Children’s oral health: why tools, as well as the message, matter
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 28th October 2021
Improving children’s oral health means giving them a better future. When they grow up free from decay, they will avoid invasive treatments, including extractions, and optimise their physical and mental wellbeing. Their dental needs may change over time, but when there is a core understanding of the value in practising good oral hygiene every day and regular attendance to appointments, they will increase their chances of maintaining a healthy and beautiful smile for a lifetime.
Pre-pandemic statistics for children’s oral health were concerning, showing that around a quarter of five-year-olds had experienced caries and that nearly all childhood hospital tooth extractions are due to decay.[1],[2] The figures also drew attention to huge regional variations, with poorer areas reporting a far greater incidence of childhood decay, which was mirrored by their adult populations.[3] The pandemic has exposed huge societal inequality in the UK, accelerating trends that had emerged long before 2020. Access to NHS dentistry in some parts of the UK was described as being at a “crisis point” in 2019; now there is an unprecedented backlog and the ongoing impact of delayed, missed and cancelled appointments.[4]
To improve children’s oral health, actively engaging with parents and carers, also nurseries and schools is crucial. If you work in an area where patients struggle with access, the need to take the message of prevention out into the community has never been more important. We may be facing enormous challenges, many of which are out of our control, so we must focus on what we can do.
The myth of milk teeth
Better oral health outcomes for children can be supported by making small, simple changes that will lead to lasting benefits. Parents and carers must be shown what to do at home, how to do it and why. There are various myths around milk teeth, for example, that plenty of adults might find surprising. Twenty milk, or deciduous,teeth will erupt from around six months old – only to loosen and fall out at various stages in the years that follow. Milk teeth enable the child to chew their food, and ensure that their jaw will develop properly. They also act as “placeholders” for the secondary dentition.
The myth that milk teeth don’t need looking after, because they are going to fall out anyway, must be shattered; they are actually even more susceptible to cavities, because their structure is less mineralised than permanent teeth. Decay will progress more quickly, too, which could enable an infection to take hold. An abscessed tooth is miserable at any age, but for children it can mean missing school and social withdrawal. Dental pain will disrupt sleep, and may inhibit chewing and speaking. Although extra-special care is always taken when placing a filling for very young patients, they may still find the whole experience upsetting. This can be a trigger for future dental anxiety which can be hard to overcome.
Diet is also a factor for childhood caries – particularly the hidden sugars in things like fruit juice, raisins and breakfast cereals. Parents and carers are advised to consult the packaging before offering any foods and drinks to very young children. Eliminating high-sugar items like fizzy drinks and generally choosing fresh and home-made is always best but, realistically, we know that most children will enjoy treats now and again. So, we return to oral hygiene and effective toothbrushing; a good habit established early, to get the child used to a twice-daily routine of getting their whole mouth clean.
Milk teeth should be brushed as soon as they erupt. A child’s toothbrush should be soft, so there is no injury to the surrounding gingiva, which can feel tender when teeth are coming through. In fact, that’s another dental myth that needs comprehensively busting as soon as possible – that gums aren’t as important as teeth! To help babies get used to the feel of a brush, the Curaprox Teether has a built-in toothbrush then, when the first tooth pushes through, they can graduate to the super-soft Curaprox Baby Brush. Also, coming soon is Curaprox Kids, a new toothbrush and toothpaste range. The CS Kids brush is suitable for ages 4-12, with densely packed, extra-fine CUREN™ bristles, a compact brush head and a round handle to prevent excessive pressure and comfortable for both child and adult hands to hold. The CS Kids is sold in handy twin packs – one brush for the parent or carer, and one for the child to get used to holding while their fine motor skills are still developing. Use it to apply one of the four new Curaprox Kids’ toothpastes, with varying concentrations of fluoride. The toothpastes also contain enzymes to support saliva’s protective role and xylitol, but no Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), which can be irritating.
When you improve children’s oral health, you can also help the whole family understand the importance of the prevention basics, such as correct toothbrushing. The right tools and products will keep children – and parents and carers – motivated, as well as offering optimal protection to young mouths.
For more information, please call 01480 862084, email info@curaprox.co.uk or visit www.curaprox.co.uk
[1] Oral health survey of 5-year-old children 2019. Public Health England, 19 March 2020. Link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/oral-health-survey-of-5-year-old-children-2019 (accessed August 2021).
[2] Hospital tooth extractions of 0 to 19 year olds. Public Health England, 6 March 2019 (updated 20 December 2020). Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-tooth-extractions-of-0-to-19-year-olds (accessed August 2021).
[4] NHS Dentistry: Crisis mounts as patients offered appointments in Aug 2020. BDA, 17 September 2019. Link: https://bda.org/news-centre/press-releases/Pages/NHS-dentistry-crisis-mounts-as-patients-offered-appointments-in-Aug-2020.aspx (accessed August 2021).
