"Oral health for your well-being" presentation for parents and children at BVS (under the leadership of Aki Ediriweera) on January 31, 2016 by Dr. Kumudu Suriya is now on YouTube.

by 

Dr. Kumudu Suriya    

We take our daily food intake through our mouths.  For this reason alone, it is imperative to have good oral heath.

 

If you are an adult, you can take care of your oral health.  The same cannot be expected from our kids.  It is the responsibility of parents to maintain good oral heath of their children.

 

Some parents take a very relaxed approach to taking care of oral health of their babies. However, with simple habits, you can easily improve on oral health of your baby. 

• After each feeding, use a clean cloth to wipe gums and tooth-buds of a newborn.

• When teeth appear, brush your baby’s teeth twice a day with a small soft-bristled toothbrush and water.  Brushing before putting to bed is especially important.

• Do not share toothbrushes or any other utensils such as forks, spoons sippy-cups among family members.

• Lift up your baby’s lip regularly to check for decay, white or brown spots on teeth.

• Never use corn syrup, honey or other sugar products on your baby’s soother.

• If your baby sleeps with a bottle, fill it up only with water.  Also plan to stop the bottle between 18 to 24 months.

• Train your baby to drink from a cup when the baby is able to sit up.

 

There is a range of opinions on what to expect from a toddler.  But, all agree that toddlers cannot be treated as fully independent children.  Toddlers are unable to clean their own teeth properly.  Brush for them.  As they grow older, you can brush with them.  When they are about eight years old, they can brush on their own with your supervision.  Even with older children, you still have to supervise them as the issue is not dexterity, but rather they cut corners with brushing properly or skipping brushing altogether.

 

As British Columbia Dental Association (BCDA) points out, use a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste and gradually increase it to a small pea-sized amount by age three.  This is especially important given the fact that much of the BC water supply is non-Fluoridated.

 

Brushing needs to be supplemented with flossing.  Focus more on where teeth are touching.  They are the areas that toothbrushes cannot reach.

 

Brushing teeth only is insufficient.  Brush your gums, tongue and other areas of your mouth.

As indicated in my previous articles, what you eat when and how will have an impact on your oral health.  If you have unhealthy habits, it is most likely that your children will learn them from you.  Integrate good in-house oral care into your daily routine. 

 

If you are taking your children to a dentist twice a year for checkups, it is easier to keep up with good oral health.  However, taking children to a dentist can put financial pressure on some parents.  This is especially true for some parents who are new immigrants, parents who have recently lost their jobs and families with relatively insufficient income or disabilities.  There are private and some government-assisted insurance plans such as Healthy Kids plan that can relieve you from this pressure.

 

Make oral health of children an integral part of your family health.

Dr. Kumudu Suriya, BDS (Peradeniya), DMD (UBC), is a dentist who practices in Surrey & New Westminster.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the University of British Columbia and was a lecturer at the University of Peradeniya.  www.dentistry-at-suriya.com/Contact-Us.html

                                                                                                                                April 2014

by

Dr. Kumudu Wijesinghe Suriya  
 
It is hard to expect people to turn their backs to hip and cool habits.  There was a time that it was sugar-loaded pop.  Now, it is bottled-juice.  More and more kids and adults are alike walking around with bottled-juice in their hands in the name of health and nutrition.  But, is bottled-juice good for your health?  Is it good for your teeth? 

Data released in UK indicates that dental problems have become the third most common reason for children who have been admitted to hospitals.  Laura Donnelly sees bottled-juice as one of the contributing causes.  Her main point was simplified in the following The Sunday Telegraph illustration on “what’s hidden inside a bottle of fruit juice.”

It is hard now to find someone who does not understand that sugar left on tooth surfaces provide suitable conditions for harmful bacteria to multiply into colonies.  But, do all people understand that excessive levels of mouth acidity can damage tooth enamel.   Not all people who resist sugar-loaded solid sweets reject sugar-loaded pop.  It is important to understand that pop is not only sugary, but is also acidic.  When both sugar and acid are present, damage to teeth will happen at a faster rate.  In children, the negative impact is faster and more severe as their teeth enamel is softer than adults.

Some people who have rejected pop due to sugar and acid content seem to be less critical on bottled-juice.  They need to realize that bottled-juice can be sugary and more acidic than pop.  More importantly, drinking bottled-juice in between meals make the situation worse by making mouth acidic.

Brushing teeth after an acidic drink may not be the smartest thing to do.  According to Professor Laurence Walsh, waiting at least half an hour before brushing will prevent more damage to already softened teeth.

You are not helpless.  Take ownership on your actions and habits. 

 • Remember that bottled-juice is not the very best drink available. 

 • Do not give your child bottled-juice as a pacifier. 

 • If you need to have a bottled-juice, have it with a meal. 

 • If you cannot control drinking bottled-juice in between meals, do not drink them over several hours.  

 • To reduce juice contact with teeth, whenever possible use a straw to drink bottled-juice. • Between meals, drinking tap water is a healthy choice. 

Dr. Kumudu Wijesinghe Suriya, BDS (Peradeniya), DMD (UBC), is a dentist who practices in New Westminster & Surrey.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the University of British Columbia and was a Lecturer at the University of Peradeniya.

Sri Lanka Times (BC, Canada), April 2013