WRITTEN BY
Dr. Joseph Benbassat, Pediatric Dentist

More than 40% of children have dental caries by the time they reach kindergarten, or their first dental visit. Most, if not all, of these cavities in infants and young children can easily be prevented by providing new parents with the proper information on how to look after their children’s oral health. It is therefore extremely important that early on, new parents be made aware of proper oral care of their new infants by their family doctor, Pediatrician, or most preferably, by a Pediatric Dentist.

The most commonly known dental problem affecting young children is Early Childhood Caries (ECC), which is caused by the excessive use of a baby-bottle containing apple/orange juice or formula/milk. It is also known as Nursing/Baby Bottle Caries and it can be a particularly virulent form of dental caries. It usually begins soon after dental eruption, developing on smooth dental surfaces (specifically behind the upper front teeth thus making it difficult for parents to notice it early), progressing rapidly, and having a potentially lasting and detrimental impact on the dentition.

Children experiencing caries as infants or toddlers have a much greater probability of subsequent caries in both the primary and permanent dentitions. Not only does ECC affect teeth, but consequences of this disease may lead to more widespread health issues. Infants with ECC, for example, grow at a slower pace than caries-free infants.

The presence of ECC can cause pain and suffering to young children and its treatment can often times be complicated, costly and very stressful to parents. Therefore, prevention through good parental education, is imperative.

To decrease the risk of developing ECC the following practices are suggested:

1. Minimizing saliva-sharing activities (e.g. sharing utensils) between an infant and his family, because caries causing bacteria may be transmitted to your infant by a parent or another child in the family. In addition, decreasing the mother’s/siblings’ oral bacteria levels may decrease the infant’s risk of developing ECC.

2. Implementing oral hygiene measures no later than the time of eruption of the first primary tooth.

•  If an infant falls asleep while feeding, the teeth should be cleaned before placing the child in bed.
•  Brushing the child’s teeth should be performed twice daily, especially prior to going to sleep.
•  Flossing should be initiated when teeth are not spaced apart, irrespective of the child’s age.               

3. Avoiding caries-promoting feeding behaviors. In particular:

•  Ad libitum breast-feeding should be avoided after the first primary tooth begins to erupt and other dietary carbohydrates are introduced.
•  Infants should not be put to sleep with a bottle containing anything other than water.
•  Infants should be weaned from the bottle at 12 to 14 months of age.
•  Repetitive drinking of sweet drinks from a bottle or no-spill training cup should be avoided.
•  Between meal snacks and prolonged exposure to sweets and juice should be avoided.

4. Have your child examined by a Pediatric Dentist no later than by age 2 yrs.

Dr. Joseph Benbassat, Pediatric Dentist
www.benbassatdentistry.com
Please address your questions or requests for further information to: drjbdent@gmail.com

(c) Dr. Joseph Benbassat