Yorktown Dentist Offers Tips for Healthy Children’s Teeth
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and Yorktown’s Valley Pediatric Dentistry, P.C. , which is located in Jefferson Valley, is providing families with important information on how to maintain good oral health.
“Good oral hygiene is very important – especially for children,” Dr. Benjamin A. Dancygier, D.D.S., of Valley Pediatric Dentistry. Dancygier along with Jennifer R. Blair, D.M.D., leads Valley Pediatric Dentistry, which provides dental care for infants, children, adolescents and those with special needs.
“Caries, also known as tooth decay, remains one of the most common chronic childhood diseases,” Dancygier said.
In fact, 28 percent of children age 2 to 5 have already had tooth decay in their primary teeth (42 percent in ages 2-11), according to the most recent data from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999–2004).
“This is a scary statistic as healthy primary teeth are vital,” said Dancygier, who is more commonly known as “Dr. Ben” by his patients. “They help ensure that permanent teeth come in properly by maintaining space in the jaw – thereby helping to avoid crooked or crowded teeth, abnormal bites, improper speech development and more.”
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first visit to a pediatric dentist be at the eruption of the first tooth — around six months, but no later than a child’s first birthday. A child should see a pediatric dentist for a dental check-up every six months.
During a child’s first visit, a pediatric dentist will check for proper oral and facial development and early tooth decay. The dentist will recommend a home dental care program of brushing, flossing and fluoride supplements specific to the child’s needs. An oral-health risk assessment is also completed and the importance of a balanced diet is also discussed. After the initial exam, regular dental check-ups are important. This allows the child’s dentist to monitor oral development and maintain proper health and hygiene.
“Parents often ask me how they can best care for their child’s teeth, beyond their regularly scheduled office visits,” said Dancygier. “Developing good habits at a young age is crucial. It helps ensure children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.”
Dr. Ben, provides the following helpful tips to maintain good oral health for your child:
- Brush two times a day for two minutes. Parents must help their young children brush properly. Make sure you brush not only the chewing surfaces of their teeth, but also the inner (tongue side or palate) and the outer surfaces (cheek side) too.
- Floss at least once daily. Flossing removes plaque from areas that a toothbrush cannot reach. There are “flossers” that have handles to help make flossing easier for children with limited fine motor control. Again, parental supervision is important to assist children with the harder to reach areas, such as back teeth.
- Use water. If a toothbrush is unavailable after drinking sugary liquids or eating sticky foods, have your child swish water around his or her mouth to help to break up food debris and buffer the acids produced by bacteria. Chewing sugar-free gum can also help by stimulating saliva flow.
- Monitor how often your child eats. Each time we eat, the bacteria in our mouths begin fermenting or metabolizing the foods into sugars and acids that take minerals from the teeth leading to decay. The more frequently your child eats or snacks, the more his or her teeth are being “attacked” by the acids produced.
- Avoid or limit the sticky stuff. The WORST foods for teeth are those that contain large amounts of sugar, are sticky, or high in carbohydrate content (which can be broken down into sugar in the mouth) – including candy, cakes, breads, muffins, chips, pretzels, bananas and dried fruits.
- Choose teeth friendly snacks. The BEST foods for our teeth are those that contain calcium and phosphorus minerals that help re-mineralize teeth after being removed by acids, such as milk, cheeses, nuts, and chicken/meats. Vegetables and certain fruits (such as apples) contain a lot of water and stimulate saliva flow which help to buffer the acids in foods and produced by bacteria. Citrus fruits or other acidic foods, such as tomatoes and lemons, should be eaten during larger meals to help balance the acidic nature of these foods.
- Pick the right drinks. The BEST beverage choices include water, milk, and unsweetened tea. Limit your child’s consumption of sugar-containing drinks, including soft drinks and lemonade. Also, avoid day-long sipping of sugar-containing drinks which exposes your teeth to constant sugar and, in turn, constant decay-causing acids. To this point, never leave a bottle or sippy cup with anything other than water in a child’s crib.
- Choose products containing Xylitol. Xylitol, a natural sweetener derived from plants and fruits, is unable to be broken down (unlike sugar) into acid in the mouth. Thus, it helps to keep a neutral pH level in the mouth, which prevents the “acid attack” against the teeth after eating. Due to the inability of the bacteria to digest Xylitol, the number of bacteria in the mouth can be greatly reduced. Less bacteria=less acid=decreased risk for decay!
For more information about Valley Pediatric Dentistry, P.C, please visit our website at www.doctorbendds.com and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/doctorbendds) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ValleyPediatricDentistryPC).
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
