At Pediatric Dental Associates of
Randolph we encourage our patients to
supply their children with a healthy
diet and practice daily dental hygiene.
Along with brushing and flossing after
each meal, Dr. Mannella and Dr.
Susan Arnold
commented that "A surprising number of
children come to our office with
virtually an entire mouth full of rotten
teeth, For example, I see several
children as young as 2 years old with 18
out of 20 teeth needing work. The reason
for this is the growing number of
children who are put to bed, for a nap
or for the night, with soda, juice, or
milk in a bottle. The liquid just sits
in the mouth, resulting in severe cases
of what is termed as "nursing bottle
caries".
Nursing bottle caries affects a child's
front teeth. In severe cases, this type
of decay damages teeth further back in
the mouth. As stated previously,
prolonged and frequent consumption of
sweetened drinks given in a feeding
bottle are the most common cause. For a
child with such advanced tooth decay,
the oral surgical procedures include
therapy on the nerves of the affected
teeth, as well as restorative work
(making the teeth not only healthy, but
aesthetically nice-looking). At the
conclusion of a successful surgery, it
appears as if the child has brand new
teeth.
"We're seeing this trend across the
board of income and educational levels,"
adds Aaron. "In fact, we're seeing it
more and more in dual-income families -
including the children of pediatricians
or other physicians. The parents have to
get up so early to get to work, and
they are just desperate to get the child
to sleep at night. So, they use bottles
to get them to sleep."With proper
oral hygiene and attention to what your
children eat and especially when they
eat, cavities can be virtually
eliminated and your children will be
healthier and more attentive in their
daily life.
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Oral
Hygiene Suggestions
