Patient Information

Excessive fluoride ingestion by preschool-aged children can lead to dental fluorosis, which causes discoloration of the permanent teeth. Many children often get more fluoride than their parents realize. Being aware of your child’s total exposure to fluoride can help parents prevent dental fluorosis.

• If younger than 3-years-old, place only a smear or rice grain-sized drop of fluoridated children’s toothpaste on their brush.
• If older than 3-years-old, place only a pea-sized drop of fluoridated children’s toothpaste on their brush.
• Obtain fluoride level test results for your drinking water.
• Avoid giving any fluoride-containing supplements to infants.

Fluoride treatment can strengthen the enamel of teeth and prevent tooth sensitivity. Before requesting fluoride treatment, account for all of the sources of ingested fluoride.

Early childhood cavities are common among babies who go to sleep with bottles that contain liquids other than water. If your infant uses a bottle as a comforter when they go to sleep, make sure it only has water.

After every feeding, wipe your baby’s gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or gauze pad to remove plaque and bacteria.

Encourage your child to stop the use of pacifiers or thumb-sucking by 2-years-old to reduce the chance of deviations in normal growth. Thumb sucking that persists beyond the eruption of the permanent teeth can cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and tooth alignment. Usually, children stop between the ages of two and four.

Allowing a child to drink from a sippy cup containing milk or sugary liquids throughout the day can soak the child’s teeth in cavity-causing bacteria. If your child uses a sippy cup throughout the day, fill the sippy cup with water only (except at mealtimes).

It’s not uncommon for adolescents to begin wondering about oral piercings, cigarettes, and other tobacco products. Explaining the health risks associated with oral jewelry and tobacco products to your teenager can help prevent complications and health problems now and later in life.

ORAL PIERCINGS

The mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection is a common complication of oral piercing. If an infection occurs, the tongue can swell large enough to close off a person’s airway!

Here are some of the other risks associated with oral piercings:

• Chipped or cracked teeth
• Blood clots
• Blood poisoning
• Heart infections
• Brain abscess
• Nerve disorders (trigeminal neuralgia)
• Receding gums
• Scar tissue

Common symptoms after piercings include pain, swelling, infection, an increased flow of saliva, and injuries to gum tissue. Difficult-to-control bleeding or nerve damage can result if a blood vessel or nerve bundle is in the path of the needle.

TOBACCO

The health risks associated with cigarette smoking are well-known, and many young people often believe smokeless tobacco to be a safer alternative. But does your teenager know that smokeless tobacco, also called spit, snuff, or chew, is just as addictive as cigarettes and may be harder to quit?

One can of snuff per day delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. In as little as three to four months, smokeless tobacco use can cause periodontal disease and produce precancerous lesions called leukoplakias.

If your child is a tobacco user, you should watch for the following that could be early signs of oral cancer:

• A sore that won’t heal.
• White/red leathery patches on the lips, on, or under the tongue.
• Pain, tenderness, or numbness in the mouth or lips.
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or speaking.
• Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue.
• Changes in the way the teeth fit together.

If not caught early, oral cancer can require extensive, sometimes disfiguring, surgery. Even worse, it can kill.

Help your child avoid tobacco in any form. By doing so, they will avoid bringing cancer-causing chemicals in direct contact with their tongue, gums, and cheek.

SPORTS

A properly fitted mouthguard can protect your child’s smile when they begin to participate in recreational sports or activities. They can prevent broken teeth and injuries to the tongue, lips, or jaw.

TEETH GRINDING

Nocturnal teeth grinding, otherwise known as bruxism, can occur in children and can be caused by stress or inner ear pressure.

Worn-down teeth and grinding noises are the most obvious signs of pediatric bruxism. Children can also experience:

• Headaches
• Jaw pain
• Tooth sensitivity

Most children outgrow bruxism by early adolescence.