Library >> Articles >> Soccer Filed Conversations

I am a practicing Dentist in the Triangle, and also mother of two young children. With the weather getting cooler, I was enjoying a great morning in the neighborhood park, watching my son playing soccer and my daughter running around with other toddlers. I met my friend Maya, who has a 8 month old and was there to watch her 6-year-old daughter playing soccer. Maya was sharing with me how busy she has been for the past few months. Raising young children is demanding for parents. Given the school work, extra curricular activities like music, dance, swimming, etc. etc., we get extremely busy. Maya mentioned that she is not paying enough attention to the Oral Hygiene of her children. I suggested a few simple tips for Maya and am sure that you will find it useful as well.

First, Maya was interested in the oral hygiene of her 6-month-old baby. Good Oral Hygiene starts very early!

Clean baby’s gums with a soft infant tooth brush and water

As teeth start to erupt, some babies like to sleep with a feeding bottle containing milk/juice. Baby teeth that get exposed to sugary liquids for a long time may result in baby bottle decay damaging the baby teeth. The child may end up loosing almost all the baby teeth.

One of the questions I frequently get asked is to when I should take my child to the Dentist for the first dental check up. My answer is that you can start seeing Dentist as early as 6-12 months of age, usually the eruption time of the 1st baby tooth.

For Toddlers, Make Good Oral hygiene as part of their daily routine

Make sure that your child is brushing twice a day.

As children get older and more independent (usually around 3-4 years of age), encourage them to brush by themselves, but supervise and make sure that they are brushing all surfaces of the teeth.

Use a soft bristled tooth brush and water till age 2 because of the risk of swallowing toothpaste. Use a pea size amount of tooth paste in children 3 and above. After brushing, encourage them to spit out thus avoiding ingestion of excessive amounts of fluoride.

Parents should floss children’s teeth up till age 8, which is when they develop the dexterity to do it by themselves. You can buy child sized flossing tools at most drug stores.

Take your child for a professional cleaning visit every 6 months.

It is a good a practice not to induce fear of the dentist in your child.  Personally, I have mitigated fear in my children by educating them about the role of the dentist in helping them to grow healthy with a bright smile. I have found good children books like Dora and Bernstein Bears that talk about the fun of visiting the Dentist.

One of the frequently asked questions is that why a dentist recommends fillings on decayed baby teeth when these teeth will fall out any way.

Dental decay is an infectious process and should be treated. If not, it affects the chewing ability that helps with the overall nutrition needed for healthy growth.

Baby teeth help with speech development.

Baby teeth save space for the permanent teeth. Early loss of primary teeth can cause crowding and drift of permanent teeth needing expensive orthodontic correction at a later stage.

As I was watching the game, there was commotion nearby.  A child was crying aloud, with blood in her mouth as she was hit in the mouth by a ball. I walked to her side to assess her injuries. Her front permanent tooth got knocked out. Fortunately, there were no other injuries.  Dental Trauma can range from simple chip of the enamel to jaw fracture. Well, I could not stay in the game as I had to take the injured child to my office to treat the avulsed tooth. 

If entire permanent tooth is knocked out, pick up the tooth by the crown (the top part of the tooth covered by enamel) and gently rinse under running water if dirty. Do not scrub the tooth. Place the tooth back in the tooth socket and hold it in place with a clean gauze or moist cloth. If you are not sure, place the tooth in a liquid media like your child’s own saliva or milk. Take the child to the dentist immediately for further treatment. Time is of essence as the tooth needs to be placed back in the socket within ½ hr for complete attachment.

The American Dental Association recommends considering a mouth guard if your child participates in contact sports. If you have questions about mouth guard, please check with your Dentist.

I could not answer all of Maya’s questions. Of course, Maya does know that she can always consult a Dentist if she has a doubt. I am sure we will catch up in the soccer field again!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr Meena Chelury, a long time resident of the Triangle, is a graduate of University of North Carolina Dental School and with advanced degrees in Public Health and Oral Pathology. She balances her life between two demanding but wonderful children and her family friendly practice of dentistry. You can reach her at meenac@yahoo.com or soon to open www.AmberlyFamilyDentistry.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------