You bring your toddler to a pediatric dental care office, a little nervous perhaps over whether she will be able to sit still and allow the staff to examine her mouth. It all goes surprisingly well until the X-rays appear on-screen showing cavities…in half of her baby teeth. Unfortunately, this scenario is not uncommon these days, as more and more young children are developing serious tooth decay so extensive it often requires surgical intervention.1 (By the way, opting for X-rays is an entirely different discussion that we’ll save for another time.)
Due to overall improved dental hygiene (and some would include fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated water, but again, that’s a different discussion), the number of cavities in children and adults has declined significantly over the past few decades. However, in a 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, a blip was found in these improvements. It seems that for the first time in 40 years, the amount of preschoolers who have cavities has increased.2 There is also plenty of anecdotal evidence from dentists that these children don’t always have just one or two stray cavities — it’s often a problem approaching the double digits.
While it is difficult to pinpoint one particular reason why this is happening, it is most likely the result of a number of factors combined. Sugary drinks and snacks are provided by parents and other caregivers throughout the day. Young children are given a bottle or sippy cup at bedtime to relieve their thirst and relax them, but water is not always the drink of choice. Juices and chocolate milk drinks are often high in sugar. And the sugars present in these “alternatives” will adhere to the teeth and spend the duration of the night causing decay.
Then there’s the problem of dental hygiene. Not every toddler wants their teeth brushed, or they demand to do it themselves. If their teeth are not getting thoroughly cleaned each morning and night, that opens the door to cavities. And if parents refuse to step up and enforce an after-every-meal mom-or-dad brushes-your-teeth type of rule, they are certainly not going to make Junior visit the dentist as often as necessary, where screams are likely when a stranger attempts to poke around in his mouth. Oftentimes, these are the parents who will finally bring their child to the dentist only when they notice a problem with the teeth or their child is in pain. And keep in mind, this is 2007 data, so recessionary finances are not the issue. The end result: a multitude of cavities in children and extensive dental damage.
That’s how we end up with a preschooler having to undergo a surgical procedure to restore oral health. No 3-year-old should need tooth extractions, root canals, or crowns. This type of dental work usually requires an anesthetic in children so young because it is time consuming and painful and toddlers are not known for their patience or ability to sit still. To be effective and clean up the entire mess at once, an operating room procedure is usually considered the most efficient option.
But that is hardly without risks. Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of anesthesia, and though much less likely, there is the risk of brain damage or death. Kids often experience pain after oral surgery, and there’s a chance of infection. Costs, too, are an issue, especially with so many families lacking dental insurance. The price tag for a dental procedure with general anesthesia can be thousands of dollars, depending on the extent of work that needs to be done.
Ultimately, none of us wants to go down this particular road with our children. To avoid it, make sure your children are brushing their teeth carefully after every meal or take that job on yourself if they are younger than 6. Have them floss every day. Using fluoride toothpaste is debatable, but if you’re using it, at least make sure your children are spitting it out rather than swallowing the stuff. And as for fluoridated water, there are good reasons it’s banned in Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.
Make changes to the foods — and even more so the drinks — that your child is consuming. Swap out high sugar items and starchy foods that stick to the teeth as much as possible. Offer healthy natural snacks instead of sugary, processed ones. Your children might protest initially, but they will get used to the new choices and their tastes will change for the better. And leave the sodas, fruit punches, and sports drinks off your grocery list permanently. They are a huge source of sugar in the typical child’s diet and they bathe the teeth in sugar beyond compare — not to mention promoting diabetes. Once you’ve implemented these strategies, you may just find that not only are your kids’ teeth in better shape than ever before, but their overall health and fitness has improved as well.
1 Saint Louis, Catherine. “Preschoolers in Surgery for a Mouthful of Cavities.” The New York Times. 6 March 2012. Accessed 28 March 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/health/rise-in-preschool-cavities-prompts-anesthesia-use.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all>.
2 “Oral Health Improving for Most Americans, But Tooth Decay Among Preschool Children on the Rise.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 30 April 2007. Accessed 29 March 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/07newsreleases/oralhealth.htm>.
Really,It is very useful post
Really,It is very useful post for children and adults. I was finding this kind of article since 2 to 4 weeks but this is the first one which satisfies my views that Sugary drinks and snacks affect our teeth and raised problems.Thanks for sharing this informatics blog.
I really love to read
I really love to read articles that have good information and ideas about our health. I hope to read more from here. A very thank you for giving information to avoid Sugary drinks and snacks for our teeth.
Thanks for the article on
Thanks for the article on dental health. I would like to see more.
I wasn't familiar with you
I wasn’t familiar with you Beth, but you can easily imagine my surprise as I read and expected the usual fluoride BS and a call to action about getting more into the mouths of kids…but just the opposite was written. Bravo. I hope this article will get out to those who need to read it and will be a catalyst to healthier living. Of course there is no getting rid of the garbage drinks and foods parents are feeding their kids but pushing for more awareness will hopefully help reduce the exposure. Keep it up!
teeth Cavities are most
teeth Cavities are most likely to develop in pits on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, in between teeth, and near the gumline. But regardless of where they occur, the best way to spot them and treat them before they become serious is by visiting your dentist regularly for checkups.
Make changes to the foods —
Make changes to the foods — and even more so the drinks — that your child is consuming. Swap out high sugar items and starchy foods that stick to the teeth as much as possible.
It is most likely the result
It is most likely the result of a number of factors combined. Sugary drinks and snacks are provided by parents and other caregivers throughout the day. Young children are given a bottle or sippy cup at bedtime to relieve their thirst and relax them, but water is not always the drink of choice
Hi, It is always difficult to
Hi, It is always difficult to deal with children’s. I always admire to oral hygiene and always try to aware peoples and children’s about oral hygiene and why it is important for healthy life. Thanks
This is great information,
This is great information, but clearly lacking. My son was diagnosed with weak and no enamel on a large number of teeth. For a toddler that has never had a bottle, soda, milk of any kind, juice, etc. I’m a little sick of reading that clearly I must of a. Feed my child nothing but junk food followed with a baby bottle of soda b. never brushed his teeth. So unfortunately some of us need this and don’t fit the mold you provided.
Being born with weak or no
Being born with weak or no enamel on baby teeth (enamel hypoplasia) is indeed different than destroying the enamel through bad dietary habits. Although the cause is unknown – anything from fever to medications taken during pregnancy are possible culprits – there is good news. Usually (unless genetics are involved), when the adult teeth come in, they do not have the same problem. At that point, your son will be well ahead of his peers because of your having kept his diet so clean during his formative years. In the meantime, you will have to work closely with your dentist to maintain the baby teeth until they fall out.