Good oral health in children has been linked with a better quality of life, writes EOIN BURKE-KENNEDY
THE REPERCUSSIONS of failing to adequately care for your child’s milk teeth may be significantly more than just tooth decay and braces.
Several recent studies have linked good oral health in children with a better quality of life in terms of sleeping patterns, eating habits and performance at school.
One study, conducted at the University of Michigan in the US, even linked tooth decay to “poor self-image” in children, associating it, among other things, with a low propensity to smile.
John Walsh, a paediatric dentist with a practice in Blackrock, Co Dublin, believes many Irish parents are behind the curve when it comes to caring for their children’s teeth.
Not only are they passing on their high-sugar diets, Walsh says, they are failing to adequately instruct children on how to best care for their teeth.
“Good dental health doesn’t come by accident. As soon as the child’s teeth appear they are prone to decay.”
Many parents feel the primary teeth are not important because they are going to fall out anyway, but the neglect or loss of these teeth prematurely can cause a number of problems.
Untreated dental decay in milk teeth can lead to “space loss” for the adult teeth. This can result in crooked adult teeth, which may require space maintenance work or braces, he says.
One of the key debates in paediatric dentistry focuses on when parents should start bringing their children to the dentist. In the US, most dental experts recommend the first visit when the child reaches the age of one.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry even suggests children should be assessed when the first teeth appear, normally at about six months. Surveys, however, suggest most Irish children don’t visit the dentist before the age of four.
Probably the most common cause of cavities in young children is “nursing bottle” decay, which typically occurs when a child is given a bottle containing sweetened liquids or fruit juices as a pacifier or at nap or night time.
The problem is that the sugar from the liquid remains in the child’s saliva for an extended period, allowing for a more prolonged attack on the surfaces of the teeth, Walsh explains.
In severe cases the infant’s teeth can be almost completely destroyed, he says. All sweetened liquids, soft drinks, sugared waters, juices, vitamin drinks and even milk will cause the problem.
“Parents often add sugar to drinks to bring it up to their own taste preference, which has been handed down from their own parents,” he says.
“Irish people consume one of the highest rates of sugar in the world and so what happens is they transfer their own preferences onto the child.”
Aifric Ní Chaollaí, a paediatric dentist in Ranelagh, Dublin, believes many parents are unaware of when they should start cleaning their children’s teeth, and how they should go about it.
The advice is simple, Ní Chaollaí says. “When the teeth start to appear, you should start to clean them.” She suggests a piece of gauze wrapped around the finger used to gently rub the gums and teeth.
Getting the child into the habit of cleaning makes the transition to using a small toothbrush, as the child gets more teeth, much easier, she says.
Children on average don’t have the manual dexterity to brush their own teeth until the age of seven or eight, so they require assistance, she says.
But supervised brushing does not simply mean being in the same room – it means actually brushing their teeth for them.
“Although it is important to allow young children develop the dexterity to do it themselves, parents need to go over the teeth to ensure all the plaque is being got at.”
Many Irish people tend to buy large toothbrushes, thinking the bigger the brush the better the job it does.
“To get into all the nooks and crannies, you need a small brush with soft bristles which won’t hurt the gums,” she says.
The official recommendation is not to use any toothpaste until the child is at least two as they usually swallow most of it, but Ní Chaollaí recommends using very small amounts with infants.
Ní Chaollaí believes bringing children to the dentist early in life not only serves to protect young teeth but can engender a more positive attitude to going later in life.
“Having a pleasant first visit rather than attending with a toothache or with decay is what parents should be aiming for.”
Dr John Walsh will address the Irish Dental Association’s annual conference in Galway on May 13th-15th on the topic of children’s dentistry. See dentist.ie
TEETHING TIPS
Soothers: The orthodontic types are preferable but dipping into sugary liquid or syrup is a no-no.
Thumb sucking: Only really a problem when it persists past the age four as some children may push their teeth out of shape
Flossing: Children can usually begin once they are about three to four years old, but they likely won't be able to floss on their own until they are eight to 10 years old.
