looking after children’s teeth produced by the oral health promotion department part of...
TRANSCRIPT
Looking after Children’s Teeth
Produced by the Oral Health Promotion Department part of Buckinghamshire Priority Dental Service
Who can do the most to help prevent tooth problems?
You can
Tooth decay and gum disease can be
prevented
This session will help you understand how
Why do teeth matter?
Children need their milk teeth to: Eat
Talk
Hold space for adult teeth
Develop face shape
Smile with confidence
Support their general health
Today’s problem
Approximately 23% of 5 year olds in Buckinghamshire are affected by tooth decay *
this may became painful and require multiple extractions
treatment is often traumatic and may require a general anaesthetic
*National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England: oral health survey of five-year-old children 2012 A report on the prevalence and severity of dental decay
Dental decay
This picture shows a child who frequently snacked on foods and drinks which contained sugar during the day and at bedtime
Oral Heath is more important than you may think
– it has been linked to: Diabetes Stroke Heart Disease Lung disease Dementia Low Birth Weight Premature Birth Delayed Conception
The dentist
To find an NHS dentist in Bucks log on to www.nhschoices.nhs.uk and type ‘find a dentist’ into the search box
Take your baby with you for your check-up
Children should ideally have their first visit by about 1 year old
Free NHS dentistry for children at school and pregnant women/new mothers until baby is 1 year old
Regular check-ups are important
Tooth development
First adult tooth at about 6-7 years old
The last milk tooth falls out at about 12 years old
Cleaning teeth
Tooth brushing is important for two reasons
1 – Removing Plaque
2 – Applying Fluoride
Brushing children’s teeth
Brush gums as well to prevent gum disease
Use a toothbrush with a small head
Help with brushing until your child is at least 7 years old
Brush twice a day for 2 minutes
The brush before bedtime is the most important
Tooth brushing
Try to start in the same part of the mouth each time
Angle the toothbrush towards the gums & brush gently
Clean outside, inside and biting surfaces of the teeth with a small circular motion
Why use a Fluoride toothpaste?
Fluoride acts in three ways:
It slows the growth of bacteria
It helps to strengthen the outer enamel layer of the teeth
It remineralises early decay back into tooth again
Fluoride is fantastic for your teeth but do not allow your child to eat toothpaste from the tube
Toothpaste
From 3 years old use a small pea sized amount of 1350–1500 ppm of Fluoride toothpaste (adult strength paste)
Use mint flavoured toothpaste as fruit flavoured may not contain sufficient fluoride
Spit out excess paste but don’t rinse out after brushing
Fruit flavoured squash
Children will drink for the sake of it as they like the sweet taste
This can result in them feeling full and not eating their meals
Harmful to teeth even if sugar free In contrast.....
They will drink water when they are thirsty and it will quench their thirst but not affect their appetite
What can you give them between meals?
Fresh Fruit Fresh
vegetables Bread Cheese Crackers Plain yoghurt Milk Water Any sugar free
foods
Fruit
Should be eaten in natural form only
Smoothies or fruit juice will be acidic and cause damage to the enamel
Dried fruit causes decay so should not be eaten between meals
Thank you for listening and remember......
Brush teeth and gums twice a day especially before bedtime
Use a toothpaste which provides optimum levels of fluoride
Spit don’t rinse out
Keep sugary foods and drinks to meal times
Visit your dentist regularly