Prevention is better than cure Caring for your child's teeth There is nothing more depressing than knowing your child is in pain and you are unable to do anything about it. So how can we start out on the right track? Firstly, we need to understand how teeth grow and develop. Secondly, what attacks the tooth to cause tooth decay and pain. Thirdly, and most importantly, how to prevent tooth decay. Before Birth Calcium and fluoride are important for the proper formation of the baby's teeth. The mother should eat plenty of milk and cheese and fluoride tablets can be used if the local water is not fluoridated. Some drugs should be avoided: Tetracycline antibiotics, for example, if taken in pregnancy may discolour and even weaken the enamel of the unborn baby's teeth. When a baby is born, the primary teeth or "milk" teeth are already formed except for the roots. But they are still hidden in the jaw and the time for appearance varies from child to child. A few babies have one or two teeth showing at birth, but first teething, most commonly begins sometime between 3 and 12 months of age. Teething Most babies experience some discomfort when teething. In some the only evidence of an erupting tooth is an inflamed gum. But in others the gum may be swollen causing extreme irritability and crying. Something to bite on e.g. a teething ring, piece of hard food e.g. a raw carrot, piece of biltong can relieve minor pain. Contact your well baby clinic or pediatrician or homeopath if you think a form of painkiller is required. Teething has often been linked incorrectly with illness. If any symptoms do occur (such as loss of appetite or diahorrea) they should be investigated for the real cause and not dismissed as an inevitable part of teething. Dr Maeve Coogan of the Wits Dental School in Johannesburg explains that there are three main areas of concern for the care of young children's teeth: use of fluoride bacteria the genetic factor Fluoride Fluoride is a term we are all familiar with, but what is it and what does it do? It is a salt of hydrofluoric acid and is found naturally in water. It may be added to inner-city water supplies to help fight dental caries (tooth decay) in the population. As it is a natural trace element in the water, if we have floods, such as we have experienced recently, the concentration of fluoride becomes diluted and drought will cause an unusually high concentration of fluoride in the water. It is very important to be aware of this as a high concentration of fluoride is detrimental to teeth, initially showing as white spots on the tooth enamel and ultimately resulting in the teeth turning black. Dr Coogan told me that in South Africa, all toothpaste has fluoride added, therefore just a trace of fluoride is required when brushing teeth. There is no need to supplement the child's diet with fluoride tablets. Bacteria Micro-organisms are present in the mouth all the time, but they become harmful to the teeth when there is also sugar present in the mouth for extended periods of time. As a result, the child's diet will have a great impact on whether the child suffers from dental caries or not. If there is a lot of sugar in the diet, the Streptococcus mutants will multiply, attach to the teeth and form plaque. With the consumption of sugar these bacteria will produce acids which break down the enamel of the teeth. The best way to avoid tooth decay is to make sure that the sugary sweet foods in the child's diet are eaten / drunk as part of the meal and that teeth are cleaned after each meal. The Child's Diet Milk and cheese are still vital to form strong adult teeth. A good general diet will provide trace minerals needed by the teeth, also by keeping the body healthy it will help the mouth fight bacteria. Food should not be too soft. Food that needs chewing massages the gums, cleans out food particles from between the teeth and stimulates the flow of saliva. MOST important, sugars and carbohydrates should be limited to meal times: there is an increased flow of saliva to wash them out of the mouth and the teeth can be immediately after. SWEET SNACKS ARE FATAL TO DENTAL HEALTH. A baby should never be given a pacifier (dummy) dipped in honey, fruit or syrup. Beware of letting babies and toddlers suck bottles over long periods of time that contain fruit juice (which should ideally be diluted 1:10 with water) as the combination of the acid and the sucrose/fructose builds up plaque on the teeth. If you are concerned about the care of your children's teeth, then call your dentist or dental hygienist. They should be able to answer all your questions. The Genetic Factor Some families are more prone to tooth decay than others, so you will find that if parents who have had a lot of trouble with thier teeth, then their children are more susceptible to the same problems. Therefore particular attention should be taken to care for these children's teeth to help minimize problems. Visiting the Dentist This should become a regular 6 monthly check up from about the age of two years. Ensure that your dentist is a "child friendly" person and understands how toddlers feel in strange places. Introduce your child to the idea by letting him accompany you on your visit and let the dentist have a "play" check up just by looking into the toddler's mouth and praising him for all the teeth that he has in his mouth! The next visit with you he might like to sit up on the dentist's chair. Send this article to a friend Back to Articles on Child Care...