A national oral health survey which was conducted in 2003 found that about 48% of 6 years old children had tooth decay and almost half of them had four or more decayed teeth.
The biggest factor that may contribute to the high possibility of a child developing cavities would be falling asleep while drinking milk, leading to decayed teeth, a term that is widely known as baby bottle tooth decay.
Tooth decay is not only caused by what parents have given to their children (such as milk or fruit juice), but the frequency of giving those sweet liquids and the length of time that a child uses their bottle.
The good news is, parents, as the guardians of the children, are able take full control of the three factors above to prevent their kids from having caries during their early childhood.
Useful tips for parents:
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Try to wipe your baby’s gums with a clean soft gauze or cloth after each milk feeding. When the child’s first tooth erupts, start brushing it.
- Prevent your child from falling asleep with a bottle of milk, fruit juice, honey, or other sweetened liquids.
- When your baby needs a pacifier during their naps or at night, please give him/her a clean pacifier without dipping it into sweetened liquids.
- Start to bring your child to visit a paedodontist by his/her first birthday. However, if he/she has dental problems before their first birthday, take them to see a paedodontist as soon as possible.
Prevention is better than cure. Give your child a good start in life with a healthy smile…… and teeth
