Yes, let's talk specifically about young children's teeth!  Did you know that 50% of young children will have a cavity or filling before they reach nine years of age? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General, Executive Summary (Rockville, MD, 2010), cavities in children's teeth have increased 20% since the mid-1990s. In addition, gum disease doesn't just occur in young people and adults--it is also a children's oral health problem and it can be prevented.

Childsafetyblog.org notes the increase in children's cavities seems to run parallel to figures on increased incidence of obesity in the general American population. As obesity and consumption of fast, fatty, and starchy foods has increased, it appears that so has the prevalence of cavities in children's teeth and other children's health problems, such as children's allergies and asthma.

Warnings about cavity causers, such as candy and sweets, always bear repeating, but we need to heed the warning and go beyond that. Parents, family members, and caregivers need to be watchful, not only of the foods we prepare for our children to eat at home, but the contents of the foods they eat--whether they are at home with us, in daycare, at school and while visiting friends' and relatives' homes.

We need to do our homework about the sugar/starch content of everything our children consume, and pay special attention to the amount of sugar contained in breakfast cereals, cookies, carbonated beverages--and snacks of all kinds--as well as the sugar/starch content in main course pre-prepared foods, like frozen dinners, pizza, sandwiches, etc. We need to read the content information on the labels and refrain from giving children foods that are loaded with saturated fats, starch, and sugar.

We also need to watch the non-food that goes into children's mouths--fingers, hands, toys. Is the glass or bottle they are drinking from clean? Are the utensils with which they eat clean?  In our home, we use the dishwasher regularly as its hot water and steam help to reduce bacteria.  We use paper cups for water (in the bathroom) and then we pitch them.  We have also given up using plastic food dishes--as we perceived they are not easily or completely sterilized when washing.

Beyond watching what goes in small children's mouths, we need to do regular oral health care at home. Primary or "baby" teeth need just as much protection as young children's and adult's teeth. Primary teeth frequently appear when a child is almost six months old. These baby teeth aid in chewing and speaking and are placeholders for permanent teeth which are developing.

Even before a child's teeth appear, parents can gently clean a child's gums with a damp wash cloth; experts recommend this twice daily to help get the child ready for the eventual brushing of their teeth.  As soon as the first tooth appears, parents can begin brushing the tooth (or teeth) gently with water using a small, soft, nylon-bristled tooth brush. A child's teeth also may be flossed as soon as there are two teeth which touch one another. By age 3, a child may have 20 primary teeth which they will begin to lose at about age 6. 

Listerine Kids™ recommends that adding mouthwash to the tooth brushing routine helps prevent cavities. The use of mouthwash also helps to reverse early stages of tooth decay, while rinsing away food particles a child's toothbrush may miss. Getting kids to adopt a regular routine of tooth brushing is critical to their long-term oral health.  Parents can do much to encourage children to maintain good oral health and even post a calendar in the bathroom, rewarding children with a gold star for regular brushing!  Everything parents do today to help their children maintain good oral health will be paid back with big, beautiful smiles in the future.