| Taking Care of Your Teeth |
Cavities and tooth decay are a common problem on Guam for
several reasons, many of which are preventable.
 Some parents think it is not serious for a young child to
have lost several baby teeth to decay in the first years of life, since the adult teeth
will eventually grow in. However, young preschool children need their baby teeth to learn
to speak well and eat their food properly. Baby teeth also help to guide the eruption of
the permanent teeth into the right place.
When the sugar in our everyday diet comes into contact with the germs
which are always living in our teeth, acid is produced. If this acid stays on the teeth
for a long time, it causes a loss of mineral.
Baby-bottle cavities are extremely common on Guam, because many
parents don't know how harmful it is to put an older baby to sleep with a bottle of Tang
or milk or juice in his/her mouth.
The sugar in these drinks coats the teeth all night long,
even if the bottle is removed after the child falls asleep. If it is impossible to get the
child go to sleep without a bottle, put only plain water in the bottle.
At about 6 months old, a cup can be introduced to help reduce
the baby's attachement to the bottle.
Teeth may be brushed as soon as they appear. Most children need help
in brushing until they are at least 6 years old.
Regular brushing (preferably after every meal, but at least
after the last one of the day) is important to remove the sugars, acids, and plaque that
build up on the teeth.
Use a fluoride toothpaste, only a small pea-size drop is
needed for a person of any age -- most people use too much.
The worst foods for the teeth contain a lot of sugar and stick to the teeth.
Most people know too nuch candy is bad for teeth, but it's important to realize even fruit
juices full of vitamins (and sugar!) can damage teeth if given too often or if the teeth
aren't cleaned afterwards. If brushing isn't possible, teach your child to rinse his/her
mouth out with water after eating.
Fluoride is important to build up a strong, decay-resistant surface on the
teeth. While it is possible to apply it topically to teeth (for example, by using
toothpaste with fluoride), even infants who don't have any teeth showing yet need fluoride
to help them build strong teeth inside their gums.
Although the regular water supply here on Guam does contain
some fluoride, many people drink bottled water which usually does not contain any.
Therefore, we recommend a fluoride supplement for most
infants and young children, especially those who are breast-feeding, because fluoride is
poorly passed through the breast milk.
The dose for children less than 2 years old is 0.25 mg per
day; children older than 2 years old can take 0.5 mg per day. Usually, we prescribe
fluoride in the form of Poly Vi Flor, a prescription vitamin supplement which also
contains fluoride.
It is possible to take too much fluoride
("fluorosis"), and get mottling or white spots on the teeth. This can happen if
kids swallow large amounts of toothpaste or get too large a dose of the fluoride
supplement.
On Guam, however, fluorosis is very unusual !
The American Dental Association recommends that regular dental checkups
should start around 3 years of age, but if your child's teeth are looking brownish or
abnormal, schedule an appointment with your dentist sooner.
There are some dentists on Guam who specialize in taking care
of children, although for most problems, a regular dentist is just fine.
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Get
your baby off the bottle by 18 months old