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Preschoolers at Risk for Cavities

By Reno Laser Dentistry

March 09, 2012

Category: dentist

Tags: Reno Dentist Children's Oral Care Dental Treatments Children's Dentist Cavities

Who would have thought that preschoolers are at risk for cavities? Their so young! You would think that they would have the best oral care but unfortunately cavities have increased among our little ones.

According to an article at health.yahoo.net, “cavities in preschoolers are on the rise”

“Dentists are now seeing so many preschoolers with cavities and even severe tooth decay (6 to 10 cavities or more) that there’s been “a huge increase” in little kids who need general anesthesia for dental procedures, including tooth extractions, crowns and even root canals, The New York Times reports.

Yet with the right care, rotten teeth—and having to send two-year-olds to the hospital for costly and painful dental surgery—are largely preventable. What’s behind this scary trend?

Soaring Rates of Tooth Decay in 2 to 5 Year Olds

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sounded an alarm five years ago by reporting the first rise in 40 years of kids with cavities in their baby teeth. The largest spike was found among 2 to 5 year olds. In that study, the CDC reported that 28 percent of kids in that age group—of all income levels—had cavities, compared to 24 percent in a study conducted between 1988 and 1994.

Overall, 42 percent of kids ages 2 to 11 had cavities in their primary teeth, and there was also a significant jump in the number of cavities (or fillings) per child. What’s more, many of the kids had untreated decay, which can be extremely dangerous. Since then, the problem has only gotten worse, according to pediatric dentists around the US.

A Dangerous but Often Overlooked Health Threat

Featured in original Times article, Melody and Mathew Koester didn’t worry about their son Devon’s oral health until Melody noticed that that the then 18-month-old had discolored teeth. ““I had a lot on my mind, and brushing his teeth was an extra thing I didn’t think about at night.”

Dentists report that some parents don’t brush their toddlers’ teeth because their kids get fussy or cry. But tooth-brushing twice a day can spare preschoolers the much worse pain of the dentist’s drill. For Devon, his parents’ mistake resulted in a trip to the OR, as The New York Times reports:

“In the surgical wing of the Center for Pediatric Dentistry at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Devon Koester, 2 ½ years old, was resting last month in his mother’s arms as an anesthesiologist held a bubble-gum-scented mask over his face to put him under. The doctors then took X-rays, which showed that 11 of his 20 baby teeth had cavities. Then his pediatric dentist extracted two incisors, performed a root canal on a molar, and gave the rest fillings and crowns.”

Click here to read the entire article:

Want to find out if your child or toddler is at risk, click here to contact Dr. McElhinney located in Reno to set-up an appointment.

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7 Tips to a Healthier Child

By Reno Laser Dentistry

February 06, 2012

Category: dentist reno

Tags: Reno Laser Dentistry Reno Dental Children's Dentist Children's Oral Health Oral Care for Children

Raising children and trying to do it all it’s not easy but hopefully this may help. Here’s a great article to help parents on the fight against dental decay. Remember parents you are in control of your child’s oral health, make sure it’s a priority from the start.

According to an article at WebMD.com, “offer some great tips on how to protect your child’s oral health.”

“Tooth decay is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever in children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. By kindergarten age, more than 40% of kids have tooth decay. Neglecting baby teeth is not the only misstep parents can make when it comes to their child’s early oral health.

Steps to protect your child’s oral health

Start Oral Care Early
Teach the Brush & Floss Habit
Avoid “Baby Bottle Decay”
Control the Sippy Cup Habit
Ditch the Binky by 2 or 3
Beware of Mouth-Unfriendly Medicines
Stand Firm on Oral Hygiene

Remember parents “Children don’t have the fine motor skills to brush their own teeth until about age 6,” says Hayes. Flossing skills don’t get good until later, probably age 10.”

Click here to view the entire article:

Talk to your dentist for more great tips on how to keep your child in tip top oral health. Contact Dr. McElhinney located in Reno to set-up your child's next dental visit.