Prevention of Dental Caries
A baby’s first tooth emerges on average during the sixth month of life. However, it can also appear sooner or later. There is a common conception that teething may be accompanied by: crying, drooling, irritability, gum pain, a rash on the face, decrease in appetite, fever (to 38.0), pulling of the ears, etc. These symptoms can appear for four days before the tooth eruption, and last until three days after. Medical studies of recent years have not proven that these phenomena are caused by teeth eruption and the scientific debate continues on this issue. Indeed sometimes these symptoms appear in children aged 3-5 months (drooling, crying, placing a hand in the mouth), but usually in these early ages symptoms such these end without tooth eruption.
In extreme cases of fussiness, or fever, one can try to minimize the symptoms with pain relievers such a
Ointment to reduce pain (such as: ™ T-GEL); placing a frozen banana or frozen pretzel in the mouth; or massage for the gums. Usually, these symptoms are temporary and disappear with or without treatment given enough time, patience and love.
While the teeth are emerging, there can be occasional swelling or a bluish discoloration of the gum. This is a normal phenomenon and one does not need to be concerned.
Caries/cavities
Leaving a bottle in the crib of a child that is going to sleep is not recommended at all. It leads to one the most frequent, terrible, but (preventable!) health problems amongst children in Israel – dental caries. Allowing a child to have access to a bottle at night can cause other problems such as sleep disorders, lack of appetite during the day, recurrent ear infections, growth problems, and Obesity. Caries requires visits to the dentist, tooth removal, root canal treatment, fillings, and cause unnecessary suffering. All these can be prevented. No child needs to suffer like this!
How to help a child who is “addicted” to the bottle at night?
1. Gradually dilute the amount of juice, milk, tea or cereal that is in the bottle with water. Eventually the child will be taking only water in the bottle. At that point, you will have to reduce the amount of water in the bottle until your child does not need the bottle. At the beginning of the process, the child may cry and be fussy, but do not stop the weaning process, within a few days he will get used to the changes.
Remember: babies over the age of four months, who are developing well, do not need to eat during the night (ten hours).
2. Consult with a doctor about your children using fluoride drops to prevent tooth decay and strengthening the teeth. These can be give from the age of six months.
3. Teeth brushing should start from the age of 14 months, at least once a day, with a bit of children’s toothpaste.
4. It is recommended to seal the primary molars to prevent tooth decay.
Within two weeks you can wean your child from using the bottle at night and by so doing prevent a lot of suffering for your child, prevent going to a lot of dentists visits and save yourself a lot of money. In addition, you and your child can enjoy restful sleep the entire night.