oral health

Is There a Link Between Childhood Obesity and Oral Health?

September 26, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

Talk to your child’s pediatrician and their pediatric dentist about how to implement good eating habits.

Child obesity is an increasing problem in our modern society. More often than not it is associated with unhealthy eating habits and a poor example set by parents, role models and peers. Obesity in children can lead to many problems that manifest directly or over the years. Could there be a link between poor oral health and child obesity?

If your child has gained some weight and you start noticing that their figure is modifying, it is best to ask your pediatrician if there is any reason for concern. Depending on the child’s age, his weight may or may not be excessive.

As a child grows older, the weight and height graphs modify, so make sure you use the right measurement and reference system to determine if your kid truly has a weight problem. The BMI score is one of the indicators that can lead to obesity diagnosis. BMI (Body Mass Index) shows the proportion between the child’s weight and his height.

What Are the Leading Causes of Child Obesity?

There are many reasons your child may gain an unhealthy amount of weight. First of all, you need to evaluate the family’s eating habits. Do you often eat out or prepare highly processed meals? Are you drinking large amounts of soda drinks or fruit juice? Do you indulge, often in sweets or fatty snacks? These habits can lead to a weight problem not only for your child but for all the members of your family too.

Another leading cause of childhood obesity is the lack of proper exercise. Children are increasingly giving away their physical activities in favor of playing video games indoors. If they spend too much time indoors, they lack the minimum amount of effort needed to stay in shape.

If your child is obese despite having a healthy diet and a proper amount of daily exercise, you might want to investigate possible hormonal causes.

Is Child Obesity Linked to Oral Health?

A study conducted in 2017 by the University of Gothenburg explored the possible links between childhood obesity and oral health problems. The study showed that children who had the most risks of having cavities also had unhealthy eating habits and weight problems.

To put it simply, children who have unhealthy eating habits may also be more prone to having oral health problems. Eating too much sugar leads to child obesity as well as cavities. One of the solutions proposed by the researchers conducting the study was to bring the discussion about child obesity into the dentist office. If dentists would be more involved in promoting good eating habits, child obesity may be easier to prevent.

If you are interested in your child’s health, giving your child a proper diet, proper amounts of exercise and promoting good oral health habits are essential. Talk to your child’s pediatrician and their pediatric dentist about how to implement good eating habits.

Why You Should Discuss Your Medical History with Your Dentist

May 29, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

Having this information available and updated regularly will help your St. Louis sedation dentist paint a better picture of your overall health and give you the best treatment option for your oral health.

Sedation dentistry keeps patients calm enough to receive needed treatment safely and with no discomfort. Sedation is used during long and complex procedures, or when treating patients with dental anxiety, children, seniors or people with certain disabilities.

While sedation has certain associated risks, its benefits generally outweigh them in most cases. Moreover, the doctors are prepared to stabilize the patient in case something falls out of the expected parameters.

During preliminary talk, your St. Louis sedation dentist will want to hear about your medical history before deciding what type of sedation best fits your case best. Here is what your doctor needs to know.

Medications You Are on

Keep a list of all the medications you are on at the moment and present it to your doctor during your preliminary consultation. Even if you have recently interrupted a treatment, mention that to your dentist, as you might still have the active substance in your system.

Other Special Conditions

Besides the medication you are taking, it is important for the dentist to know if you have any condition that could interfere with the treatment. For example, if you are trying to have a baby, make sure to mention a possible pregnancy to your dentist, especially before getting sedation dentistry, as not all forms of sedation are safe for pregnant women.

Other conditions that are relevant to your dentist are related to major surgery, respiratory conditions, allergies, heart conditions, etc. If you are currently receiving treatment for something, it is not a bad idea to mention it to your dentist, especially if you are scheduled for a more complex dental procedure.

Other Mentions

If you think that any health mention would have an impact on your dental treatment, mention it. This may include medication you are taking (including plasters with active substances, ointments or inhaled substances,) chronic conditions like asthma or epilepsy, drugs you have taken recently, smoking, and so on. Some may seem irrelevant to a dentist visit, but oral health is connected to your overall health. Therefore, it is important for your dentist to have an updated medical archive.

Having this information available and updated regularly will help your St. Louis sedation dentist paint a better picture of your overall health and give you the best treatment option for your oral health. This practice can avoid dangerous combinations of medication, and can help your dentist diagnose you better.

7 Vitamins That Are Great for Your Teeth

January 31, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

These seven vitamins will contribute greatly to you or your child’s oral health.

In the dental industry, we talk a lot about what foods you shouldn’t eat. The reason is that most oral health issues stem from the combination of improper eating and lack of cleaning. What we discuss less are the foods that improve your oral health. Well, we are changing that today by presenting 7 mouth-friendly vitamins and minerals, plus the foods your children should eat to get them. You can find an explanation for each of them in the following passages.

Calcium

The most well known of the bunch is calcium, which plays an integral role in teeth and bone health. You can obtain this mineral through foods like milk, yogurt, certain vegetables, and some types of fish. Please note that you may have trouble getting enough if you have dairy issues. In that case, a nutritional supplement might be your best option. This should be discussed with your doctor.

Vitamin D

The interesting thing about Vitamin D is that it does not have a direct effect on your oral health. Instead, it helps you absorb calcium, which we’ve already covered. The best way to get Vitamin D is through sun exposure, as very few foods have it. If you’re looking into supplements, many companies combine calcium and Vitamin D in the same pill.

Potassium

Potassium plays two roles in oral health. They are increasing tooth density and reducing calcium leaching. Foods that contain this mineral include bananas, tomatoes, some beans, all kinds of potatoes, and avocados.

Phosphorus

Calcium is the primary bone builder in your body, but it requires a team of vitamins and minerals to help it function. One of them is phosphorus, which plays a supporting role. You can find it in many types of seafood, other meats, and lentils.

Vitamin K

This vitamin helps block harmful substances from degrading your teeth and assists in strengthening every bone in your body. The best foods to get it from are leafy greens like kale and spinach, though many other vegetables have it too.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps protect against gum disease, which frequently affects children. Oranges have famously high levels of it, but so do leafy greens and other vegetables. The latter might be preferable due to their lack of sugar.

Vitamin A

One of the things people often don’t know about oral health is how important saliva is. When you don’t have it, your mouth becomes dry, and you are at heightened risk of many diseases. Fortunately, Vitamin A is in a variety of foods. The most popular of them are fish, kale, spinach, eggs, and carrots.

One thing to note is that you can obtain many of these vitamins through nutritional supplements. Some of them even have everything you need for healthy teeth, as they are specifically constructed to do so. Though we are not nutritionists, the general wisdom on this subject is that getting your vitamins from food is more effective than supplements. Of course, you may consider doing both. This should be discussed with your doctor.

One thing you can be sure of is that taking care of all 7 points on this list should lead to a healthier mouth. To schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist at The Dental Anesthesia Center give us a call at (314) 862-7844.

The Top 3 Reasons Why Kids Get Cavities

January 14, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

Following these simple tips can result in your children being happy and healthy for years to come.

Let’s start by discussing the process behind cavities. First, tiny pieces of harmful foods get caught in the teeth and gums. Next, if the person does not have a sufficient oral care routine, they turn into harmful plaque. Lastly, that plaque starts to attack the tooth, getting inside of it and causing decay. The two questions to ask when thinking about your children’s oral health are:

Which foods are harmful?
What does an insufficient oral care routine look like?

In the following sections we will discuss the answers to these questions.

Sugars

The first factor that causes cavities is sugar, and unfortunately, it is everywhere in the modern world. You probably already know that you should limit your child’s consumption of candy and soda. What you might not understand is that foods and drinks like fruit, sports drinks, juice, and milk are high in this harmful substance as well. Other foods, like spaghetti sauce, ketchup, and granola bars, sneak up on even the most informed parents.

While you don’t need to be obsessive about cutting every gram of sugar out of your child’s diet, making an effort to reduce the most problematic food and drinks is a smart idea. First, start with drinks and obvious foods like candy and sugary cereal. Next, begin to cut out ones that fly under the radar. You should have a healthy, low sugar diet by the end of this process.

Acids

The second dietary issue that you need to know about is acids. One factor that makes this problem difficult to avoid is that it is not as easy to find as sugar, given that there is no acidity rating on standard nutrition labels. Fortunately, you can learn about the most problematic of these foods and cut them out with excellent results. They include frozen dinners, pastries, artificial sweeteners, cereals, and sodas. One thing that bodes well for you is that almost all of these examples are sugary too, so you can often solve both issues with one dietary decision.

Poor Oral Care Routine

The last crucial piece of cavity avoidance is a committed oral care routine. While technique plays a role, the more common issue is a lack of commitment. Children frequently skip brushing and flossing without their parents knowing. As a result, sugars, acids, and other pieces of food stick to their teeth and are free to develop into more harmful substances. Taking care of oral health every morning and night does an excellent job of halting this process before it leads to cavities.

One thing to note is that a child getting a cavity is not the end of the world. A skilled pediatric dentist can generally help you resolve this issue, without any significant long-term effects. That being said, your kids having healthy mouths is the best outcome of all. We hope that by limiting sugars, cutting down on acids, and having an excellent oral care routine results in your children being happy and healthy for years to come.

The Best and Worst Drinks for Pediatric Oral Health

August 14, 2018 by DAC Leave a Comment

With a little bit of education and action, you can keep your whole family’s mouths healthy.

Many stresses come with parenting, and one of them is what to feed your child. Not only is it difficult to spend the time and energy preparing healthy food and drinks, but with all the misinformation in the health industry, those health foods might not be healthy at all! This is no reason to give up, though. The correct information is out there, and once you understand it, you will be able to give your child everything they need.

What Makes a Drink Good or Bad?

Two primary factors make something unhealthy for your teeth. They are sugar and acidity. If the drink you have chosen has either of those, it will generally be bad for your oral health. What makes a drink good is essentially just the opposite: Anything without sugar or acidity.

The Best

Water – The most important drink of all is water. It does not compromise your oral health one bit and does many things to improve it. Being hydrated and having a moist mouth does wonders for your teeth. Whenever possible, choose water over other drinks.
Green & Herbal Tea – This beverage is essentially the closest thing you can get to pure water. Dried plants lightly flavor it, but those plants do not add anything to it that hurt teeth.

The Worst

Soda – When it comes to teeth, soda is the worst of the worst. As we discussed above, sugar is one of the primary factors in a drink being bad for your teeth. Well, soda has the highest sugar content of any beverage, with around forty grams in a single twelve-ounce can! Making things even worse, soda is also acidic. You should avoid soda whenever possible.
Sports Drinks – These beverages have long been marketed themselves as healthy drinks for athletes, but this is really not the case. What sports drinks look like on a chemical level is fruity soda without the carbonation. They are high in sugar and acidity, and they should be cut out of your child’s diet.
Juice – Here we have another product that is marketed as healthy, but is bad for teeth. Juice’s one redeeming quality is that depending on the fruits in it, it can have some nutrients. Aside from that, a child drinking juice is relatively similar to a child drinking soda.
Coffee – Though coffee is more of an adult beverage, there are still many teens that get a taste for it. Not only is sugar often added to it, but coffee itself is also very acidic, making it a drink you should minimize.
Sparkling Water – This product is often used as a soda replacement, and it is a lot better than soda, but it still has its issues. The primary one is the acidity of the sweeteners used.

With a little bit of education and action, you can keep your whole family’s mouths healthy. If a potential drink is on this list, then follow our advice. If not, then look at what makes a drink good or bad and try to figure it out.

St. Louis Pediatric Dentistry

In addition to eating and drinking things that promote good oral health, regular trips to the dentist are equally important. At The Dental Anesthesia Center, your child’s initial oral examination will include a visual examination, charting, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. We work hard to make your child feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere.

Call us today to schedule your appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!

Why it’s Important to Take Care of Your Baby’s Teeth!

July 19, 2018 by DAC Leave a Comment

Baby teeth aren’t temporary, they create the permanence of how your child’s dental health will be for the future.

Baby teeth are super exciting for first-time parents. Once the hardships of getting them to break through and the teething phase are over, most parents give little thought to baby teeth.

While they are a temporary fixture, if they are damaged, develop cavities, or if they aren’t taken very good care of, no harm, no foul, right? Wrong. Baby teeth are extremely important to your child’s overall dental health.

When should your child first see their dentist?

When your child has their first tooth surface, it is a momentous occasion, and it is also a signal that it is time to visit the dentist. Since decay can occur at any age and time, it is critical to have your child’s teeth examined every six months.

The ideal situation is to have your child’s first dental examination by age one. That way your child isn’t going to be intimidated by the dentist going forward. Seeing a dentist early will also help to set up a lifetime of healthy oral habits.

What is the role of baby teeth?

Most children get all their primary teeth by the age of three. The primary teeth are not just essential for chewing and eating, they also:

Help to promote good nutrition by chewing essential foods
Aid in speech development
Provide the basis for a good foundation for permanent teeth to break through

What if you don’t take care of your child’s primary teeth?

If you don’t take good care of your child’s baby teeth, not only are you setting a bad example, you might be doing damage to their permanent ones. If a child gets a cavity early on without care, it will lead to pain and can ultimately result in an infection that can hurt the permanent teeth that are waiting below.

If an infection sets in, a child’s immune system might not be capable of fighting it, which can lead to serious consequences if left undetected.

Good Habits Last a Lifetime

Most importantly, studies show that the habits children develop early tend to follow them throughout adulthood. If you don’t establish good oral hygiene in their younger years, you are predisposing them to a lifetime of poor dental habits and dental health.

If you teach them how to take care of their baby teeth, when the permanent teeth begin to surface, they will have both the knowledge and the skills to take care of them effectively and stave off cavities to maintain their oral health.

Baby teeth might seem like a do-over and unimportant. But, the truth is that a child’s primary teeth are there to teach a child how to care for their teeth when they become permanent.

Teaching them early to visit the dentist regularly, brush and floss with care, and to care about their smile is the only way to ensure that when those permanent teeth are ready to surface, your child is prepared to take care of them.

Pediatric Dentist St. Louis

Your child’s initial oral examination will include a visual examination, charting, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. We work hard to make your child feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere. Depending on your child’s circumstances, we will discuss if sedation or anesthesia is right for your child.