Childrens Teeth & Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral found in soil, fresh and salt water as well as various foods. Fluoride from drinking water and in toothpaste can help to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay. Fluoride has positive effect on oral health, but there are many questions about fluoride and how it can help children.

Why do children need fluoride?

Fluoride intake is important. Bacteria in the mouth combines with sugars and create an acid. This acid chews away at the enamel of your child's teeth. Fluoride helps to protect teeth in two ways - protects from demineralization by protecting teeth from this acid, and remineralizes the enamel by strengthening it. Although fluoride cannot repair cavities, but it can help prevent new ones.

When should my child use fluoridated toothpaste?

Children over 2 years old should use a toothpaste that contains fluoride, but it should have the Canadian Dental Associations seal of approval to ensure levels of fluoride are safe. Children that are younger than 6 should be supervised when brushing to make sure they are spitting out the toothpaste not swallowing it. Any child under age 6 should not be using fluoridated mouth washes unless your dentist approves it.

What are other sources of fluoride?

The water that comes out of your sink tap has been fluoridated. The fluoride in the water helps reduce tooth decay by almost 40%. Fluoride is also found is food and beverages. Make sure your child is eating a healthy balanced diet that has lots of calcium and vitamin D.

Decay Prevention Tips – Developing Teeth

• Do not share saliva with your baby. Avoid licking their pacifiers, pre-chewing their food or sharing spoons.
• After every feeding ensure you are wiping baby's gums with a clean and damp washcloth. This will assist in plaque removal.
• When the first sign of teeth start poking through the gums, brush them gently with a childrens toothbrush and a very small amount of toothpaste.
• Help brush your child's teeth until around age 8 when they can do it themselves. When they brush alone, supervise them making sure they brush thoroughly and spit out the toothpaste after.
• Only put formula, breast milk or water in bottles for baby. Infants should not be put to bed with a bottle.
• If your child uses a pacifier do not dip it in anything sweet such as sugar, honey or other sweet liquids. Use a clean one every time.
• By your child's 1st birthday, try to encourage them to drink from a cup. Try avoiding using sippy cups with sweetened drinks.
• You know the benefits of eating healthy, so encourage healthy eating habits for your child. A diet with lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains.
• During snack time serve nutritious snacks, and try to limit sweets to mealtimes.
• Talk to your dentist to make sure your child is getting the right amount of fluoride needed.

If you have any questions, or concerns call Woodbridge Kids today and set up an appointment.

The History of Toothpaste

Around 5000BC is when Egyptians started using paste to clean their teeth, this is even before the invention of toothbrushes. The Greeks and Romans have used toothpaste, and people in China and India began using it around 500BC.

In the past, ancient toothpastes were created to treat the same concerns we have nowadays – to keep our gums and teeth clean, white and having fresh breath. A drastic difference between the toothpaste of our time and back then is the ingredients. Some ingredients that were used include ox hoof powder, ashes, and burn eggshells that were combined with a pumice.

 

Greeks and Romans liked their paste more abrasive so they added crushed bones and oyster shells. The Romans added more flavour to help with bad breath including powdered charcoal and bark. In China they added a variety of substances over time including ginseng, salt and herbal mints.

 

More modern toothpastes started in the 1800's. The ingredients around that time included soap, and chalk. Ground charcoal and betel nuts were used as well. Before the 1850's toothpastes were actually powders. Around the 1970's Colgate began to mass produce toothpaste in jars, and as an actual paste. The tube toothpaste was introduced in the 1890's.

 

In 1914, toothpastes were formulated to treat or prevent specific diseases like tooth sensitivity. Fluoride was introduced to help prevent decay, and toothpaste with low abrasiveness were developed to help prevent any issues caused by overzealous brushing.

 

We have advanced toothpaste to help us battle plaque, gum disease, caries, bad breath and to help whiten teeth. Toothpaste has come a long way, so don't forget how important it is to brush!

Gummy Vitamins & Safety

For people that have a vitamin deficiency, or finicky children with diets that are inadequate there are vitamins in the form of gummies. Gummy vitamins look like candy gummies, and taste good too. They provide children (or adults) with additional nutritional support. Gummies provide the same support as the chewable vitamins but considering their close resemblance to candy, they pose more of a risk of overdose and possible vitamin toxicity.

Vitamins are a group of organic compounds that are essential for growth, nutrition and helps your body to perform tasks of daily life. They are only required in certain quantities because they cannot be synthesized by the body. If your diet is lacking certain vitamins, then by taking gummies you are ensuring an adequate amount for daily needs.

Vitamin Toxicity
There are vitamins that when consumed in excess, leave leftovers that store themselves in fatty tissues, making toxicity more common. These vitamins include A, D, E and K, fat soluble vitamins.

Other vitamins including C, B(6 and 12), riboflavin, folate and niacin are water soluble. This means if you consume an excess amount of there, they are eliminated through urine. The risk of toxicity is reduced greatly.

Gummies and Teeth
The sticky and glutinous texture of gummies assist them in clinging to tooth enamel. It is likely they will get stuck in-between teeth as well as in the grooves of teeth. Bacteria like to feed on the sugar in the gummies and after 20 minutes that bacteria creates enamel-destroying acid.

If you are going to give your child gummy vitamins, give it to them with meals or before daily brushing to minimize the effects of the bacteria.

Flossing for Children

Often overlooked, flossing your child's teeth is critically important for development as well as cavity prevention. Flossing is an important because it allows you to clean in-between the teeth, where the toothbrush cannot reach and where cavities are likely to form.

When the baby teeth begin to make contact with each other, you can begin flossing. Sometimes it happens with the first front four teeth just shy of a year old. If there is more spacing between the teeth they do not need to be flossed until the back teeth begin to come in, and touch. 

The easiest way to floss a young toddlers teeth is with a floss stick. They are super easy to find in any drug store or grocery store. Floss sticks allow bigger adult hands to reach inside the toddlers mouth allowing you access to the back molars without actually putting hands inside their mouth.

When flossing for your child, the position is key. The easiest way is to have your child lie on their bed with their head in your lap. You should be flossing their teeth until they are able to tie their own shoes. They lack the coordination to floss on their own until they have reached the age of 6 or 7.

Until then, they will learn habits from watching you. Lead by example and teach the importance of good oral hygiene.

Teeth Stains from Pool Water

Summer time is great for spending time with your children and indulging in fun activities like swimming. Unknown to most, you are putting your child's teeth at risk when entering the pool, as there are hazards in the water. If your child spends six or more hours in a pool every week they are at risk for developing yellowish-brown or dark brown stains on their teeth. 

Pool water is treated with large amounts of chemicals which gives it a higher pH content (making it alkaline) than saliva causing the proteins in the saliva to break down faster than usual. Once the proteins are broken down they can form deposits on the teeth that is often called "swimmers calculus." The stains will most likely form on the front teeth.

Pools that are poorly maintained or overly chlorinated which makes the water acidic. Continuous exposure to the water causes the discoloration and enamel erosion of the teeth.

Fortunately, these stains can be removed with professional dental cleanings. As soon as there is any signs of stains call the dentist and make an appointment. During summer season if you will be taking your children swimming on the regular, have their teeth cleaned every 3 months.

Visit Woodbridge Kids Dentistry to learn about preventative and restorative dentistry!

Why Food Tastes Funny After Brushing Your Teeth

If you or your child ever wondered why everything tastes pretty awful after brushing your teeth in the morning, here's the answer!

There is a chemical added to toothpaste that makes it foamy, assisting in spreading around your mouth more easily. The chemical is called sodium laureth sulfate which goes by multiple names including sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), as well as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). You can thank SLS for ruining your morning glass of orange juice. 

These chemicals are called surfactants . A wetting agent that helps to reduce the tension of a liquid, in this case the toothpaste. This is how you're able to get so much out of that little bit on your brush. Beyond creating the foam effect in your mouth, SLS and SLES also affects your taste buds in two ways;

• Suppresses the receptors that perceive sweetness which makes it more difficult for us to pick up any sweet tastes in anything we eat or drink afterward.
• Breaks up the phospholipids on our tongue. These are fatty molecules that inhibit the receptors for bitterness not allowing us to be overwhelmed by foods that are very bitter, but after you brush, the bitter taste is enhanced.

We know that the side effects are temporary but if the little one doesn't like it, there are alternative options. Opt for toothpastes that are SLES/SLS free, but make sure they contain fluoride as that is essential for healthy teeth.

Contact Woodbridge Kids Dentistry today for a check up on your child's teeth to ensure optimal health!