Children's Dental Health Month spotlights healthy smiles

  • Published
  • By Capt. Kelly Ramey, chief of preventive dentistry
  • 22nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  February is National Children's Dental Health Month, and members of the 22nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron base dental clinic will be visiting McConnell children's centers around base to help educate them on the importance of good dietary habits and proper toothbrushing techniques.

Parents are also reminded that developing good dental habits starts at an early age, and with the first tooth, children can get a good start on a lifetime of healthy smiles with some adult guidance.

Children often consume foods that are high in sugar such as soda and candy. A steady diet of these "junk foods" can ruin teeth. Bacteria in the mouth turns sugar into acid which causes teeth to decay.

To reduce the risk of tooth decay, it is important to limit between-meal snacks, and try to consume sugary foods and drinks only with meals. Another tip is avoiding sticky, sugary foods, such as fruit snacks or gummy bears. These rubbery textured confectionaries stay in contact with the tooth for longer periods of time, resulting in more acid production and damage.

In addition to diet, good oral hygiene is critical. Children should brush their teeth twice a day with a child-sized, soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-size dab of children's fluoride toothpaste. They should be taught to spit out remaining toothpaste, and rinse with water after brushing. Most children will be able to brush on their own by the age of six or seven years old, but they should be supervised until 10 years old. Parents should floss or use an interdental cleaner daily as soon their children's teeth start to touch. This helps clean the surfaces between teeth, where a toothbrush can't reach.

Information on children's dental health is on display in the main entrance of the medical clinic. Brochures on topics such as baby bottle caries, or tooth decay from baby bottles, baby teeth development and eruption timetables, and thumb sucking and pacifier use are available.

Parents should maintain regular dental check-ups for their children at least once a year.

For more information, call 759-5182.