Finishing UP

For the last 2.5 hours of my project I have been organizing and planning ways to take this Mommy Dental IQ project across the world... Literally... To Masaka, Uganda and surrounding areas! I will be in Masaka for 3 months this summer and I have been organizing and planning ways to help these mothers and children as well!

I will be able to implement these ideas with the people over the summer and even have supplies (though limited) to bring with me for the people. It's been fun to learn about all of the tips, strategies, and science behind helping kids with their oral hygiene, and I'd love to be able to take it one step further!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the Mommy Dental IQ project!

Teaching kids how to brush their teeth

This might be a good one for older kids and moms, and the others are for younger kids!

Time Spent So Far: 12.5 hours

Classic Sesame Street - Kids Just Love to Brush

Haha... good classic Muppets

Dudley's Dental Island

Lots of FUN vdieos and resources for kids!

Brush And Floss

and yet another!

Oral Hygiene

Here's another!

Tooth Brushing for Kids - Crawford the Cat - Educational

This was a cute little cartoon to show your kids to persuade them to brush & floss!

Let's Talk About Fluoride

Okay first of all, fluoride is a controversial subject and everyone is entitled to their own opinion regarding fluoride... And this is mine...

IT'S A VERY GOOD THING!!!

Especially for kids, fluoride is one of the best ways to ensure strong teeth, and later, fewer cavities! When fluoride is combined with tooth structure, a substance known as fluorapitite is formed, which is stronger than the original structure (hydroxyapitite). The new fluorapitite is made of bigger molecules allowing less absorption.

You don't have to take my word for it though because here is what the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (a non profit org dedicated to children's dental health) has to say about fluoride.

* Using small amounts of fluoride on a routine basis can help prevent tooth decay

* Research shows that community water fluoridation has lowered decay rates by over 50 percent, which means that fewer children grow up with cavities.

* Using fluoride for the prevention and control of decay is proven to be both safe and effective. Nevertheless, products containing fluoride should be stored out of the reach of young children.

* Too much fluoride could cause fluorosis of developing permanent teeth. Fluorosis usually is mild, with tiny white specks or streaks that often are unnoticeable. In severe cases of fluorosis, the enamel may be pitted with brown discoloration. Development of fluorosis depends on the amount, duration and timing of excessive fluoride intake.

* Your child should use toothpaste with fluoride when they can expectorate (spit).

* Brushing twice a day (after breakfast and before bedtime) provides greater benefits than brushing once daily. Parents should dispense toothpaste to prevent their young children from swallowing too much.

* For children under 2-years-old, use a smear of fluoridated toothpaste. For those aged 2 to 5 years, a pea

* Fluoride can be found as an active ingredient in many dental products such as toothpaste, mouth rinses, gels and varnish.

Okay back to my words... Systemic (in body, not just mouth) fluoride is recommended starting at 6 months old because fluoride that is ingested can reach developing teeth and help them mineralize to their full capicity. This way when they erupt and are attacked by acid, they are better able to hold strong resulting in fewer cavities! This is why fluoridated water can be such a good thing--as not everyone has access to supplements and tablets.
According to the USPharmacist site on fluoride recommendations, "It is speculated that systemic fluoride supplements may decrease caries rates by 60% and that topical application may decrease caries activity by up to 40%."

Now back to the AAPD:
"The pediatric dentist considers many factors before recommending a fluoride supplement. Your child’s age, risk of developing dental decay and dietary sources of fluoride are important considerations. Infant formulas contain different amounts of fluoride. Bottled, filtered and well waters also vary in the amount of fluoride they contain. Your pediatric dentist can help determine if your child is receiving -- and not exceeding -- the recommended amount."

Here is a chart of the recommended dosage by age and according to how much fluoride is already in the water! This way, if you know how much fluoride (in parts per million) is in your water, you can calculate the difference!

Time Spent So Far: 11 hours

Tricks & Tips for the Toddler!

First, a few facts from SaveYourSmile!

• "One in three children are not brushing their teeth before bed. Children should be brushing their teeth at least twice a day, with the optimal times being before bed and after breakfast. Despite the AAPD's recommendations, parents surveyed report that only 67 percent of children brush before bed and a mere 57 percent brush after breakfast.
  
• Parents should be supervising their child's brushing!
• A good rule of thumb is if children can completely dress themselves, including tying their shoes without any help, then they can brush on their own. Children shouldn't be allowed to floss unsupervised until the age of 10, as flossing is a much more difficult task to master than brushing."

Now, some things I found in various places to try when it is a struggle to get that toddler to brush... Hope something works for you!!

* Let them choose their toothbrush and toothpaste at the store. You might even let them pick more than one so that they can choose each night which toothbrush (giving them a sense of control over the situation--a little "controlled" independence goes a long way!)

* Try a tooth brushing chart with a reward system (OTHER THAN A TREAT/CANDY).. Here is a cute one, or here is another one

* Take turns... You brush their teeth, then let them brush yours!

* Even just watching mommy or daddy brush goes far in motivating a little parrot to brush!

* Electric toothbrushes work really well! Especially fun characters--My nephew LOVED his Elmo and now his Firetruck toothbrush, plus, the spinning motion does a better job than any of us could do in a little mouth!

* Pretend you are "tickling their teeth" --generally, asking, "Can I tickle your teeth?" yields a pretty willing subject.. (at least with my nanny girls it did!)

(don't forget to laugh with them! this can be fun!)

* Have a puppet hold the toothbrush. If you have a variety of puppets, let your child pick "who they would like to brush their teeth" (you could even make some sock puppets just to help with teeth :))

* Buy some children's books about brushing and flossing and read them before heading to "do the dirty work."

* Asking an older sibling to "teach" the younger one to brush might do wonders for both the teacher and the teachee :)



* One mom gave this fun suggestion, "I waited until she was in the bath. I told her we needed to brush everyone in the tubs teeth. I would turn the bristles away, brush both duckies then elmo then her teeth. She thought it was hilarious. I made her understand, though, that I wouldn't brush the toys until I got her. This way, I did sections at a time so she wouldn't have a chance to get upset. Front, brush the toys, upper one side, toys, lower one side, toys, etc!"

* Try singing a song to your toddler while brushing their teeth! There is even a "Brush Your Teeth" song you could turn on while brushing... I've seen babies open up when they hear this song!

* Hold something for ransom! (ie If your child loves their bedtime story, make sure he or she knows that there will be no story until their teeth are brushed well!

Ultimately, every child will want/like something different. The main goal is to brush their teeth, so even if you have to use a little restraint, they will thank you later when they don't need a "shot" to get a cavity filled!

Time Spent So Far: 9.5 hours

This might cover one of the most asked questions in dentistry...
Since you probably can't read it, I'll tell you what the key says

white=6-10 months
yellow=8-13 months
blue=16-23 months
maroon 23-33 months

REMEMBER... Every child is SO different and these are just guidelines. If your child doesn't fall into these guidelines, don't worry! If you are really worried, an x-ray will be the best way to tell. (on an older child)

*as part of my project today I went to a daycare & instructed children & caregivers on proper oral hygiene

Time spent so far: 7 hrs

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay/ Early Childhood Caries

I remember when I was helping out as a dental assistant at an office in Heber I came across a pamphlet for something called "BABY BOTTLE CARIES"... I remember it really intrigued me so on the way out the door I grabbed one for some off the job reading.

What I read was actually very interesting, and something that I think all moms should know about!

Since reading that pamphlet I've learned lots more in school... I found a good article that breaks it down well... And if you don't have time to read it, I'll summarize it for you below!

Basically Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (Commonly referred to in dentistry as Early Childhood Caries--which is what I will use) AKA nursing bottle caries, nursing caries, bottle caries, infant caries, early childhood caries, etc… is caries resulting from improper feeding habits in babies and toddlers!

This is what it looks like in different stages: First you will see white spots along the gumline. *If you see these, get to the dentist because it may be reversible with a remineralization treatment! Then as you can see it advances...

The primary teeth involved in ECC (Early Childhood Caries) are the top teeth (because when liquid pools the bottom teeth are usually covered by the tongue.

Eventually, the result would be this...

Essentially, there are 4 things required for cavities to form:

1. TEETH

2. BACTERIA (check out the S. Mutans post below)

3. FOOD for the bacteria (fermentable carbs)

4. TIME!

With ECC (which can also occur with nursing & sippy cups), the liquid p

rovides the FOOD for the bacteria.

There are a couple of ways that caries result from inappropriate feeding--

1. The baby is allowed to go to bed with a bottle. --This allows the milk, formula, juice, etc to pool in the mouth (sometimes for hours) allowing the bacteria a constant food source (hence a constant acid attack on the teeth)

2. The child is allowed to sip freely all day on a juice or other sugary substrate allowing frequent acid attacks

.--This principle is KEY to avoiding cavities... EVERY TIME A CARBOHYDRATE IS CONSUMED, ACID (that cause cavities) IS PRODUCED BY BACTERIA. THESE "ACID ATTACKS" (as we'll refer to them) CAN LAST ANYWHERE FROM 20-40 MINUTES DEPENDING ON THE FOOD.

SO, the more frequently a child eats or drinks fermentable carbohydrates, the more frequently an "acid attack" is initiated on their teeth! (ie If a baby drinks apple juice from a sippy cup from 9:00am to 9:10am there will be only one, shorter "acid attack" if you will... Whereas a baby that takes a sip at 9:00 and then a sip at 9:15 and then a sip at 9:40 and finishes at 10:00 will produce 4 separate, (but equally as long) attacks on their teeth.

HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES FROM THE ARTICLE REGARDING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES:

• infants should not be put to sleep with a bottle containing a liquid other than water
• infants should be encouraged to drink from a cup prior to their first birthday
• infants should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age
• juices should only be offered from a cup, and should be consumed at one sitting
• oral hygiene should be started with eruption of the first primary tooth

I hope this helps someone understand the principles of cavities so that you will be able to better help prevent caries in your own little loves!

Stay tuned for the normal pattern of tooth eruption dates!!

Time Spent So far 5.5 hours

S MUTANS?!?!

**Clarification!!! This post is not designed to make mom's paranoid, or tell anyone they are wrong in their ways. It is only to educate so that you can make informed decisions when it comes to your little one.

SO... Ever find your baby's pacifier on the floor?

haha... did I even need to ask that?

Well before I give you some advice let me tell you about a little bacteria called Streptococcus Mutans.

S. Mutans is the main culprit in intiation of caries (cavities). It's a mean little dude that resides in our mouth and feeds on the carbohydrates we consume--producing the acid that starts to form cavities.

S. Mutans is found in different levels in adult mouths. Those with higher incidence of caries have higher level of S. Mutans and vice versa.

There was a study recently done worth mentioning... They took a look at the colonization of S. Mutans in babies and found a couple of interesting things!

1. Frequency of sugar intake (so frequent snacking, eating over long periods of time, sipping from bottles and sippy cups at will) was ranked as the most important factor! (The bacteria can't thrive if you don't keep feeding them :))--so if your babe ate 3 crackers at once it would equal less acid exposure than 3 crackers over 3o minutes!

**This also applies to breast feeding... All carbohydrate intake will affect cavities!

AND

2. At 9 months old, babies with the highest level of S. Mutans were those that "were habitually kissed on the mouth, had food 'pre-tasted,' shared utensils" (and I might add "had mommy suck their binki to 'clean it')!

Here's the thing...

Once your baby erupts teeth--cavities are allowed to form... There is no age exemption if there are teeth in there! Studies show that S. Mutans levels in your little one's mouth truly correlate with caries they will experience!

Let me give you some advice for keeping unwelcome S. Mutans out of your life! (and to keep your baby from getting Early Childhood Caries--{aka Baby Bottle Caries},a discussion for another day)

1. As soon as your child has a tooth, switch from wiping the

gums, to GENTLY brushing those new teeth with a very soft baby toothbrush and water!

2. Limit the amount of "at will" feeding (child eating whenever they decide), and "all day sipping" on juices or sweet drinks... Have them drink their drink at one sitting, because remember, FREQUENCY of sugar intake is most important!!

3. Once that baby has teeth, AVOID dipping a bink in sugary things! (in fact, if you avoid this altogether it would not hurt my feelings :))

4. If you put your baby to bed with a bottle, ONLY WATER should be in that bottle... Because basically, once baby falls asleep, there is a pool of sugar in the mouth ready to feed S. Mutans and give your little love a cavity. *TIP* Give your baby a bottle, and then a drink of water from a sippy cup to help cleanse the mouth, and then place them in bed--it will soon be a habitual part of their routine, and they won't mind one bit!

AND

5. Back to that darn binki that always winds up on the floor!

*If you can help it, keep it out of your mouth (which is full of S. Mutans)... A rinse with water is usually the best way to go if you want to keep the level of S. Mutans under the radar. (This applies to anything in your mouth transferring to theirs)...

However, I'm not saying you shouldn't kiss your kids... You can bet I'll be kissing mine when they come! And after all, who wouldn't want to kiss this?!

Time Spent So Far: 4 hours

NEWBORN!!

**All of the darling photos are courtesy of my talented sister, Amy Blake at amylynnblake.com

Here's the scoop mom & dad:

Your have this new little one in your home, and this baby doesn't have teeth right?! (or at least they shouldn't). So we're thinking, "What's the big deal?"

Well, in some ways, we're right! There is not much that can go terribly wrong for the infant as far as disease and decay, BUT one of the best things you can do at this stage is establish the habit of care in the mouth.

ADVICE

For the infant with no erupted teeth, simply take a damp, warm washcloth--put it around your index finger and GENTLY (I repeat GENTLY) wipe the gums! OR Using a baby toothbrush, gently brush the gums. (I emphasize gently because this is not supposed to be unpleasant! The point right now is to get the baby used to having something in their mouth from an outside source. You shouldn't ever have to push hard.)

The only other thing to think about at this point is fluoride. Fluoride offers strength to teeth that are developing and teeth that are already in the mouth. It can be SUCH a good thing! However, it can be unsafe if above recommended dosage. The good news for new moms trying to remember everything is that from birth to six months, NO fluoride is recommended by the ADA.

That's the advice for the newest babes. Here's to HABIT :)

**Sources: American Dental Associaton Website & BabyCenter.com

**Time Spent on Project so Far: 2 hours 15 minutes

And so begins the journey of the

MOMMY DENTAL IQ

dental education project!

This project will be for on upper division credit in Dental Hygiene. I will be reading current studies and articles on baby oral hygiene, & reviewing the latest and greatest in products for oral care for tots. I hope some new mommy readers (or some seasoned mommy readers) will be able to learn from this project!

Okay mom, let's start with the basics... You're going to want to know these terms mean so that reading my commentary makes sense.

DENTAL IQ BASICS

Enamel: The outermost layer of the tooth. The white section you see when you look at your teeth. (did you know enamel is the hardest substance in your body?! Yep, harder than your bones.)

Dentin: In simple terms, this is the layer underneath the enamel. It is more yellow in color and surrounds the pulp.

Pulp: The innermost section of the tooth that provides blood & nervy supply to the tooth. This is why teeth can be sensitive... There are nerves in each tooth.

Demineralization: When we eat sugar, bacteria in the mouth produce acid waste. This acid starts to break down calcium, phosphorus, and other important minerals in our teeth. When a tooth is demineralized it is on it's way to "a cavity" but it can me reversed (or remineralized with minerals like fluoride, calcium, phosphorus, etc..)

Caries: AKA cavities... Cavities are basically found when acid (produced by bacteria in the mouth) demineralizes (or break down the good stuff--calcium & phosphorus) the enamel. With enough demineralization, the surface will literally cavitate (leaving an actual break or hole in the enamel).

Gingiva: AKA gums (and will probably be referred to as "gums"). The softer pink tissue covering the bones of the skull & portions of the teeth.

That should give us enough information to run with! If things get technical--I'll explain as we go!

Project time thus far: 45 minutes

MOCKBOARD

WOW!

SO much improvement since October!

Not only did I score much better, I actually noticed a huge difference while cleaning the patient!

Thank goodness I've had mostly class III's & IV's so far this semester because I think that's what has helped...

Actually PRACTICING removing good calculus!!

I didn't have calculus errors

But I did forget to fill in half of my recession boxes :) haha

So I passed!

Now... If only I can do that in MARCH!

hmmm

i need a brilliant plan to find a mock board and board patient.

calling all board worthy patients.

come, come.

Some Dental Hygiene Snaps

I found a few pictures from last semester...

YUMMY

PAY BACK

"Hit the ground running..."

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

That's been a phrase I've heard from a couple of professors this week.
Monday was my last first day of school.
Weird.
Tuesday I saw a Class IV patient.
First time ever.
Wednesday I had a good morning.
No patient in the afternoon at the VA.
Oh well.
This semester might be crazy.
As it should.
I like dental hygiene.
I feel like I'm really getting it.