Dental Care - How to Take Care Of Your Teeth - Healthy Mouth
- What You Need to Know
- Primary Teeth (Baby Teeth)
- Six-Year Molar
- Eruption and Shedding of Primary Teeth
- Dental Health Habits
- Suggested Nutritional Snacks
- Brushing Your Teeth
- Flossing
- Dental Products
- Fluoride
- Crooked Teeth
- Accidents Involving Teeth
- Selecting a Dentist
What You Need to Know About Your Teeth
Dental disease has reached staggering proportions. It is the most widespread of all human ailments, affecting 95 percent of all the American people. Tooth decay (cavities) is five (5) times more common in children than asthma. The bacteria (germs that cause dental disease can be passed from a parent, sibling, day care worker, or other caregiver through the sharing of spoons, forks, and drinks, so it is important that all family members and caregivers have healthy mouths too. Tooth decay is by far the most prevalent form of dental disease in the young, but many people do not even regard poor dental health as a problem. Good dental health is the result of:
- Daily brushing and flossing.
- Good nutritional habits.
- Regular dental checkups.
Primary Teeth (Baby Teeth)
Four very important functions of primary teeth:
- They assist in chewing food, and thereby contribute to digestion.
- They contribute to facial development and expression.
- They preserve space for erupting permanent teeth.
- They aid in speaking clearly and well.
A child's first dental visit should be scheduled at 1 year of age, unless problems develop sooner.
Six-Year Molar
By the time the child enters the first grade, the six year molars have usually erupted. This is a permanent tooth and is commonly mistaken for another primary tooth since no tooth is lost before it appears. This tooth is one of the most important in a child's mouth because it helps the other teeth come into their proper place. If one or more of these teeth are lost, they are gone forever and may cause:
- Crooked teeth,
- Sickness and pain,
- Deformed mouth,
- Unnecessary expense, and
- Loss of other teeth.
The "mixed dentition" period takes place from the appearance of the first permanent molar until all the primary teeth are lost.
Eruption and Shedding of Primary Teeth
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Upper Teeth Lower Teeth |
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Upper Eruption Lower Eruption |
Dental Health Habits
Dental health is a family affair. The family's job, of course, is to make sure each member practices the rules of good dental health from day to day. Very early in a child's training, parents should begin to teach the principles of proper care of teeth. Parents can teach their children good dental health habits by brushing and flossing their own teeth. Daily dental habits should be taught along with feeding, washing, and dressing.
Suggested Nutritional Snacks
It is possible to enjoy snacks and discourage dental decay at the same time. All you have to do is substitute the snacks listed here for sweets. Why not sweets? When bacteria, normally found in the mouth, come in contact with fermentable sugars and starches, they feed on these sugars and produce an acid capable of dissolving enamel on teeth. For this reason, the earlier sugarless snacks are initiated and encouraged, the better chance the child has of continuing the habit and thereby having healthier teeth.
Protein Snacks
Nuts-Eggs-Small Sausages-Shrimp-Peanuts-Chicken-Beef-Ham-Turkey-Cheese-Luncheon meat-Sardines
Fruit Snacks
Unsweetened juices, Grapes-Peaches-Pears-Plums-Apples-Raspberries-Oranges-Blackberries-Pineapples-Tangerines
Vegetable Snacks
Celery-Cabbage-Lettuce-Green onion-Tomato juice-Cauliflower-Cucumber-Green pepper-Carrots
Other Snacks
Popcorn-Dill pickles-Cheese crackers-Buttermilk-Pizza
Brushing Your Teeth
For Effective Tooth Brushing:
- Brush thoroughly twice a day
- Brush by placing half the bristles on the tooth and half on the gum (at a 45 degree angle).
- Slow, short, vibrating, or back and forth (not up and down) strokes are made while the tips of the bristles remain in the same place. This is a wiggly type motion.
- Brush in a definite order: first, outside surfaces; then, inside surfaces followed by chewing surfaces.
- Brush the top of the tongue to remove plaque that may accumulate there.
- Use a soft tooth brush.
- Changes toothbrushes when they become worn (about every 3-4 months) or after an illness.
Flossing
Since only 60 percent of the plaque is removed by tooth brushing, flossing will be necessary to remove the plaque from between the teeth. Un-waxed floss is the preferred kind and should be used at least once a day. Take about 18 inches of floss and wrap it around the middle finger of each hand, so that the index fingers and thumbs are free to guide the floss around the tooth and under the gumline. Gently seesaw the floss between the teeth, curve the floss against the tooth and move it up and down under the gumline. See How to Floss.
Dental Products
Dental products are only aids to the toothbrush and floss; it is the brushing and flossing that count. Toothpaste is not absolutely necessary for brushing of teeth. Many kinds of toothpaste contain fluoride, which is an important component in strengthening the teeth. Toothpaste also helps freshen breath.
Fluoride
One of the best ways to protect the teeth of adults and children is to make sure that they are exposed to fluoride. The best protection is through fluoridated drinking water because it strengthens the teeth as they are forming, leading to as much as 60 percent less tooth decay. This is very important in protecting children's teeth. Fluoride is not recommended for the very young child. Ask your dentist about your fluoride needs; topical fluoride can be applied to the teeth by dentists. The dentist may also prescribe fluoride mouth rinses or tablets to be used at home.
Crooked Teeth
Crooked teeth may contribute to decay, faulty speech, malnutrition, and mental distress due to an abnormal function and appearance. Your dentist may suggest a visit to an orthodontist for straightening crooked teeth.
Accidents Involving Teeth
A fractured tooth can be serious and a dentist should be consulted immediately. If a whole tooth is knocked out, it should be recovered. Do not clean it. Wrap it in a clean, wet cloth or place it in a cup of water or milk, and hurry to the dentist's office.
Selecting a Dentist
Ask the local dental society or dental school for the names of several qualified dentists. If there is no listing, write the American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611, for information, or ask your physician or previous dentist for recommendations if you have moved from another area. To learn the background of a dentist, consult the American Dental Directory, available in most libraries.
Source: Thanks to the Texas Department of State Health Services for providing this information. [link]
