Tag Archives: Children

Kids and Halloween Candy – A Dentist’s Perspective

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A lot of parents that are particularly conscious of their children’s oral health may worry about their consumption of candy around Halloween time.  Should parents be worried?  The key to kids and candy is moderation.  Sugar, although harmful to everyone’s teeth, is fine in moderation.  The key to avoiding cavities is to pay attention to the frequency in which children consume candy.  For example, on Halloween and for a week or so thereafter, most kids have an abundance of candy to eat.  It’s better for their teeth to allow them a few scheduled times throughout the day to consume candy, as opposed to eating it all day long.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Does Chewing Sugar-Free Gum Decrease Your Risk of Cavities?, cavities are formed by demineralization of the teeth.  After you eat, the pH in your mouth drops.  This increase in acid is a by-product of the bacteria that reside within our mouths that feed on sugar and other carbohydrates we consume.  The acid then causes demineralization of enamel, which turns into decay.  After one eats, the low pH can remain for 20-60 minutes.  Therefore, if kids take 20 minutes to gorge on candy, after their last piece the pH can remain low for up to an hour.  However if they were to snack on candy all day long, their pH can stay low ALL DAY, resulting in an enormous risk for greater decay.

Prior to writing this blog, I looked at numerous articles currently written about kids and their Halloween candy.  One of my favorites was an article on MSNBC’s Today’s Health Blog, “Let kids gorge on Halloween candy, dentists say”.  This article suggests letting kids gorge on Halloween candy once or twice a day, instead of allowing them to bathe their teeth in sugar all day long, producing a very acidic oral environmental where bacteria will surely thrive.  The article also stated:  ”Candy is not necessarily the worst thing for your teeth, anyway. The factors that really lead to cavities are stickiness and acidity. Potato chips and pretzels, for example, are worse offenders than chocolate, because these cooked carbohydrates cling to your teeth — giving mouth bacteria something to feast on longer and thus generating more acid.”

The one very detrimental mistake I found in most articles though, suggested that you have your children brush their teeth immediately after eating candy.  The acid present in the mouth after one eats, in conjunction with the bristles moving swiftly across one’s teeth, essentially rubs the acid into the teeth.  This could causes severe erosion of the tooth structure if done repeatedly and often, and could actually increase one’s risk of decay.  A better alternative to this, would be to chew sugar-free gum immediately after, which encourages an increase in pH within 20 minutes as opposed to an hour.  After about 30 minutes, you can then have them brush their teeth.  If you don’t want your kids chewing gum, then wait at least 1 hour before having them brush their teeth.  At the end of an hour it is a good idea to have them brush, just not before then.

Here are some tips mentioned by Delta Dental’s website in their article, “Sugary, sticky Halloween treats can play tricks on children’s teeth”

Tips for limiting the effects of sugary treats

  • Choose candy that can be eaten quickly and easily to limit the amount of time sugar is in contact with the teeth.
  • Steer away from sticky candies like gummy fruit snacks, caramel, taffy, popcorn balls and other candies that expose the teeth to sugar for long periods of time.
  • Limit consumption of sour candies that may contain acids (such as citric acid) to intensify the sour flavor. These acids can contribute to dental erosion and cavities.
  • Encourage children to eat a small amount of candy in one sitting followed by a glass of water or a thorough tooth brushing. [**remember to wait for at least one hour before brushing!]
  • Encourage children to eat a good meal prior to trick-or-treating, so there will be less temptation to fill up on candy.
  • Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
Some dentists may advise their patient’s to not let their kids have any candy.  Like Mansfield, Ohio dentist Dr. Craig Callen, who is running a cavity-preventing drive around Halloween.  He says he will offer $1 for every pound of candy from trick-or-treaters.  Although his motive for the drive to decrease the risk of decay in children around Halloween is surely admirable, I don’t think a total abolishment of candy for children during Halloween is necessary.  Let your kids indulge once a year, just be smart about it.

How some kids may be self-medicating with television and video games

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As the prevalence of technology increases, so does the studies on what it’s doing to our brains. On May 9th 2011 the NY Times published an article titled, “Fixated by Screens, but Seemingly Nothing Else.” The article described a concern many parents are having: their children can’t seem to focus on anything for any length of time, except for the television or computer screen. They’re asking, why do my children, with so many signs and symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), have no difficulty focusing on the television for so long? Many studies have ensued to explore this very issue.

Scientists have discovered that a child’s ability to stay focused only on a screen is actually characteristic of ADHD. But the question becomes, is the child’s obsession with the screen causative or correlative – or both? Dr.Christopher Lucas, associate professor at New York University School of Medicine says that the type of concentration a child brings to the television, computer or video games, is not the same type of concentration that allows one to be successful in school or real life. He elaborates that their focus on the screen is “sustained attention with frequent intermittent rewards” opposed to real life concentration of “sustained attention in the absence of rewards.”

The high of video games and their frequent intermittent rewards provides the brain with a rush of dopamine. Those with ADHD may have a dopamine deficit, causing those children to more easily become hooked. One study, as noted in the NY Times, sited that when an ADHD patient is treated with methylphenidate (Ritalin), which increases dopamine activity in the brain, they played video games less. Thus indicating the likelihood that these children with ADHD are actually self-medicating with video games.

On the flip side, some research has indicated that those who play video games more often, both children and college undergrads, are actually more likely to develop attention problems later. They said that due to the quick pacing of video games and their frequent rewards, those that play them often may find real life to be boring and under-stimulating.

Elizabeth Lorch, professor of psychology at University of Kentucky found that children with ADHD were able to recall facts from a televised story but not the narratives. This not only creates problems academically, but sheds light on possible social difficulties due to their inability to see causal relations. Some of these kids are rejected by their peers, quite possibly due to their inability to understand and connect with the people around them. This can create a self-perpetuating loop, running kids back to the video games, increasing their social detachment and causing further difficulties in focusing their attention in the future.

Solutions? Monitor the amount of time your children spend in front of the screen. Try creating an environment of more frequent rewards. And if you suspect your child does have ADHD, have them see a physician or a pediatrician. It may be appropriate for a child to be on a small dose of mediation and have a stronger, healthier social lifestyle than to be in front of a screen self-medicating all day.

NY Times Article: Fixated by Screens, but Seemingly Nothing Else
If you enjoyed this article you may enjoy: How Social Media Effects Our Brains

Dental Care From Birth to Four Years Old

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By Mikaeya Truesdell, DDS

When you have a new little one in your life to love and care for there are so many things you must learn, so many questions you will most likely have.  Because of the abundance of information exchanged during this time one important thing that may be overlooked is your child’s dental health.  The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children have their first dental visit by age one as it is a good idea to get your child familiar with this routine.  I have included here a few key oral hygiene points here as well as suggestions of how to properly care for your child’s dental health from the ages of newborn- four years old.

You should first notice your child’s teeth coming in around age of five to six months, however these teeth begin forming in the womb at around the fourth month in utero.  This means that as a mom you should be very careful about what types of medicines you are taking and make sure you are keeping yourself nourished.  The first teeth to come in are usually the bottom two teeth followed by the top two teeth.  The last teeth to come in are usually the back second molar teeth, which typically come in by age two.  It is important that as these teeth are coming in you are brushing them for your child as they are typically not going to be old enough to do this themselves.  It is recommended that you use a non-fluoridated/child’s toothpaste until your child is old enough to spit out the excess as opposed to swallowing it.  At around age three it is a good idea to start a flossing routine because this is around the age where the back molars start to come close together and food can get trapped between them and start cavities.  The most important point here is that even if your child is not yet eating solid foods the milk/formula that they are consuming contains sugars that can start cavities in the teeth so brushing routines should start as soon as the teeth come in.

A cavity develops when the teeth are exposed to an acidic (sugary) environment for an extended period of time.  As far as diet is concerned you should avoid giving your child excess sugars including those that can be found in juices and crackers/candies. When your child does have juice it is a good idea to dilute this with water as that lessens the sugar content.  Another very important thing to remember is that you should never put your child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup.  If you must do this there should only be water in the bottle or sippy cup.  When children are sleeping they are unable to wash away the liquids from their teeth and thus if they are drinking sugary drinks during the night the sugar sits on their teeth until the morning.  This is one of the most common reasons for early childhood tooth decay.

Some final points include trying to avoid dental trauma.  Although you will find that children are very accident-prone it does not hurt to try to prevent what you can!  One important thing that I am sure everyone is aware of is that you must keep your child away from all electrical cords.  Children will instinctively put these in their mouths and they can acquire a very severe lip burn that takes many months to recover from.  Another thing to watch for is when your child starts learning to ride a bike or do any other sort of sport activity; mouth guards and helmets are a VERY smart idea.  If your child does encounter any sort of dental trauma at this age such as a chipped/knocked out front tooth call your dentist as soon as possible so an xray and any further treatment necessary can be done.

I hope this has given you a little taste of what to expect for your child from a dental perspective when they are young.  As emphasized before the most important thing to develop at this time in your child’s life is a dental routine to include at home brushing as well as semi annual dental visits.  And it never hurts to cut back on the sugars!