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 Learn More About This Book: Description & Table of Contents Read an Excerpt #1: What are the causes of developmental disabilities? Read an Excerpt #2: Answers to questions about dental care for your child with special needs. Related Titles: Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs, Fourth Edition Nobody's Perfect: Living and Growing with Children Who Have Special Needs |
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Questions About Dental Care Excerpted from Chapter 8 of When Your Child Has a Disability: The Complete Sourcebook of Daily and Medical Care, Revised Edition, by George Acs, D.M.D., M.P.H., & Man Wai Ng, D.D.S., M.P.H., edited by Mark L. Batshaw, M.D. Copyright © 2001 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. At what age should my daughter have her first dental visit? The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that all children have their first dental visit around 12 months of age. Many dentists recommend a first visit even earlier, when the first tooth comes in. The AAPD has established guidelines for infant oral health that include the concept of anticipatory guidance. Starting from your child’s first visit, the dentist would consider the individual needs of your child and advise about likely events during development and strategies to effectively meet the future challenges of dental growth and development. Can I do anything to reduce the number of cavities that my child will get? Toothbrushing, flossing, and a healthful diet can all help reduce cavities. In addition, studies have indicated that children acquire cavity-causing bacteria during the emergence of their first teeth. Parents usually inadvertently infect their child! Your breathing and handling your child allows this spread, and if you have a high bacterial count or possess bacteria that are more efficient at causing cavities, your child is at increased risk for future cavities. You can help reduce that risk by undergoing frequent dental cleanings yourself and by having all of your own cavities repaired so that you are less likely to pass your cavity-inducing bacteria to your infant. Should my child receive sealants? Plastic sealants can be useful in preventing cavities. They are effective when applied by the dentist to the biting surfaces of permanent molar teeth that have deep grooves or pits. This technique is particularly useful during the first 3 or 4 years after the emergence of a permanent tooth. The probability of developing a cavity on the biting surface of a permanent molar that has been erupted for 5 or more years is considerably less, so a sealant on such a tooth is not likely to be necessary. In addition, children who have evidence of tooth grinding on their permanent molars often do not require sealants because the grooves and pits in these teeth have been smoothed down. My child falls to sleep with a bottle of formula. Will that cause nursing decay? Some commercially available products appear not to be associated with baby bottle tooth decay, whereas others are very efficient at promoting tooth destruction. But until more information is available about why certain liquids cause cavities and others do not, children should not be allowed to fall asleep with a nursing bottle containing any liquid other than water. The same applies to children who are breast-fed. Prolonged breast feeding and falling asleep with the nipple in the mouth can promote tooth decay, as can sucking on a pacifier dipped in a sugary material. Children with gastroesophageal reflux (see Chapter 7) can also experience many cavities, even if they do not fall asleep while feeding. Because of the acid reflux, the tooth enamel will lose minerals and develop cavities. My child is exclusively fed through a gastric tube. Are dental checkups necessary? Even children who do not receive nutrition through the mouth are susceptible to dental disease. Good oral hygiene, dental checkups, and deep cleanings by a dentist or dental hygienist may prevent this from occurring. Periodic dental visits will also help your child get used to oral manipulation over time and prepare your child to accept dental treatment if it is required in the future. |
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 ORDERING INFO ISBN 1-55766-472-2 Paperback 496 pages / 6 x 9 2001 / $26.95 Stock# 4722 |
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