Why is the care for my child’s teeth important?

Good pediatric dental care habits should begin before your child’s first tooth arrives. Gently wiping your child’s gums with a soft damp cloth after feedings can helps to prevent the buildup of bacteria. The use of a soft children’s toothbrush twice a day after your child’s first teeth arrive is recommended

When your child is preschool-age, you may want to start using fluoride toothpaste. Don’t cover the brush with toothpaste; a small amount is enough. Your child may tend to swallow most of the toothpaste. Swallowing too much fluoride toothpaste can cause staining on their teeth.

Children’s cavities?

Cavities are holes that are formed when bacteria forms in your mouth. Bacteria uses the sugar in food to make acid. This acid erodes away at the teeth. Cavities are very common in children and the recommended tooth care can keep cavities from happening.

Your child may get cavities if he or she eats a lot of sugar based foods and drinks a lot of sweet drinks (fruit juice and punch, soda and sweetened drinks). Some children may have a higher tendency for cavities if they have the following risk factors:

• Has low birth rate or born prematurely.

• Teeth contain brown areas or white spots over time.

• Does not have regular checkups with their pediatric dentist. Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day and your child should see the pediatric dentist twice a year.

Have your dentist show you the right way to brush your child’s teeth.

Diet and the possible affect on your child’s teeth

Obviously, avoiding sweets and between-meal snacks is good advice. Avoiding potential cavities may be avoided by limiting sweet snacks and drinks between meals. Having meals and snacks at regular times is advised. Snacks, such as, fresh fruits and vegetables, and cheese and crackers also can help in the dental care for your child.

It has been noted that some baby bottles can create additional problems with your child’s dental health. When liquid from a bottle is in contact with the child’s teeth for a long time, the sugars may cause tooth decay. The baby’s teeth can develop cavities and become discolored. It is also advised, not to put a baby to bed with a bottle or walk around during the day with a bottle. You may want to teach your child to use a drinking cup as soon as it is acceptable.

Your child’ teeth and thumb-sucking

Sucking the thumb, fingers or a pacifier is common. It may be good to inquire of your pediatric dentist as to the individual child’s development regarding the teeth and their natural progress. This is typically not a problem so long as it is not prolonged. Again, this can be answered by your pediatric dentist at your child’s regular dental care checkup.

By: Greg J Linck

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It’s flu season; it’s cold season; it’s allergy season; it pink eye season. If it’s going around, you’re pretty sure your kids are going to get it, because they are in a day care setting. Does it have to be this way? Do you have to spend every “season” waiting and dreading for your child to get what all the other kids are getting?

My answer to that is a vehement NO. Your children can be healthy no matter what germs may be floating around in the air or are being passed from one little dirty hand to the next. The fact is that children can’t live in a bubble. They are exposed to such disease-producing organisms as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. But just because they are exposed doesn’t mean they have to catch each and every bug. If that sounds impossible to you, read on.

Why We Get Sick

First of all, it’s important to understand why we get sick. We get sick because the immune system is compromised or weakened enough to allow an illness or condition to take its hold on the body. A strong immune system, on the other hand, provides a child with the natural defenses to fight off disease. This means even if they do get a cold, the flu or a tummy bug, the body will fight it off quickly and easily.

In my Pacific Beach practice, education in nutrition is offered right along with chiropractic adjustments. We especially like to help parents in these problematic areas. It’s one thing to tell parents to help boost their child’s immune system, but I like to give tips on how that can be done. Here are a few important ones that are easy to implement.

Eliminate Empty Calories

Look in the refrigerator and in the kitchen cabinets. Look for foods items, and snack food items that might be high in salt and sugar. Some of these products offer nothing more than what is known as empty calories. In other words, they offer little, if any, nutritional value.

If that’s not bad enough, these items are filled with harmful additives which work to weaken the immune system. When your children snack on these nutritionally empty foods, their appetites are spoiled for healthier, more nutrient-dense foods. Begin now to eliminate such items from your home. When they’re not around, kids forget all about them.

Substitute these food items with good quality snacks such as fruit and vegetable sticks, whole-grain breads with a nut butter spread, homemade fruit smoothies or roasted nuts and seeds.

Whip up tasty smoothies in the blender using frozen fruits (such as strawberries and bananas and berries) and soy milk (or other non-dairy milk products). Tofu is another healthy ingredient you can add. Get creative with flavors such as vanilla extract and lemon. If it’s too tart, blend in a little honey or rice syrup. The whole family will love these.

Dairy Dangers

The evidence has become so overwhelming it’s hard to imagine any parents who is unaware of the prevalent dangers of dairy products.

· According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, cow’s milk is the number one-cause of food allergies in children.

· According to the former director of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Frank Oski, there is evidence to indicate that up to half of U.S. children have some allergic reaction to milk.

· According to a report published by the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology Committee on Adverse Reactions to Food (part of the National Institutes of Health), the allergies of up to one third of children tested cleared after milk was removed from their diet.

While the American Dairy Association wants you to think you “never outgrow your need for milk,” the truth is you never needed cow’s milk to begin with. And your children don’t either. Most cow’s milk has measurable quantities of herbicides, pesticides, dioxins (up to 200 times the safe levels), up to 52 powerful antibiotics, blood, pus, feces, bacteria and viruses. Because the determining factor here is money, various hormones are given to dairy cows to increase their production.

I encourage parents to remove as much dairy from their children’s diets as possible. Begin shopping around for tasty substitutes such as soy milk, soy ice cream and soy-based frozen desserts. (Soy is just one of many. Do your research.)

Antibiotic Addictions

As a nation we’ve become addicted to the quick fix. That quick fix often means antibiotics. As soon as a child comes down with an ear infection or the flu, a trip to the doctor’s office often results in a prescription for antibiotics.

Think of what this name is actually saying. Biotic means life or living organism. An anti-biotic means against life. The human body is host to many types of living bacteria, some good and some bad. Antibiotics can’t tell the difference and therefore kill the good along with the bad. Antibiotics upset the delicate balance of good bacteria in the digestive system and thereby weaken the immune system.

As with the subject of dairy, the evidence of problems with the overuse of antibiotics is very disturbing. Rather relying on a prescription drug to heal the body, the better and smarter way is for the body to be healthy enough to heal itself.

Be aware there are chewable probiotics available especially for children. As you might imagine from the name, pro-biotics are the antithesis of antibiotics. These supplements actually contain live bacteria cultures that are so necessary for good digestion. Check them out!

It may take a major change in mindset on your part to back off of a continual reliance on antibiotics. But it will pay off in big rewards later on down the road.

Happy Healthy Home

Children thrive in a safe, loving, peaceful environment. Hugs and words of encouragement can be as important to the well being of a child as a healthy meal. Take the time to hug your children. Hold them, embrace them, talk to them with eye-to-eye contact.

Laughter and positive thinking help to strengthen immunity too. Laugh with your children and help them learn how to enjoy life. This too will help boost their immune system.

Make sure the daily routines are set so they know what to expect each day. Children thrive where there are predictable routines such as regular meals, baths, naps and bed times. Routines minimize stress and make for a peaceful environment.

Even routines before bedtimes such as quiet stories or soothing music will make for a good night sleep. Sleep is also vital in optimum health, because this is when the body repairs itself.

Summing Up

Now you see why I’m so quick to say that parents do not have to expect their child to catch every illness that’s “going around.” The answer is to take the necessary steps to build up a strong immune system that will be less susceptible to viruses and bacteria.

By: Rob Walcher

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Taking kids to the dentist can be a difficult experience for parents. Often, rather than dealing with the issue, parents will put it off, thinking and hoping that dental care is not necessary for young kids. However, it’s important to start your kids with the dentist early on. You’ll avoid what could be expensive repairs later, plus you’ll get them used to going so it won’t be such a difficult event when they’re older.

Here are some ways to help make your child’s visit to the dentist a happy one.

Teach Good Dental Hygiene at Home
You should start before your baby even has teeth. Clean his or her mouth gently with a soft cloth after every meal. Your child will become used to someone cleaning their mouth and it will seem natural. It’s important that you be a good example to your child, too. Kids learn by example, so let them watch you brush your teeth. As your child’s teeth come in, you’ll want to brush them gently with a soft toothbrush. Make it a fun time by singing a special song or making a game of it. This way your child will view teeth brushing time favorably, and soon your little child will be happily brushing his or her own teeth.

Carefully Choose a Dentist for Your Child
Give some serious thought to who you want for your kid’s dentist. That first visit can make or break a kid’s attitude toward going to the dentist for the rest of his or her life. Make sure that the dentist you choose is good with kids and knows how to make your child’s visit a pleasant experience. There are dentists who specialize in children, call pediatric dentists, as well as family dentists who can make the entire family’s visit a pleasant event.

Whichever type of dentist you choose, though, make certain that they take care of the dental needs of a lot of children and have a good reputation with kids. Dentists who are good with kids will often have a special area set up for them, where they can play with toys in a comfortable environment. This type of setup will give your child a positive attitude toward going to the dentist.

Prepare Your Child Before the Visit
You’ll want to make your child aware of what will happen at the dentist’s office. The best way to do this is to role-play; you be the dentist and your child will play the part of the patient. What you do will depend upon what you anticipate the dentist will need to do with your child, but make it a fun and interesting time.

First of all, have your child lay back on the couch or a chair. Place a napkin or towel around your child’s neck. Then gently brush his or her teeth. To make it more fun, next switch roles and let your child be the dentist and brush your teeth. If you expect the dentist to take x-rays of your child’s teeth, explain how a big machine takes pictures just like a big camera. Assure your child that this does not hurt, just like getting a picture taken is painless. You may want to have your child open his or her mouth while you pretend to take photos of the teeth.

Before you head off for your first dental visit, make sure you haven’t forgotten your child’s favorite toy or blanket. This can provide a touch of familiarity and a lot of comfort to a young child in a new situation.

After the visit, your dentist will most likely have small toys or stickers for kids to choose from as a reward. In addition, you may want to take your child on a favorite fun activity afterward. This way your child will connect going to the dentist with a pleasant time.

By: Kay Zeeh

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