UNAIR NEWS – A child’s dental health is one of the most important assets that parents have to safeguard as early as possible. Unfortunately, there are still many parents out there that do not realize the importance of taking care of their children’s dental health.
Universitas Airlangga’s expert on children’s dental health, Mega Moeharyono Puteri drg., Ph.D., SpKGA(K) explained that children’s dental health must be cared for, from the pregnancy because baby teeth may form in the third trimester of pregnancy. Meanwhile, adult teeth may form when the child is turning 3 months old.
“Before pregnancy, the mother-to-be must prepare her oral cavity health first, such as dental plaque cleaning, and cavity filling in the teeth. Then, during the pregnancy, it’s better for the mothers to meet their calcium needs by consuming milk or cheese,” explained Mega.
When the child is born, parents must ensure that the child’s oral cavity is in a clean condition at all times. After consuming breastmilk, it is better to clean the baby’s oral cavity with a washcloth or sterile gauze drenched with warm drinking water, she continued.
“When baby teeth have formed, only then, they may be cleaned with a toothbrush. For children aged 1-2 years old cleaning may be done with a special silicone toothbrush with non-fluoride toothpaste as big as a rice grain,” Mega said.
The use of non-fluoride toothpaste is intended to prevent the baby from accidentally swallowing the fluoride while rinsing the mouth. Meanwhile, for children aged 2 and so on, cleaning may be done with children’s toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste as big as a pea.
“In choosing your children’s toothbrush, you should choose a toothbrush with a smooth brush, and as big as your children’s 2 upper front incisor teeth,” she said.
Mega also explained that children have to get used to eat food containing fiber, reduce sugary food, and sticky food. Children must also be accustomed to drinking mineral water after eating food, in order to clean food residue that sticks on the teeth and gum.
Furthermore, this Faculty of Dental Medicine explained to mothers with pregnancy to clean their teeth after eating. Residual food in their oral cavity may accumulate and cause gum inflammation and it becomes a growth medium for bacteria leading to infection. That infection may affect fetal growth. One of the effects is low baby weight.
She then explained that children are susceptible to have dental cavities when their oral cavity is not clean. The dental cavity will cause pain that may affect the children’s appetite. When the child has lost their appetite, they will gain less nutrition.
“A cavity in baby teeth may also affect teeth formation because one of the functions of baby teeth is to maintain dental position the adult teeth would replace. Moreover, a dental cavity may hinder letter pronunciation. Such as, the letter ‘T’, which requires the existence of the front teeth,” she explained.
In the end, she encouraged parents to brush their teeth together with their children to create a fun atmosphere, so that children have a habit to clean their teeth. Also, parents should bring their kids to the dentist every 6 months to detect if there are any problems in the oral cavity.
Author: Alysa Intan Santika
Editor: Nuri Hermawan (AC/AP)