Xoom
  • Home (current)
  • Covid-19 Advisory
  • About Us
    • Vision, Mission & Core Values
    • Medical Board
    • The Team
    • Our Authorised Partner Pharmacies
    • Our Awards
  • Our Services
    • For Healthcare Providers
    • For Pharmacy
    • For Corporates
    • Vaccination
    • COVID-19 HOME CARE PLAN
    • Diabetes Management
    • Virtual HIV/STD Clinic
  • MEDIA CENTRE
    • PRESS RELEASE
    • MEDIA KIT
    • NEWSROOM
  • Health Tips
  • ePharmacyNew!
    • Malaysia

Health Tips

  • Home
  • Health Tips
  • Dental care for infants and young children
  • Health Topics

    • All
    • COVID-19/ Vaccines
    • General health and wellness
    • Common ailments
    • Mental health
    • Sleep problems
    • Brain disorders
    • Respiratory diseases
    • Hypertension
    • Cholesterol
    • Heart diseases
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Diabetes
    • Autoimmune diseases
    • Kidney
    • Liver
    • Urinary
    • Skin
    • Sexual health
    • Women's health
    • Medications
    • Supplements
    • Other diseases
    • Pregnancy
    • Eyes
    • Bone's health
    • Breastfeeding
    • Medical device
    • Pain
    • Food
    • Fasting
    • Cancer
    • Children's health
    • Contraceptives
    • Men's health
    • Vaccinations
    • Oral health
    • Allergy

Isn’t it adorable when children show their sparse teeths while smiling? As parents, we certainly want what’s best for our beloved children, and that includes caring for their dental and oral health. Many oral health problems such as dental caries begin in childhood and can be prevented through early and periodic preventive dental care and counseling.

What puts children at risk for dental diseases?

The American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Pediatric Dentistry has identified the following factors that may increase the risk of developing dental problems in children:

  • Mother or primary caregiver with active dental caries

  • Low socioeconomic status

  • Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding beyond 12 months of age

  • Frequent consumption of sugary beverages and snacks

  • Use of a bottle at bedtime, especially with sweetened beverages

  • Use of liquid medication for longer than three weeks, as many of the liquid medication contains high level of sugar

  • Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (eg, a smoker in the household) - We wrote an article about the health impact of second-hand smoke onto children here

  • Insufficient fluoride exposure

  • Prolonged use of a training cup (sippy cup) throughout the day

  • Children with special health care needs

  • Visible plaque on upper front teeth

  • Enamel pits or defects

If your child has one of the any risk factors mentioned here, you’re encouraged to bring your child to visit a dentist for check-up. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American Public Health Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that the first dental visit occur at or near one year of age.

Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

Fluoride toothpaste: yay or nay?

As mentioned above, it was found that children who are exposed less to fluoride are at risk for dental problems. While it is true that fluoride is the primary prevention of dental caries across all age groups, excessive fluoride exposure in children can lead to dental fluorosis, which typically presents as white streaks in the enamel of permanent teeth. 

A mild form of dental fluorosis, as characterized by the white streaks/patches on teeth. Image credit: Matthew Ferguson 57, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Hence, an important tip here is to use fluoride judiciously in children particularly during the critical months of enamel maturation (up to 48 months), when the developing anterior permanent teeth are most vulnerable to excessive fluoride that can cause fluorosis. In other words, be cautious with the amount of fluoride-toothpaste used in children between 1-3 years old. 

So how should I let my young child use fluoride toothpaste?

All children with teeth should have their teeth brushed twice daily for two minutes with small amounts of fluoride-containing toothpaste. The appropriate amount of toothpaste for infants and toddlers (younger than three years) is a "smear" (a very thin layer of toothpaste that covers less than half of the bristle surface of a child-size toothbrush or the size of a grain of rice. 

What it means to be a “smear”. Image credit: © 2021 UpToDate, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

The amount of toothpaste should be increased to no more than a "pea-sized" amount at age three years; older preschoolers can use slightly more than a "pea-sized" amount.

What it means to be “pea-sized”. Image credit: © 2021 UpToDate, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.

Other dental prevention strategies for children

If you’re the parent or caregiver to young children, various dental care strategies should be adopted based on the life stages of the children.

Before the eruption of first tooth – Nonnutritive sucking and the teething process

  • Nonnutritive sucking (eg, sucking on a pacifier, thumb, or fingers) is a self-soothing behavior that is normal in early development but may become a learned habit if it persists beyond 12 to 18 months of age and should be discontinued at approximately 24 months. If not, it may contribute to the development of malocclusion (“crooked teeth”).

Malocclusion in a 10-year-old girl. Image credit: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

  • Teething happens when infants have their first tooth erupted. During this process, they tend to be cranky, chew on objects, and have excessive drooling. Some may also develop fever, diarrhea, or other systemic symptoms; however, no proven association exists between these symptoms and teething. 

As the primary tooth erupts – Feeding habits, the use of bottles and cups, and cleaning of the teeth

  • If possible, infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life and breastfeeding should continue until the child is one year of age. Compared with water, breast milk and most infant formulas reduce plaque pH, have variable buffering capacity, and may support bacterial growth and dissolve enamel mineral when exposure is prolonged. This increases the risk of developing dental caries.

  • To decrease the duration of exposure of newly erupted teeth to breast milk or infant formula, the use of a training cup can begin as soon as the child is able to drink from one (at approximately six months of age), and bottles should be discontinued as soon as possible after the first birthday. 

  • Sweetened beverages, such as soda pop, fruit drinks (with added sugar), or flavored milks, should not be given to children younger than five years.

  • Avoiding added-sugar beverages as much as possible throughout childhood.

  • Consuming 100 percent fruit juice or added-sugar beverages (if consumed) from an open cup rather than a bottle or training cup, avoiding sipping these beverages throughout the day or in bed

  • Rinsing the mouth with water immediately after consumption of sweetened items; for children in whom chewing gum is not a choking hazard, chewing sugar-free gum immediately after consumption.

For more information on how to properly introduce sweetened beverages to young children, read here.

A word from DOC2US

If you have any questions related to oral health in children, you can consult our professional doctors and healthcare professionals on DOC2US. DOC2US is a mobile application that allows you to talk to a doctor or any healthcare professionals via text chat at any time and from anywhere. For better communication, you can even send our online doctor images or voice messages related to your medical inquiry.

Download DOC2US app on Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Huawei App Gallery; or use our web chat at https://web.doc2us.com/

Note: DOC2US is not for medical emergencies. In the event of urgent medical conditions, please call 999.

Disclaimer: As a service to our users and general public, DOC2US provides health education contents. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Cover image credit: Photo by Stéphane Hermellin on Unsplash

Tags :

Share :

Written by

Ms Joyce Toh

More Top Reads

ADAKAH KITA BOLEH HAMIL KETIKA MENGAMBIL PIL PERANCANG?

ADAKAH KITA BOLEH HAMIL KETIKA...

Dec 20, 2021

Access to Diabetes Care: If Not Now, When?

It's World Diabetes Day! 1...

Nov 14, 2021

Understand the rove beetles 'bite'

Image credit: Alvesgaspar,...

Mar 17, 2021

WHY DO I HAVE TO RUN TO THE BATHROOM TO POOP AFTER EATING?

Do you have that pooping s...

Nov 24, 2019

Help! How Can I Tell between a Positive Pregnancy Test or an Evaporation Line?

Whether a pregnancy test t...

Oct 08, 2019

8 WHYS YOUR TODDLER BLINKING HARD (COMPLETE LIST)

A toddler blinking hard or fas...

Jan 08, 2019

Recommended For You

LONG-HAUL FLIGHT PROBLEMS AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

4 Long-Haul Flight Problems an...

Dec 11, 2018

HOW COMMON IS BREAST CANCER?

HOW COMMON IS BREAST CANCER? ...

Oct 07, 2018

[Infographic] How to spot fake medical information

Brought to you Read the ful...

Mar 27, 2018

Latest Article

Is your cold and flu medicine right for you?

Is your cold and flu medicine ...

Nov 27, 2023

Self-care for family caregivers

Self-care for family caregiver...

Nov 16, 2023

Is your cough medicine right for you?

Is your cough medicine right f...

Oct 24, 2023

Covid-19, Influenza and Cold: Differences and Similarities

Covid-19, Influenza and Cold: ...

Oct 13, 2023

Identifying good and bad fats for your heart health

Identifying good and bad fats ...

Oct 06, 2023

Rhinitis Unmasked: The Silent Culprit Behind Your Sniffles!

Rhinitis Unmasked:...

Oct 04, 2023
The content found on this webpage serves as medical education resources designed for healthcare professional in Malaysia.

Introducing DOC2US, Your Trusted Online Doctor. With its name synonymous to “talk to us”, DOC2US is a mobile application that allows you to talk to a doctor or any healthcare professionals via text chat at any time and from anywhere.

USEFUL LINKS

  • Home
  • About Us
  • For Pharmacy
  • Health Tips
  • Feedback
  • Fun Facts
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Telemedicine Policy
  • Medicine e-Prescription SOP

SITEMAP

Copyright © 2023 HEYDOC INTERNATIONAL SDN. BHD. (1141230-T) - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  |   Powered by etc web design