “too much”. Gentle brushing in a massaging circular motion for 2 minutes 2 times a day with nothing to drink or eat after the bedtime brushing and daily flossing is usually enough to keep teeth healthy. FL2 is a controversial subject but the mechanical action of brushing and flossing will remove most. Kids even to age 12 need parental help. Parents who have active caries can pass the bacteria to their children so be sure you get regular checkups to eliminate.
Happy brushing and go floss! :o)

By: saskia

saskia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:30:01 +0000

I am a mom and a dentist. Several points made here do not add up. Children’s teeth have fully developed nerves. This is why they hurt when a tooth decays into the pulp. When the decay is into the dentin, the teeth need to be anesthetised for treatment. Children with bad dental experiences become adults with neglected teeth. Thew last post on Fluoride is part of a disturbing trend disseminated by holistic extremists. Fluoride is a natural substance, It is the most abundant element in the earth’s crust. It is true that too much fluoride causes fluorosis of the teeth. People in West Texas have browmn mottled teeth from drinking the ground water. However there is no evidence that these people ar toxic or unhealthy in any way. The normal concentration of optimally fluoridated water is .8mg fluoride per liter. In areas where fluorosis is evident the concentration of fluoride is around 150mg per liter.

By: Mona

Mona — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:24:54 +0000

Moms - please do your own research on flouride and possible adverse reactions. Flouride is not an essential nutrient. Medical experts continue to debate the potential toxic threats to child development. As with all potentially harmful substances, research the subject, get more than one medical opinion and make an educated decision. Do some research on your public water system; we are not all drinking the same water.

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:19:58 +0000

The comments are very interesting. The one thing that I beg to differ on is the teeth brushing after every meal. I was told that I had sensitive teeth and teeth prone to decay because I brushed my teeth TOO often AND my dentist also told me to wait at least 30 minutes after eating, before brushing, as that is when teeth are at their most vulnerable. Anyway I am interested if anyone else has been told this?

By: Tiff

Tiff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:25:43 +0000

tap water is gross tasting i prefer filtered water. my nieces are 9 & almost 5 & basically are health food conscious (my sister is raw food vegan sometimes)

By: james

james — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:42:35 +0000

Hooray ! Water and Fluoride an awesome combination !

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:14:50 +0000

My daughter is 13 months old and it is not an easy task to brush the few teeth that she has. She has not been introduced to juice because I am concerned about her teeth since we cannot brush her teeth quite like we do our own. On occasion we have noticed that she has bad breath. Any suggestions?

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:20:37 +0000

I am a dental assistant have been for 11 yrs. This is one of the major causes of decay we see from juice. One reason is because one of the government programs endorses juice. My daughter is 4 yrs old, I never started her on juice as an infant, she now goes to preschool and when the other kids have juice she has water. Kids need water from the tap not bottled water.