Do Baby Teeth Actually Need Fillings?
Like adult teeth, baby teeth can get cavities from tooth decay. Even though baby teeth are temporary, they still need tooth fillings for cavities. Find out why baby teeth need tooth fillings.
3 Foods That Will Send Your Child Back to a Marietta Pediatric Dentist
It is important to instill good oral hygiene habits in young children as soon as possible. After all, these are the habits they will carry with them as they mature into adulthood. Unfortunately, a report from USA Today has shown that tooth decay has become a huge problem facing many American children today:
“Tooth decay is largely preventable, but it remains one of the most common diseases of childhood — five times as common as asthma, and seven times as common as hay fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC says 42% of children ages 2 to 11 have had cavities in baby teeth; 21% of those ages 6 to 11 have had cavities in permanent teeth. A new education campaign by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry highlights the seriousness of dental decay in children and urges parents and caregivers to start early to prevent it.”
Typically, the introduction of solid food is when most of the oral health problems begin to show up. These popular food options, in particular, cause a lot of harm to the teeth of young children:
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter easily sticks to the crevices in teeth and is not so easily removed. Factor in that many brands of peanut butter have sugar as an ingredient and you now have a recipe for cavities.
Oranges
Oranges not only contain sugar, but they are highly acidic as well, wearing out enamel quickly. However, experts in dentistry for children in Marietta claim children that have eaten oranges and other acidic food should wait at least an hour before brushing their teeth as the weakened enamel can be scraped off by toothbrush bristles.
Hard Candies
Every parent knows that too much candy is bad for their children’s teeth. However, hard candies like jawbreakers are the worst possible candy to give your child. Hard candies can cause teeth to chip when bitten, while sucking on the candy exposes the teeth to sugar for longer periods of time.
Remember to adhere to the “once every six months” rule for bringing your child to see the dentist. If your child complains of a toothache, immediately bring your child to an experienced Marietta pediatric dentist like Dr. Brent Herrin. Toothaches are often a sign of cavities, which should be filled as soon as possible.
(Source: Young kids’ tooth decay hits ‘epidemic’ proportions; USA Today; March 3, 2014)
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