Keeping teeth healthy

Dental care should begin as soon as the baby teeth appear. Many parents think decay in the early years isn't a problem because baby teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth.

But research has clearly shown that children who develop early cavities go on to have higher rates of decay in permanent teeth.

Babies

When first teeth come through, wipe them gently with a damp clean cloth. At about age one you can use a small soft toothbrush. Start with one of the low-fluoride toothpastes specially formulated for small children and use just a tiny smear.

Children

Make sure kids brush at least twice a day - before bed and in the morning. Bedtime is the most important time to brush. A smear of toothpaste is all that is required. Have them spit out the toothpaste but not rinse with water. Leave the rest of the toothpaste so the fluoride can keep working to protect the teeth.

Diet advice

• Restrict sweet drinks and foods. Fruit juice and fizzy drinks contain a lot of sugar and are high in acidity, which increases the susceptibility of the enamel to decay. Sipping a bottle of juice or slowly working through a handful of lollies is worse than a short sweet feast, as the teeth get well and truly coated in sugar.
• Night-time snacks are particularly damaging because the saliva flow, which helps clean the teeth, switches off at night. That's why night-time brushing is so important.
• Be wary of so-called "healthy" snacks such as muesli bars, dried fruit and even some crackers. The sugar content can be surprisingly high.
• Food or snacks served with dairy products are usually less damaging than those without. Milk, even flavoured milk, is less damaging than cordial or juices. Plain water is best.
• Sugar-free chewing gums are good, once children are old enough, as they stimulate saliva flow, which helps to clean teeth.

Emergencies

• If your child breaks a tooth or gets toothache at the weekend or at any other time you can't contact their usual dental service, look for a dentist who is contracted to provide free care. Otherwise you may have to pay.
• If your child has severely decayed teeth, they may be referred to a public hospital dental unit for treatment or extraction under general anaesthetic.
• You may have to wait up to several months for treatment. You may also have to pay a part-charge. You can opt for private treatment by a dentist, or possibly an oral surgeon and anaesthetist, but you will have to pay normal private rates.

More information

• Finding a dentist:
  Dental Council of New Zealand, 04 499 4820, www.dcnz.org.nz
• Teenage dental care:
  www.healthysmiles.org.nz
• Children's dental care:
  www.healthysmiles.org.nz
• Pre-school dental care:
  www.healthysmiles.org.nz

Report by Bev Frederikson.