Did you know that cavities are the most prevalent childhood disease in the U.S.? Yes, cavities are considered a disease. And they’re preventable. Many people think that baby teeth are temporary, so we don’t have to worry about them. But tooth decay in children leads to tooth and gum pain, infections that affect other teeth, poor nutrition, poor speech development and it can keep adult teeth from growing in healthy and straight. That’s why pediatric dental insurance is considered an Essential Health Benefit (EHB) and is included in every Your Health Idaho health plan or is available for purchase as a stand-alone plan.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. What better time to talk about caring for your child’s teeth and gums? The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry estimates that at least half of all children in the U.S. will be affected by tooth decay before they turn five, leading to what the Surgeon General estimates is 51 million hours of school time lost each year to dental-related conditions. Tooth decay in young children is most often caused by going to sleep with a bottle, drinking sugary drinks (including juices) and waiting too long to develop a good tooth brushing habit.
Here’s what pediatric dentists generally recommend:
- Make your child’s first dentist appointment by their first birthday or by the time they have their first tooth; this will help detect any early problems and get your child used to the dentist’s office.
- Don’t let your child go to bed with a bottle; milk contains natural sugars which can turn into acids and eat away at the enamel on baby teeth. A bottle before bed is fine but be sure to brush baby’s teeth before settling down for the night. As your child ages, eliminate sugary drinks (including juices) altogether and switch to water.
- Start out with good routines. Let your child see you brushing and flossing. Teach and assist them until the age of five then monitor them until they’re seven or eight. Make sure they’re brushing twice a day for two minutes each time or get a toothbrush with a timer or a two-minute song.
If this isn’t enough to convince you, consider these not-so-fun facts:
- Those who drink three or more cans of soda a day are 62 percent more likely to have tooth decay, tooth loss and fillings than those who don’t. Yikes!
- When you don’t floss, you’re missing 40 percent of tooth surfaces.
- There are more than 700 kinds of bacteria in your mouth – mostly harmless – but double yikes!! Without daily brushing and flossing to keep bacteria under control, it can reach levels that can lead to oral infections.
- People have been taking care of their teeth for thousands of years: the earliest known dentist lived in Egypt 5,000 years ago; the first toothbrushes were tree twigs; the ancient Greeks used pumice, talc, alabaster, coral powder or iron rust as toothpaste – Yuck!
- Don’t tell the kids this one – inflation hasn’t kept up with the tooth fairy. In 1950 the average amount left under the pillow was 25 cents, today it’s two dollars. But it should be $2.92.
- Best reason to keep your child’s pearly whites in good condition: Kids laugh about 400 times a day, adults just 15 times a day.