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Childhood cavities are the most prevalent childhood illness in the United States, and they are almost entirely preventable. While treating cavities is more effective and comfortable now than ever before, some kids still experience anxiety when visiting the dentist. By following a few simple steps, you can help your kids keep cavities away and keep their dental appointments stress-free.

1 - Maintain a Healthy Oral Care Routine

Avoiding cavities begins with proper, routine oral care. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises that everyone brushes their teeth twice per day, for two minutes each session. By brushing for the proper amount of time, your child can clean all of the bad bacteria off their teeth, and help prevent cavities. Be sure that they brush the entire surface of their teeth - including the backside, which is often neglected.  

It can be tough to convince your child to brush for the full two minutes, but there are some fun ways to help them achieve better brushing results. Go Online to find tooth-brushing videos for children. Most of these videos are at least two minutes long, and help keep kids engaged and focused while they brush.

2 - Add More Water

Water is a fantastic tool that helps fight against cavities. Water is generally pH neutral, and does not harm tooth enamel – in fact, it can actually help strengthen tooth enamel by keeping the teeth free of food debris. It also improves saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth of debris and reduces the amount of harmful acid left behind by food.

To get even more benefits, have your child rinse their mouth out with water after each meal. This will wash away any food debris in their mouth, and help prevent cavities.

3 - Get a New Toothbrush

When was the last time you bought your child a new toothbrush? If it isn’t anytime in the last three months, then they are most likely using a worn down toothbrush. You should exchange your child’s toothbrush when the head begins to lose its shape and the bristles become frayed. 

Also, it’s important to exchange your child’s toothbrush after they recover from any sort of illness. Bacteria can buildup on the handle and bristles of their toothbrush and can extend their sickness or reignite it at a later date. If your child has a cold or the flu, immediately buy a new toothbrush once they are no longer sick. 

Visit Our Office Today

Pediatric dentists are specifically trained to care for children’s oral health. Schedule an appointment with our office, and ask us about the best ways to help your child prevent cavities, and earn a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime.  Our office is designed to make your child’s visit relaxing and comfortable.

Candy tastes great, but it isn’t a nutritionally sound snack that adequately fuels your child’s growing body. Additionally, candy can severely harm your child’s teeth and lead to cavities and oral health disease. But, not all candy effects teeth in the same way. In fact, candy has numerous ways in which it can damage teeth and lead to tooth decay.  

Hard Candy

Hard candy is very popular, and comes in nearly every flavor and size imaginable. But, be vigilant when letting your child eat hard candy, because it can crack their teeth. Hard candy also tends to stick around longer than other candy, which exposes teeth to sugar for longer. Extended contact with sugar can lead to more cavities because sugar provides bad bacteria with the energy it needs to destroy enamel. 

Sticky Candy

Like hard candy, sticky candy can get stuck in tooth crevices and stay around long after it’s been swallowed. Sticky candy is difficult to remove from teeth, and gives cavity-causing bacteria more time to eat away enamel.  

Sour Candy

Sour candy can leave teeth susceptible to cavities more so than any other candy. This is because sour candy contains a high amount of acid. In fact, the elevated acid content is what makes it so sour. The acidity can eat away the enamel of teeth, and leave them vulnerable to cavities. 

Some Better Options 

Gum Sweetened with Xylitol

While it’s not exactly candy, gum sweetened with Xylitol can actually clean teeth as it is being chewed. Xylitol sweetened gum is sugarless, and stimulates saliva production which naturally cleans teeth of debris and leftover sugar.  

Dark Chocolate

Chocolate is a better sweet option, since it washes away easier than other candy, and is less destructive to enamel. But, dark chocolate is the best type of chocolate for oral health because it contains less sugar than milk chocolate and can actually help keep cavities away! That’s because it contains a flavanoid called epicatechin. Epicatechin has shown to slow tooth decay and also reduces cholesterol, blood clots and clogged arteries.  

Dark chocolate also contains polyphenols, which are naturally occurring chemicals that limit bad oral that attacks teeth. The polyphenols in dark chocolate also reduce bad breath! 

Remember to Brush Twice Daily

It’s important that your children brush their teeth twice per day for two minutes at a time if you want to keep cavities away. This is especially important when consuming foods that contain high amounts of sugar.  

Schedule an appointment with our office if your child begins experiencing tooth pain, since this could indicate a cavity. We will thoroughly evaluate the state of their oral health, and provide a treatment plan that works for them.  

Dental crowns – or sometimes called dental caps – are prosthetic devices places over broken teeth to strengthen and improve their appearance. Crowns are used to prevent weakened teeth from fracturing, as teeth replacements, or to cover a root canal, dental implant or a weak tooth. Crowns help keep teeth functional, and prevent improper bite alignment from occurring. How – and when – did we start fixing broken or missing teeth? 

Old Asia

The first known example of using dental crowns dates back 4,000 years in Southeast Asia - on Luzon, an island in the Philippines. The Philippine skeletons revealed basic golden caps and gold tooth replacements. Scholars have found that modifying teeth with gold was popular among chiefs and the political ruling class of the period. The appearance of gold teeth was a symbol of wealth, power and status.  

Ancient Italy

Around 700 B.C., the Etruscans – an ancient Italian civilization which operated in what we know as Tuscany today – also employed the use of gold as dental crowns. Luxury and wealth were important to the Etruscans, and it’s evident in their teeth. Etruscan skeletons revealed the use of rudimentary dental crowns made out of gold and put on top of teeth. Researchers have also found Etruscan remains with artificial teeth held in place by wrapping them with gold wire, and banding them next to existing teeth. This is actually the first example of dental bridges! Because of their ingenuity and willingness to experiment, the Etruscans are credited with being the first cosmetic dentists.  

European Innovation

Europeans began experimenting with modern dental techniques in the 1400’s. During that time, they carved dentures from bone or ivory, and replaced teeth with their creations. Around the 1700’s, human teeth were a popular replacement for missing or broken teeth because of their natural appearance and obvious function. However, they did not work well as replacement teeth because bodies would quickly reject the tooth and they would fall out. Around 1770, the first porcelain dentures were made, and by the 1800’s porcelain dentures were the standard for replacing teeth. 

Porcelain Crowns Hit the Scene

In 1903, Dr. Charles Land introduced the all-porcelain jacket crown – an invention he patented in 1889 that is the first modern rendition of the dental crown we know today. The porcelain jacket procedure consisted of taking a broken tooth and rebuilding it with a porcelain covering (the jacket) to make it appear new again. The porcelain jacket crown was very effective for the day, and widely used until the 1950’s, when a stronger solution – the porcelain-fused-to-metal crown – was introduced.  

How We Fix Broken Teeth Today

Today, dental crowns can be made from porcelain, ceramic, gold alloys and base metal allows. If your child has a broken tooth, then visit our office immediately. A broken tooth is a serious dental problem that needs to be treated by a team of dental professionals. Our office will be able to treat your child, and inform you on how to avoid an oral emergency in the future.