Dental Health
Posted on March 14th, 2007
Listen to this PageWhile dental extraction’s in any child are unacceptable, early removal of primary teeth in a child with a cleft has additional implications because of the problems it presents for later orthodontic treatment. The loss of space, particularly in the upper arch makes orthodontic treatment more difficult.
Fruit drinks and juices can have an erosive effect on your child’s teeth due to the sugar content.
Weaning food and drinks likewise should be free from non-milk extrinsic sugars as much as possible.
Parents should only feed their baby milk and cooled, boiled water from a feeding bottle. A dummy should not be dipped in in sugar, honey or anything sweet as this can also cause extensive decay in a young child.
You must ensure regular toothbrushing of your child’s teeth, ideally a twice-daily brushing with a very small amount of toothpaste on the brush. A low fluoride toothpaste containing no more than 600 ppm fluoride is recommended for children under 6 years of age in order to reduce the likelihood of enamel opacities in the permanent teeth.
[display_podcast]
Comments are closed.
