“The Dentist’s Kids Don’t Get Cavities, right?”

Wroooong!! I have had the ‘pleasure’ of spending three of my recent filling appointments with two of my lovely children. Who (you guessed it) had cavities!  That’s right, I did fillings on my very own children recently… And, it’s not the first time. 

Now, do you see where I'm coming from?
It's hard to keep all of this in check!

Despite my very best efforts to do my best job as my children’s mother, and their dentist, two of my children have had cavities.  How could I have let this happen? I brush/supervise their tooth brushing and flossing twice daily, well with my teen and the flossing, it’s at least once daily [#teens #youknowwhatImean #theyknowitall]. I try my best to limit their carb and sugar intake, I have their teeth professionally cleaned by my wonderful hygienists 4 times per year, I have placed sealants on their teeth, and we use prescription strength toothpaste due to their high cavity risk. I’ve done all that I recommend to my patients and their parents!

But, sometimes, despite our VERY best efforts, kids still get cavities. Just like kids who get strep throat over and over despite good treatment, just like kids who struggle with asthma despite all of the parents and the doctor’s efforts, just like kids who can’t get over a sports injury despite great physical therapists… it’s not that we, as parents, are not trying, we are!  But, I still ask myself -what can I do better to decrease my children’s cavity risk?

Why do kids get cavities even when we parents do all that the dentist says to do? 

What we know:

Dental caries is a transmissible infectious disease.

Most of us get the bacteria, which causes cavities, from our caregivers or parents or other relatives very early in life. 

New teeth, teeth that have just grown into a child’s mouth, are easy to get cavities because those teeth have immature enamel

Both baby teeth and permanent teeth sometimes grow in with weak spots on them (enamel hypoplasia) that can further increase our risk for cavities.

All of that being said, there are many factors which increase our risk for cavities.

**What can we do to fight harder against decay, to counter act cavities??

1.  Tooth brushing and flossing should be done twice daily (BY THE PARENT at least until third grade) using a soft toothbrush of age appropriate size.

2.  Use fluoride toothpaste on children age 2 and older if your child can spit and/or if your dentist recommends it.

3.  Go to the dentist for the first visit within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or by age 1 and see the dentist with your child at least every six months thereafter.

4.   Limit sugar-y beverages and limit solid foods that contain sugar (particularly juices, sport drinks, soft drinks, sweet tea, and milk with sugar added)

5.  Babies should not be put to bed with a bottle filled with milk or liquids containing sugars.

6.  Wean babies from the bottle between 12 and 18 months.

Remember, our goal with our patients and with our own children is to DECREASE a child’s risk of developing cavities.  Dental caries (cavities) is one of the most prevalent child hood diseases and our goal is to DECREASE THAT RISK…  Unfortunately, we do not have a cure to prevent people from getting cavities.  We do not have a ‘cavity vaccine’ (wouldn't that be nice?). We cannot 100% prevent anyone from getting cavities with what we know thus far.  But, we can decrease a child’s risk by using the methods mentioned above. I will continue to work and work harder with my own two children who are fighting the cavity bug. Honestly, I know it’s our sugar/carb intake that I need to fight a lot harder [#teens #struggles] Believe me, I know how hard it is as a parent to make all of this happen on a daily basis.  But, hang in there… I know how you feel!

**American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.  Policy on Early Childhood Caries(ECC):  Classification, Consequences, and Preventive Strategies.  Pediatric Dentistry 2013/13;35(special issue):50-51.

#kidsdentist #teens #mommielife #teeth #cavities #fightingdecay #prevention #mother #dentistmom #beingamom #brushem #flossem

***Copyright 2014 Angelica Rohner Pediatric Dentistry