2 Ways To Protect Your Child's Teeth From Decay

If your child's dental checkups often reveal new cavities, you may be feeling a bit frustrated, especially if your youngster is brushing and flossing regularly. However, there are additional things that you can do to help keep your little one's teeth in better shape. Here are a few of them:

Ask for dental sealants.

Your child's dentist probably administers dental sealants for his or her patients regularly. The sealants, which are made from a plastic called resin, are used to coat the teeth. Often, a dentist targets the molars for a dental sealant application because the back teeth are more likely to become victims of tooth decay. Your child may have already incurred several cavities in his or her molars.

The back teeth in your child's mouth have deep crevices in their chewing surfaces. Also, because they are positioned in the rear of the mouth, your child may find it more difficult to clean these teeth effectively. 

The application of dental sealants is not painful and can be performed quickly during a single visit. After the sealants dry on the teeth, the deep crevices of your child's teeth are partially filled with the plastic material, so food particles and plaque are less likely to settle there. Additionally, the teeth are protected by a barrier of resin, so that decay-causing acid and other detrimental substances do not make contact with the coated portions of the teeth.

Dental sealants typically remain in place for years. However, if a sealant begins to chip or wear away, it can easily be reapplied at the dentist's office.

Give your child chewing gum.

Chewing sugarless gum after snacks and meals can help prevent tooth decay by pulling food and debris from the teeth. In addition, the process of chewing causes the salivary glands to produce greater amounts of saliva, which washes away plaque and helps dilute oral acid. 

Some gum can even help lessen the number of oral bacteria in your child's mouth. Gum that includes cinnamon or xylitol has antibacterial properties to help kill microbes that can cause tooth decay.

Bacteria in your child's mouth cause tooth decay by releasing acid after feeding on leftover carbohydrates in your youngster's oral cavity. The acid dissolves tooth enamel to produce cavities. Thus, eliminating oral bacteria and their food sources and diluting bacterial acid can help protect your child's teeth.

For more information, contact Sunnyside Dentistry for Children-David E Doyle, DDS or a similar location.

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