Modern Hygienist - February 2009 - (Page 22)

patients | CHILDREN Keep the teeth? There are a variety of ways to mark milestones in your child’s life, and now there is one geared speciﬁcally toward his or her smile. The Toothfairy’s Baby Tooth Bank (tfairy.com) offers a simple way to make keeping teeth a keepsake. The Toothfairy Baby Tooth Bank Links, oralsystemic links, are continually backed up by clinical studies. The link between periodontal disease and preterm, low birthweight babies is especially important to share with pregnant women in your practice. For more information, go to ada.org/prof/resources/ topics/oralsystemic.asp. topics/oralsystemic.asp Milk and cheese are examples of healthy options for children in your practice. Milk provides calcium, protein and vitamins, and, according to the AAPD, “certain cheeses have been shown to help disrupt the development of caries when eaten alone as a snack or at the end of the meal.” Nutrition is crucial. Recommend that parents save foods with sugar or starch for breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of snacks. Vegetables, yogurt and cheese make great treats, but limit such snacks to two or three times a day. Sealants are a great preventive measure. According to the AAPD, most cavities occur in places sealants could have protected, and, children with just a single application on their back teeth had 50% less tooth decay and tooth restorations after 15 years than children without sealants. Pulpdent’s Embrace WetBond Pit & Fissure Sealant Toothbrushing is difﬁcult for young children, so parents must assist. If a child “won’t let” you, try one of these helpful tips: 1) Sit with a pillow in your lap and lay the child on top. Snuggle close to provide control and a direct view into the mouth. A hand mirror can be given to the child so he or she can watch. 2) Lay the child on the bed and stand over with direct vision into the mouth to brush the teeth. If a child demands to brush solo, he or she can, but a parent must follow-up with an inspection. Use the resources available to you. Between the ADA and the AAPD, there is quite a robust quantity of fact sheets, tips, guidelines and other information to help you and your practice navigate pediatric care. Varnish, speciﬁcally ﬂuoride varnish, helps to prevent and control dental caries in children and adults. Varnish is safe, simple and cost-effective in both private and public health dental settings. Words matter, so be careful what terms and language you use around young patients. 22 modernhygienist.com | February 2009 http://www.tfairy.com http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/oralsystemic.asp http://www.modernhygienist.com

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Modern Hygienist - February 2009 Contents Editor's Letter Letters News Modern Solutions Caring for Kids The DNA Difference A Healthy Perspective The Economic Impact on You How Single Moms Make it Work Ad Index Classified Economy 101

Modern Hygienist - February 2009

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