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Preventing Cavities in Toddlers
Keeping Your Toddler's Teeth Cavity Free
By Laura Cone
While a growing number of her parent peers try to pacify their toddlers with sugary treats, Julie Vest from Land O' Lakes, Fla., wants her toddler's grin to be healthy and free of cavities.
Vest gives her almost-2-year-old multivitamins with fluoride because fluoride is not in the water in her neighborhood. "She gets balanced nutrition from vegetables, meats, fruit," Vest says. "She drinks milk [and] a lot of water." She also limits her daughter's juice consumption to 8 ounces a day, and dilutes her apple and favorite peach juice with water.
"I brush her teeth for her with toddler toothpaste," Vest says. "I plan to take her to the dentist at 2 or 2 1/2. I will talk to her about the difference between the dentist and doctor. She associates the doctor with shots."
More dentists today say they are seeing toddler patients with cavities.
Dr. Allen D. Bagdade, a pediatric dentist in Arlington Heights, Ill., says one of the reasons toddlers develop cavities is because of their bedtime habits. He says toddlers develop bottle decay by sleeping with a bottle of milk or juice at night. The juice coats the teeth, especially at night when a toddler salivates less.
"The sugar in the milk or juice starts to decay the teeth at night," Dr. Bagdade says. "We recommend during the day if a child wants to use a bottle, cut the juice down with water."
He also warns against the popular technique of dipping a pacifier in sugar, molasses or other sweetener to comfort a baby or toddler. "That's the worst thing you can do," Dr. Bagdade says.
Dr. Bagdade recommends parents keep a food diary of everything the child eats or drinks. He says parents are often very surprised by how many refined sugars and carbohydrates their child is consuming in a typical week. If you find your child eats too many cookies, cross out the cookie and write down healthful substitutions such as carrot and celery sticks or apple slices, he says.
So what if your toddler ends up with cavities despite your best efforts? Most parents may be surprised to learn toddlers who have several cavities may have to be treated in the hospital under general anesthesia. Most toddlers are not mature enough to handle several fillings in the dentist office.
Parents can take some steps to help their toddler develop good oral hygiene, although brushing and flossing is not recommended for very young children. Dr. Bagdade says parents should wipe their toddler's front teeth with a 2-by-2-inch piece of gauze dampened with water only.