What is the best investment today? Your health! In these uncertain financial times, we need to focus on the future. We are a product of the information generation with the Internet a click away, we can educate ourselves on any subject of interest. Nutrition, fitness and health articles dominate television and magazines. The problem is we aren’t using this information to benefit our children!
Decay and dental health are improving for adults and teens, but our youngest children, ages two to four, are having escalating decay rates that far exceed those of more uninformed times. The National Pediatric Association recommends that children receive their first dental exams at one year old. This is an evaluation for decay, growth and development. Its greatest value is to educate the parents on potential bad habits and the care and preservation of their children’s teeth.
Your children need to be drinking water, not juice, which is just liquid sugar. No carrying around bottles so the sugars from the milk or juice can eat away enamel and cause gross bottle caries. Constant sucking of a bottle, thumb or pacifier can distort or slow the development of the upper palate. Brushing your children’s teeth needs to occur at least twice a day. Sweets and candies are a treat, not a necessity. If they are going to have a treat, limit its time in the mouth and brush after. All these actions will decrease your child’s decay rate. Having your child drink fluoridated water not bottled or filtered adds extra protection. When they can spit out, use of a fluoridated rinse is also an option.
Your education can be used to protect your children. In this day of rising childhood decay, which will commit them to more time and money spent in the dental office, prevention is a great investment.
For more information, please call Dr. Rosen at 661-255-2545.