Parents will do anything to make their children smile, yet many are missing the preventative measures and specialized care needed to keep those smiles healthy.  The AAPD recently sponsored a survey to see what moms knew about proper oral health care for their children.  The survey results found that a staggering number of moms are misinformed about the importance of infant dental visits and proper at-home care.

The survey showed that an overwhelming 97 percent of respondents didn’t know their children needed to visit a pediatric dentist in the first year of life, leaving a large number of infants potentially vulnerable to tooth decay and disease.  Tooth decay can begin as early as the teeth begin to emerge, typically at six months, and often progresses rapidly.  Left untreated, it can destroy tiny teeth and lead to needless pain and suffering, infection, loss of function, increased health care costs and lifelong health consequences.

Only specialists in pediatric dentistry have the unique education and training required to care for children’s developmental needs.  Following dental school, pediatric dentists have two to three years of specialty training with an emphasis on child psychology, growth and development.

Pediatric dentists’ education also focuses on care for at-risk and special needs children.  The survey found that while approximately 75 percent of moms were aware of the specialty of pediatric dentistry, more than half had never taken their children to visit primary care pediatric dentists.

The AAPD recommends the following “Get it Done in Year One” Checklist to keep infant mouths healthy and prevent infection:

•Clean infants’ mouths and gums regularly with a soft infant toothbrush or cloth and water.  Once baby teeth appear, brush them at least twice daily with an age-appropriate sized toothbrush and a “smear” of fluoridated toothpaste.

•Give children older than six months fluoride supplements if their drinking water does not contain enough fluoride. (Fluoride supplementation in infants has been shown to reduce tooth decay by as much as 50 percent.)

•Wean infants from the bottle by 12-14 months of age. Have infants drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday.

•Visit the pediatric dentist before children’s first birthday and twice annually following the first appointment.

•Avoid at-will breast feeding after the first baby tooth appears and other foods are introduced.

“As we discuss with parents on a daily basis, Oral Health is critical for overall health,” said Dr Isabel Driggers of Coastal Kids Dental, “starting routine visits to a Pediatric Dentist at age 1 help children start down the correct path for oral health that will last a life time.”

Visit www.aapd.org for more information.

About Coastal Kids Dental

Coastal Kids Dental is a Pediatric Dental practice with offices in Hanahan, Daniel Island and Moncks Corner, South Carolina.  The goal at Coastal Kids

Dental is to provide each patient with a healthy adult smile.  Each team member at Coastal Kids Dental has specific training and education to fully address the Pediatric Dental needs of their patients.  For more information, please visit the Coastal Kids Dental website at www.coastalkidsdental.com or

call 843.818.KIDS (5437).