WHY "FIX"
BABY TEETH?
When I present a
treatment plan to parents about their children's dental condition the parents
often say to me "Why should we do this? They are going to fall out
anyway!". These are reasons I give why their children's baby teeth
are worth saving:
1. These teeth are important because they
help guide proper eruption of permanent teeth
2. They help maintain good nutrition with
proper chewing
3. They permit normal speech development
4. They need to be repaired to avoid the
pain and suffering your child can experience from abscess that can lead to
possible hospitalization
5. To avoid damage to the developing
permanent teeth
*
6. To avoid inadvertent extraction of a
permanent tooth bud with early extraction of the primary tooth
7. Avoid high bacteria counts from occurring
that can create possible lifetime problems. Children (average age 3.5)were
randomly assigned the recommended dose of amoxicillin.
Dental restorative and cleaning procedures, and before, during,
and after dental extraction(s). Bacteremia from these
procedures occurs more often, from a wider variety of
bacterial species, and for a longer duration after dental
extractions than previously reported in any age
group. Amoxicillin has a significant impact on the
incidence, nature, and duration of bacteremia after nasal intubation,
dental restorative and cleaning procedures, and dental
extractions. +
8. Avoid decay of the teeth next to the
damaged tooth by direct spread and decay of the other teeth by bacteria shed
into the saliva
9. Provide formation of the shape of the
mouth
10. Every cavity starts out small because the
protective enamel (the hardest part of the tooth) is much
thinner on baby teeth than on adult teeth. Once decay penetrates
this thin enamel it can enlarge extremely quickly and can reach
the nerve, this is why baby teeth must be treated right away.
11. Your child's smile affects their sense
of self-esteem & confidence
A SMILE IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
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* Health Teeth Organization
+Impact of
Amoxicillin Prophylaxis on the Incidence, Nature, and Duration of
Bacteremia in Children After Intubation and Dental Procedures
Peter B. Lockhart, DDS;
Michael T. Brennan, DDS, MHS; M. Louise Kent, RN;
H. James Norton, PhD; David A. Weinrib, MD
From the Departments of
Oral Medicine (P.B.L., M.T.B., M.L.K.), Internal Medicine (D.A.W.), and
Biostatistics (H.J.N.), Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC.
Correspondence to Dr Peter B.
Lockhart, Department of Oral Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, 1000
Blythe Blvd, PO Box 32861, Charlotte, NC 28232-2861. E-mail
Peter.Lockhart@carolinashealthcare.org
Received June 9, 2003; de novo received October 17, 2003; revision
received February 10, 2004; accepted March 8, 2004.
Find our article on Kinderstart
A simple toothache can be fatal.
That is the sobering message a 12-year-old Maryland
boy left when, after his dental problems went untreated, he succumbed to
a severe brain infection.
Deamonte Driver's life could have been spared
if his infected tooth was simply removed — a procedure
costing just $80.However, the Driver family faced obstacles
with Medicaid, poverty, and access to resources, resulting
in an easily preventable health problem turning deadly.In
the end, Driver endured two surgeries and weeks of hospital
care totaling about $250,000 in medical bills. Sadly, it was
too late to save the boy, and he passed away on Feb. 25.
"Unfortunately, this is more common than we'd like it to
be," says Sally Cram, a practicing periodontist in the
Washington, DC area. "A lot of children don't get dental
care."In fact, data from the
Centers for Disease Control cites tooth decay as one of the
most common chronic infectious diseases among U.S. children.
By the age of 11, approximately
half of children have decay, and by the age of 19, tooth
decay in the permanent teeth affects about 68 percent of
adolescents.For children in
low-income families, like the Drivers, there is nearly twice
the risk for untreated tooth decay."I think it is probably
the least covered of our health benefits across the nation,"
she adds.
While this lack of care is a known
problem, there are a number of issues that stand in the
way."The dentist doesn't break even," says Cram. In fact,
experts say the low rates Medicaid offers to cover dental
services are less than what it costs the doctor to do the
actual treatment
People seem to think "teeth
are not a big deal," says Cram. But it's not just about your mouth.
"Infections in your teeth and mouth
can lead to more problems," she points out. When a cavity goes
untreated for months or years, the decay eats into the center of the
tooth, and eventually enters the nerves and blood vessels. From
there, bacteria get into the blood stream and can travel virtually
anywhere. By taking advantage of basic preventative services — like
cleanings and filling cavities — people can drastically reduce their
chances for severe dental disease. And with the benefit of Medicaid
funding, a tremendous amount of budget funds could be saved in the long
run. Across the board, education on the benefits of prevention is the
most important that can be done. "It's sad that a child has to die for
people to wake up," says Cram. "We need to stop putting our heads in the
stand and start working together — it takes education 3/07
LSU to Study Oral Health of
Babies
When mothers kiss their babies or taste food to make sure
it's cool enough for toothless gums and tender mouths, they may pass
on germs that will decay teeth when they sprout, researchers say.
A new study at the LSU Health Sciences Center dental school will look at
whether babies whose mothers regularly use antibiotic mouthwash or
chew sugarless gum wind up as toddlers
with less tooth decay.
He said the mouthwash-gum study will look at 250 mothers and their
babies. Some will get mouthwash with the antibiotic
Chlorhexidine. Some will get sugar-free
chewing gum with the sweetener
xylitol. Some will get
both, and some will get neither.
By JANET McCONNAUGHEYAssociated Press
WriterNovember 17, 2004 NEW ORLEANS --2004, The Associated Press
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