The Kohl's A Minute for Kids campaign is a way for Kohl's Department Stores and Dayton Children's to bring health, safety and prevention information to children and families in the region.
Safety through the ages…Learn how to use developmental concepts to better protect your toddler. Safety through the ages…Learn how to use developmental concepts to better protect your toddler.
Expert: Eileen Kasten, MD, developmental pediatrician Learn more
If your child is using a cell phone to text, make sure he or she understands the dangers of texting and “sexting.”
Expert: Greg Ramey, PhD, child psychologist Learn more
Countdown to good health 5 – 2 – 1 – 0. Learn how taking small “bites” toward good health can lead to big gains.
Expert: James Ebert, MD, lead physician, lipid clinic Learn more
This year’s flu season—with the seasonal flu and H1N1—is expected to be a long one. Learn how to best prevent the flu.
Expert: Sherman Alter, MD, infectious disease Learn more
When cleaning your house, it’s important to use products and methods to minimize asthma triggers.
Expert: Belinda Huffman, respiratory therapist, pulmonary medicine Learn more
With active kids, a hard “bonk” on the head is common. When is it more than just a “bonk?”
Expert: Laurence Kleiner, MD, pediatric neurosurgeon Learn more
Teaching children to brush their teeth is a task that many parents have dreaded at one time or another. Having your child brush regularly is extremely important because it establishes good oral habits that last a lifetime.
"Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, yet 90 percent of all tooth decay is preventable," says Gordon Womack, DDS, medical director of Dayton Pediatric Dentistry at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. "It is well known that cavities in primary teeth increase the risk of the permanent teeth also developing a disease. When children are in pain from dental problems, that pain either directly or indirectly affects their ability to speak, eat, sleep or concentrate."
In addition to regular dental visits, there are many things parents can do to help their children prevent tooth decay:
"When children brush their teeth, parents should make sure it is quality brushing," says Dr. Womack. "Toothbrushing should be supervised for children up to 8 years old to make sure they brush for two full minutes, use fluoridated toothpaste with a soft bristle brush and brush in circles. Less than 40 percent of children actually follow these proper brushing techniques."
Parents may also become concerned when there is a little bit of bleeding during a typical toothbrushing session. Womack says that more than likely, the bleeding is caused because that spot was missed the day before and in now inflamed. Parents should continue to gently brush that area thoroughly to avoid inflammation tomorrow. Within a day or two the inflammation and bleeding will go away. If the child bleeds for more than three days then you should consult a dentist.
"Proper preventive care, fluoride use and a balanced diet are key to the oral and overall health of every child," says Dr. Womack. "When kids are exposed to sugar for extended periods, they are at a higher risk of tooth decay. If left untreated, this puts these young children at increased risk for pain and infection, which can lead to missed school, lost sleep and loss of appetite."
The results from the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report show that young children do not receive the proper oral care they need to promote optimal oral health. Tooth decay declined in every other age group, except for children aged 2 to 5 years. In that group, tooth decay increased from 24 percent to 28 percent between 1988-1994 and 1999-2004.
Most parents know that they need to watch what their kids eat.
Unfortunately, many are not aware that letting kids sip on sugary drinks for hours or putting them to bed with a bottle of milk can be just as harmful, says Dr. Womack. "These habits can expose teeth to sugar for extended periods of time, increasing the risk of tooth decay."
In 2007, Dr. Womack treated almost 900 children with abscessed teeth.
"The problem is the frequency at which sippy cup or bottle contents touch the teeth," says Womack. "Each sip equals one hour of acid. If a child goes to bed with a bottle or sippy cup and takes a few sips throughout the night that could equal four or more hours of acid eating away at his or her teeth. The same is true when a child takes sips throughout the day without brushing in between sips."
Because sippy cups prevent spills, children often use them for long periods of time over months and yearsrather than as a transitional drinking device, a purpose for which they were intended.
"Sippy cups were created to help children transition from a bottle to drinking from a regular cup, but they’re too often used for convenience," says Womack, "When children sip for extended periods on sugared beverages, they’re exposed to a higher risk of decay. Sippy cups should only contain water unless it’s mealtime."
Despite the fact that permanent adult teeth eventually replace baby teeth, it’s important that they remain healthy and in place until they’re lost naturally since they serve several important functions.
These include:
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first dental visit occur shortly after the first tooth erupts and no later than the child’s first birthday. But according to the 2005 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSHC), only 10 percent of 1-year-olds and 23.8 percent of 2-year-olds had been taken for a preventive dental care visit in the past year.
"Take your baby to see a pediatric dentist shortly after the first tooth comes in, usually between the ages of 6 months and 1 year," says Dr. Womack. "The earlier the visit, the better the chance of learning how to prevent dental disease and help your child belong to the cavity-free generation."
At the first visit, the pediatric dentist provides information about proper sippy cup use and thumb sucking as part of a complete program of preventive home care. The dentist also checks the child’s teeth to make sure they’re developing properly.
"Every kid is different," says Womack. "But a pediatric dentist can work with you to anticipate potential dental problems before they happen and give you tips on how to make oral health a priority for your child.
Gordon W. Womack, DDS, is the director of dentistry and oral surgery at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. He is board certified in pediatric dentistry and is the 1992 recipient of the Ohio Dental Association Humanitarian Award for his work to ensure dental services are available for at-risk children and families. Dr. Womack is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry.