National Oral Health Month

Written by Dr. Siobhian Sprott, Dental Director

It is National Oral Health Month and we want to share with you why we celebrate and share some helpful tips.

It is well established that oral health is linked to overall health, but many of us still have daily challenges and neglect to prioritize our teeth, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past 2 years, we have all been entrenched in a global community-based struggle that affected every component of our lives and in the grand scheme of things, our pearly whites have suffered because of our diverted attention. We saw an increase in mental health issues which had many downstream effects including on our oral health. This was compounded by the systemic inequities many people in our community face depending on where they were born, work, grow, live and their age. This June, considering what we have all been experiencing, we want to help you bring your child’s teeth back into focus as an essential part of optimal health.

To do this, we have compiled our top ten tips for ensuring your child’s optimal health in 2022 and beyond.

Top Ten Tips for Your Child’s Optimal Oral Health

1.Establish a dental home no later than 1 year of age. Like a medical home, a dental home is a practice that meets your child’s individual oral health needs in a comprehensive, culturally sensitive and family-centered way.

2. Be sure that your child visits the dentist at least every six months for routine evaluation and cleaning. This may also include x-rays depending on their clinical presentation. It is a great idea to include this as a part of your back-to school preparations.

3.Parents should play an interactive part in at home oral hygiene. A good rule of thumb is to do so until your child can tie their own shoelaces. If your child has mobility issues, discuss this with your child’s care providers, as there are many adaptive tools that may be helpful.

4.Brush twice daily (after breakfast and before bedtime). For many children, including those who have special health care needs, it is a good idea to make it fun and interactive with the use of activity boards, a brushing calendar or an app on your smart device. Be sure to use fluoridated toothpastes to increase their resistance against cavities. How much fluoridated toothpaste?

1. 1. 0-3 years: a grain of rice
   2. 3+ years: pea sized

5. Introduce flossing once spaces are no longer evident between your child’s teeth. There are many different types of floss and flossing aids available, your child’s care provider should be able to discuss these with you and make recommendations.

6. Consider your child’s diet. Remember, for a cavity to develop you need 3 components: host (tooth), cavity-causing bacteria and sugar. If your child is G-tube fed, do not neglect their mouth as they can still be predisposed to developing tarter on their teeth. Talk to their care providers about options for maintaining a healthy oral cavity.

7.Do not share utensils or put your baby’s pacifier into your mouth. This allows for the transmission of bacterial from your mouth to your child’s.

8.Be mindful – a lot of pediatric medications also contain sugar to improve their taste, so remember to brush your child’s teeth after administering any oral medications.

9.Limit juice intake in quantity and at mealtimes only. Ad lib drinking of juice contributes to cavity development due to the extended exposure of teeth to sugar.

10.If your child is ambulatory, remember to use protective gear when children are playing, biking, scootering, or participating in contact sports including helmets and mouthguards.

Remember: Teeth can last a lifetime if we take care of them.