Every February, the American Dental Association recognizes National Children’s Dental Health Month. This February, the theme is Choose Tap Water for a Sparkling Smile. Unlike most bottled water, municipal tap water is treated with fluoride—an important mineral that has been proven to help everyone, but especially young children, fight the battle against tooth decay. In addition, National Children’s Dental Health Month is the right time to focus on the overall condition of your son or daughter’s smile. For fun and fantastic children’s dental care in Medina, visit the office of Dr. Allan Milewski. He and his team are ready to help parents and children enjoy all the benefits of a healthy and happy smile.
Fluoride and Children’s Dental Health
Fluoride is found naturally in the earth’s crust and in lakes, rivers and streams. This mineral works in two distinct ways to help your children avoid cavities. First, as your children grow, the fluoride they ingest concentrates in their forming bones and teeth. With the right amount of fluoride, tooth enamel becomes harder on their primary teeth and even on their adult teeth hiding below the gum line. And once those adult teeth erupt, fluoride helps to keep enamel hard—an important quality considering the fact that enamel is each tooth’s first line of defense against decay.
Fluoride Treatments
Medina family dentist Dr. Milewski provides fluoride treatments as a means of helping to strengthen your children’s teeth even more. At the conclusion of one of your child’s dental checkups, the hygienist will fill mouth trays with fluoride gel and place the trays over their teeth. The fluoride penetrates and strengthens the enamel surface and is then rinsed away with water. Two minutes of prevention can provide several months of protection.
Dental Sealants
Another means of protection against tooth decay is dental sealants. These are “painted” on to the biting surfaces of your children’s molars where cavity-causing bacteria can more easily hide. Sealants go on as a plastic liquid and quickly dried with a curing light. The solid finish of sealants creates a long-lasting barrier between teeth and bacteria.
Dental Checkups
Perhaps the most important step parents can take to help their children have healthy smile is stick to a schedule of dental checkups every six months. These appointments give Dr. Milewski and his team the opportunity to help your children have bright smiles and understand the importance of daily brushing and flossing. Dr. Milewski encourages parents to help their children brush until they are seven or eight years old. Then, with some supervision, they can begin to brush on their own. Talk to Dr. Milewski for ideas on how you can encourage your children to take good care of their teeth and gums.
Contact Our Office Today
Let February be the month that you put a focus on the health of your children’s smiles. Call the office of Dr. Milewski today to schedule an appointment.