Griffin SO, Naavaal S, Scherrer CR, Patel M, Chattopadhyay S. Evaluation of school-based dental sealant programs: an updated community guide systemic economic review. Am J Prev Med . In press 2016.

This is the 252nd article of Zhishutang. The length of the article is 2650 words and requires 3-5 minutes of reading.

Many mothers think that their children's baby teeth have to be replaced anyway, so even if the children have tooth decay , they do not take their children to fill their teeth. However, I recently saw a study on dental health care in the United States. The results of the study showed that children with oral dental problems performed worse in their academic performance.

Last Saturday morning took the child to Chengxi Dental Hospital for teeth. Usually every three months I would take the child to have a routine examination and then apply fluoride. Although I brush my children's teeth every morning and evening, my teeth have decayed again.

My daughter's third front tooth is decayed and needs to be repaired. A large permanent tooth grows inside, and the pits and fuses need to be sealed.

My son's 4 large plate teeth and front teeth are also decayed and need to be repaired.

My daughter is very cooperative in filling her teeth. She doesn’t cry or make a fuss throughout the whole process, and she is very brave.

It was my son's turn, and it was a "chirp" screaming, a terrible situation, and because of too many tooth decay, it took two more times to make up for it.

Then I asked the doctor: "Why do children still have tooth decay when they brush their teeth carefully every day?"

The doctor looked at me and said: "Dentin is born, usually inherited. Of course, it is also related to eating habits. For example, if you like to eat sweets or snacks, you can easily get tooth decay. Snacks are the biggest enemy of teeth . Because in many foods and snacks, such as sweets, candies, dried fruits, soft drinks, pretzels and fried potato chips, the sugars and starch contained in combine with plaque on the teeth to produce acids, which will erode the enamel, causing to caries .

After a meal or after snacks, plaque invasion will continue to reach 20 Minutes. Even a small bite can increase the acidity of plaque. Therefore, it is best to limit the intake of snacks between meals .

Secondly, because snacks contain a lot of invisible sugar, it is easy to fall into the gaps of teeth. Every time you brush your child's teeth, you not only have to brush three sides of each tooth, but also have to brush three minutes , every time you give your child After brushing my teeth, I used floss because the plaque between the teeth cannot be brushed out. "

This reminds me of what a Taiwanese brain science Professor Hong Lan mentioned. She said that she has made the child's habit of brushing his teeth immediately after meals since she was a child. Therefore, her son is in his thirties now, and his teeth are very well protected, and he does not have a single tooth decay.

Then I also systematically checked how children protect their teeth. The American Institute of Children's Dental Prevention and Health recommends that in order to help children protect their teeth and gums and greatly reduce the risk of tooth decay, adults can teach their children to follow these simple steps:

For babies under 2 years old:

. When the first baby teeth erupt, parents should brush their children's teeth. However, because the number of teeth erupts, the child is too small and the gums are very delicate, it is not advisable to use an ordinary toothbrush.

. Before the age of 1, warm water is the best toothpaste. Parents can use disinfected gauze or cotton to rub the tooth surface with warm water, or use a minimal soft bristle toothbrush to gently brush their teeth to remove the sticky bacterial layer on the teeth and gums, i.e. plaque. This is very effective in preventing dental caries and periodontal disease, once in the morning and once in the evening.

. At the first year of age, you can take your child to see a dentist, apply fluoride to the child, check and prevent tooth decay.

For children over 2 years old:

. Brush your teeth twice a day and use fluoride toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association to remove plaque. This is a layer of sticky film on the teeth and is the main cause of tooth decay.

. Clean teeth with floss every day, and remove plaque between teeth and under the edge of the gingival before the plaque becomes tartar . Once a tartar is formed, it can only be removed using professional cleaning techniques.

. maintains a balanced diet and limits the intake of starchy or sugary foods. This type of food increases the acidity of plaque , and causes tooth decay . If you must eat this type of food, try to eat with the main meal instead of as a snack - excessive saliva is secreted during meals, which helps to rinse away the food remaining on the teeth.

. Ensure that the child’s drinking water contains fluorine. If the water you drink (municipal water, well water or bottled water) does not contain fluorine, ask a dentist or pediatrician to prescribe it, and will be given a daily fluoride supplement .
1. . Take the child to the dentist for regular examinations.

   For older children who can brush their teeth independently, parents need to make sure that their children master some brushing skills:

   . Squeeze out a small amount of fluoride toothpaste as big as peas for use. These toothpastes must be approved by the American Dental Association. Be careful not to let your child swallow the toothpaste.

   . Using a soft bristle toothbrush, first brush the inner surface of each tooth, where the most plaque is deposited.

   . Brush your teeth gently with forward and back movements.

   . Clean the outer surface of each tooth. Make the toothbrush at an angle to the lateral gingival edge. Brush your teeth with gentle forward and back movements.
   1. . Use the tip of a toothbrush to clean the inner side of each upper and lower front teeth. Then brush the tongue surface appropriately.

      Finally, when should children start flossing their teeth?

      Because floss can remove food residues and plaque from the gaps missing from brushing, parents should start flossing for their children when they are four years old. By the time the child is eight years old, many children can floss their teeth by themselves.

      Then I know that many children don’t like brushing their teeth at the beginning, and many adults also think that they need to change their teeth anyway, and they don’t care. In fact, this is not the case. If you don’t repair the tooth decay, it will continue to be decayed to the root of the tooth.

      

      

      

      Seriously, it will also affect the growth of permanent teeth, because children's permanent teeth have actually grown all around 5 years old, but they are "wrapped and ambushed" in their gums.

      Therefore, protects teeth, starting from brushing, starting from the birth of the baby! Parents can also read some picture books related to protecting teeth with their children, such as Peppa's "Dentist trip" and Mouse Bobo's "Maisy Charley and the wobbly tooth", and Usborn's "why should I brush my teeth" to help children develop good habits of protecting teeth from an early age.

      

      

      References:

      1. Community Preventive Services Task Force. Guide to community preventive services. Preventing dental caries: school-based dental sealant delivery programs. US Department of Health and Human Services, Community Preventive Services Task Force; 2016. http://www.thecommunityguide.org/oral/schoolsealants.htmlexternal icon
      2. US Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy people 2020. Topics and objectives: oral health. Washington, DC: US ​​Department of Health and Human Services; 2013. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/oral-health?topicid=32external icon
      3. National Quality Forum. Oral health performance measurement: environmental scan, gap analysis and measurement topics prioritization—technical report. Washington, DC: National Quality Forum; 2012. http://www.qualityforum.org/Publications/2012/07/Oral_Health_Performance_Measurement_Technical_Report.aspxexternal icon
      4. Griffin SO, Naavaal S, Scherrer CR, Patel M, Chattopadhyay S. Evaluation of school-based dental sealant programs: an updated community guide systemic economic review. Am J Prev Med . In press 2016.
      5. Griffin SO, Jones K, Crespin M. Calculating averted carries attribute to school-based sealant programs with a minimum data set. J Public Health Dent 2014;74:202–9. CrossRefexternal icon PubMedexternal icon
      6. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Table 3: Dental services—mean and median expenses per person with expense and distribution of expenses by source of payment: United States, 2013. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Medical Expenditure Panel Survey; 2013. https://meps.ahrq.gov/data_stats/quick_tables_results.jsp?component=1&subcomponent=0&tableSeries=1&year=-1&SearchMethod=1&Action=Searchexternal icon
      7. https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/childrens-oral-health/index.html
      8. Fiona Hathaway, "Cure Tooth Decay: How To Prevent & Cure Tooth Decay & Cavities Naturally In The Comfort Of Your own home》, 2015