• Archives
  • Products
  • Operative Dentistry
  • Dental Team Communication
  • Practice Management
  • News
  • Research
  • Dental Debates

DentalBuzz: a jolt of current

trends, innovations, and quirks of dentistry

  • Home – Latest Buzz
  • Bloglist
  • Indie Dental Showcase
  • Free Dental Timer
  • Practice printables
  • Podcasts

A wake-up call to infants

August 26, 2013 By DentalBuzz Staff 3 Comments

A Wake Up Call to Infants: Dentists Recommend ‘Healthier Lifestyle’

by Elizabeth McAvoy, RDH

Dental professionals have issued a serious wake-up call to infants around the world, encouraging them to live a healthier lifestyle. The bold announcement comes in the wake of new research that suggests up to 40% of American children have cavities and more serious dental caries by the time they reach kindergarten (i). According to a new study, those cavities are most likely the result of an unhealthy lifestyle during infancy.

To better understand how poor oral health during infancy can lead to cavities later in life, researchers at the University of Illinois studied the origin and spread of oral bacteria in babies between the ages of 12 and 24 months. Lead researcher and University professor, Dr. Kelly Swanson, summarizes the findings by explaining, “The soft tissue in the mouth appear to serve as reservoirs for potential pathogens prior to tooth [formation],” (i).

Infants Respond to Warning, Asking Parents for Help

In wake of the University of Illinois study, infants are asking parents for help in preventing the accumulation and spread of oral bacteria. By urging parents to better understand the basics on bacteria and oral hygiene for infants, babies hope to reduce the incidence of tooth decay among kindergartners by 2016.

In an effort to make this dream a reality, infants have aligned themselves with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) to spread awareness for the 5 best ways to prevent oral disease and tooth decay among infants and young children.

5 Tips from the AAPD for Healthier Lifestyle & Better Hygiene

The AAPD offers the following 5 tips to help parents effectively prevent the development of oral disease in young children (ii):

1. Schedule an oral health risk assessment.

By 6 months old, infants should have themselves taken to a licensed dental professional for a thorough check-up and health assessment. Additional check-ups are recommended every 6 months, unless otherwise recommended.

2. Establish a ‘dental home.’

Parents should aim to establish a ‘dental home’ for their child by the age of 12 months. There are many advantages to choosing a primary care provider, most important of which is establishing a record of medical history for both parents and child. This may help to determine the child’s susceptibility to oral disease, decay, and dental caries.

3. When it comes to teething, avoid anesthetics.

According to the AAPD, parents should consider using only oral analgesics and chilled teething rings to soothe the pain and irritation of teething. The AAPD advises parents to avoid over the counter anesthetics for concerns over toxicity.

4. Gently brush teeth, as they become visible.

As teeth become visible, parents must proactively brush all surfaces with a soft bristled toothbrush. In cleaning teeth after each meal, parents can prevent the formation of plaque and oral bacteria.

5. Focus on nutrition and meal timing.

Most importantly, the AAPD urges parents to consider how changes in nutrition and meal timing can significantly reduce oral health issues. The following behaviors are to be avoided, as research indicates they increase the risk of tooth decay: Breast feeding more than 7 times daily (after 12 months), nighttime bottle feeding, repeated use of non-spill cups, and sugary snacks in between meals. 

Editorial Note and Disclaimer: Infants, in fact, can neither speak nor coordinate far-reaching public awareness campaigns in conjunction with national health organizations. This report has been created by a mother, health advocate, and dental hygienist at Assure A Smile, who has done her best to imagine how infants would respond to the alarming increase of tooth decay among young children.

Sources:

(i) “Cavity Present in Saliva of Infants.” Medical Daily. Accessed 8 August 2013.

(ii) (iii) “Guideline on Infant Oral Healthcare.” American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Accessed 7 August 2013. Download PDF: http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/G_infantOralHealthCare.pdf

 

Filed Under: Research

Comments

  1. Dr. Ali Ghatri says

    August 27, 2013 at 1:38 am

    A very good wake up call to all infants … good job, Great post. Very Beneficial . I am Practicing Dentistry from several years and as per my observation most parents are quite negligent about taking their kids to the Dentist by just falling into blind assumptions that milk teeth are anyway going to be worn off and need not worry. This is one thing which has be take care of.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A wake-up call to infants - DentalTribe says:
    August 27, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    […] See full story on dentalbuzz.com […]

    Reply
  2. Dentists Recommend Healthier Lifestyle for Infants says:
    August 30, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    […] their oral health and your financial health! Below is a great article that appeared recently at dentalbuzz.com. We hope you enjoy it, and thanks for visiting us at Little Smiles Dental Care of Englewood, […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About

DentalBuzz explores rising trends in dentistry with its own slant. The speed at which new products and ideas enter the dental field can often outpace our ability to understand just exactly the direction in which we are heading. But somehow, by being a little less serious about dentistry and dental care, we might get closer to making sense of it all.

So yeah, a tongue-in-cheek pun would fit really nicely here, but that would be in bad taste. Never mind, it just happened anyways. Stop reading sidebars already and click on some content instead.

Email Subscription

Still in the sidebar, huh? You must be really bored. Or a fan, which is awesome! Please fill out the form below to know whenever DentalBuzz is updated. We'll send out new posts as they happen, directly to your mailbox.
Loading

Recent Posts

  • It’s not OK for your dental practice to use free cloud-based communication
  • Patients ask, “Is it safe to go back to the dentist?”
  • Free “return to work guide” from the American Dental Association
  • Why COVID-19 increases your need for contactless payments
  • A virtual care package from worried dental hygienists
  • Lead Aprons feel so good! Here’s why.
  • What is this $&!% on my toothbrush?
  • The Prophy Jet Challenge
  • How to trick kids into brushing their teeth
  • These identical twins can both be your dentist
  • Why dental insurance makes good people do bad things
  • Amabrush (and all other mouthpiece toothbrushes) do NOT clean your teeth in ten seconds

Article Archives

Contact Us

Guest columnists are welcome to submit edgy stories that cover new ground (no regurgitations, please!) , or if there's a topic that you'd like to see explored please punch in your best stuff here and see if it ends up sticking to the website.

Follow DentalBuzz on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

DentalBuzz Copyright ©2008-2021 • bluenotesoftware.com • All Rights Reserved