Pediatric Dental Health - What You
Need To Know!

Pediatric dental health is where it begins-the never-ending struggle against cavities and gum disease. These common dental problems are a constant threat to our overall health and our children need our guidance and strength to help them avoid problems with their teeth. If we fail to get our kids off to a good start, they may be dealing with issues like severe periodontal disease and poor oral health for the rest of their lives. Even simple things like cavities can have a serious affect upon how children ultimately turn out. When left untreated, tooth decay can have the following impact upon the child's performance:

• Chronic pain
• Underweight (may affect cognitive development)
• Increased absences from school
• Poor social skills because of fear from embarrassment due to bad teeth

So how does a parent make sure that they help their children avoid those common dental problems? In particular, for parents of newborns and children under the age of six, what specific steps can be taken? Here are some simple guidelines that should help:

• Check for the appearance of spots on teeth every month-nearly 25% of children aged 5 or under have some degree of tooth decay and the appearance of a spot on the teeth is the first sign of trouble


• Be sure to set-up a dental screening by the age of 1. This allows the dentist to make sure that the child is off to a good start and a plan can be put in place to rectify any early signs of common dental problems like cavities


• Fluoride drops-when a dentist does see cavities in this early screening, it may be an indication that the community water is not fluoridated. Fluoride has helped reduce tooth decay by nearly 50% since it was first introduced into dental care and most communities add this vital element to their water. In places where this does not occur (or is not occurring at the proper level), the dentist may recommend fluoride drops


• Do not share toothbrushes


• Help children with brushing through age six to make sure that the proper brushing techniques are taught and followed daily

These simple steps can indeed help prevent both common dental problems and also give the child a solid foundation that will help them avoid bigger issues such as advanced periodontal disease later on in life. Once the child reaches school age, you may want to think about asking your dentist about dental sealants. A dental sealant can help avoid common dental problems like tooth decay and in some cases even reverse it.

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.

And if you or your child is suffering from dental problems, you can try an all natural product such as OraMD® to help eliminate the harmful bacteria that is progressing and causing your dental health problems. Learn more about using OraMD® to assist your pediatric dental health.