General Health Information

When thinking about a child and dental health
issues, the most obvious threat has to be tooth decay. A lot of
progress has been made in recent years to help curb the number of
cavities that the average child develops. For instance, there have been
dramatic improvements in dental health products such as toothpaste made
with fluoride and specialized toothbrushes designed to get into those
hard to reach crevices. However, one of the most impressive innovations
to come about in the fight against common dental problems like cavities
is called sealant.

Sealants can complement and improve dental health care
and oral hygiene practices by protecting the teeth against the bacteria
responsible for causing cavities. Actually a protective coating, a
sealant prevents the bacteria and food from settling in the crevices
and recesses in the teeth. Molars towards the back of the mouth are
particularly vulnerable but even these easy targets are protected when
a sealant is applied.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the public is unaware of the benefit of using sealants to improve their kids dental health.
Only about a third of all children have sealants in place despite the
fact that they not only help prevent cavities-they have even proved
effective in treating cavities that have already started to form (the
cavity will not become worse because bacteria will not be able to make
it worse).

A dentist will not apply a sealant until the back molars have come
in-usually around age six. A typical treatment will help complement
other dental health products
in the fight against cavities for about 5 years. The procedure is
painless and can be repeated without problem once the original sealant
wears off. Once in place, sealants do not require any additional
maintenance on the part of the child and will continue to help protect
the teeth against common dental problems like cavities until wearing
off.

If sealants were used in all school-aged children to help protect teeth
into adulthood, then the startling statistics of the number of kids
with cavities before the age of 19 would be lower. However, as things
currently stand, cavities continue to ruin kids dental health
in our youth and the most current statistics are: 50% of all children
aged 6-12 have had tooth decay problems, 68% of adolescents below the
age of 18 have already had tooth decay and only 33% of children
currently have sealants in their mouth.

When feeding, the bacteria produce an acid by-product that will damage
and ultimately destroy the very enamel that is supposed to protect your
teeth. Once this layer of enamel has been breeched, no amount of dental health products
can stop the formation of a cavity. However, practicing good oral
hygiene will help control the bacteria population and thus slow the
development of a cavity.

So, what can be done about these harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay? Well, dental health products
made with fluoride and some form of anti-bacterial agent are
recommended. However, be careful of mouth washes or other products made
with alcohol or other chemicals as they may lead to dehydration and
actually increase the bacteria population. Anything that lowers the
level of saliva in your mouth is actually hurting your oral health-not
helping!

Saliva can help control the bacteria population because it is loaded
with enzymes that help with the production of antibodies that
neutralize the harmful microbes. Thus, adult and kids dental health
is ultimately compromised by behaviors that cause dehydration and lower
the level of saliva in your mouth. Some common sources of dehydration
include: drinking alcohol or any caffeinated beverage, using laxatives,
taking dietary supplements and smoking.

Therefore, it is bacteria and not sugar that is the true source of
cavities and other oral health problems like advanced periodontal
disease. And it is saliva, complemented with alcohol-free dental health products, that will help you best prevent those common dental health problems that can cause us all so much grief and pain!

Sadly, if a parent does not properly prepare their child in the early
years, then they are at even greater risk of developing common dental
problems. Nearly half of all school aged children develop cavities
which can lead to poor academic performance that can carry with them
into adulthood. However, by taking the simple precautions listed above,
your pediatric dental health regimen should lead to a long life free from common dental problems for your child.