Evelina Weidman Sterling - Your Childs Teeth: A Complete Guide for Parents

your childs teeth

A Complete Guide for Parents

EVELINA WEIDMAN STERLINGandANGIE BEST-BOSS

NOTE TO READER: This book describes how to protect the dental health of children in general. It was not written about your child. The services of a competent dental or medical professional should be obtained whenever medical or other specific advice is needed.

2013 The Johns Hopkins University Press
All rights reserved. Published 2013
Printed in the United States of America on
acid-free paper
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Sterling, Evelina Weidman, 1970
Your childs teeth : a complete guide for parents
/Evelina Weidman Sterling, Angie Best-Boss.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4214-1062-3 (hardcover : alk.
paper)
ISBN-10: 1-4214-1062-1 (hardcover : alk.
paper)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4214-1063-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-4214-1063-X (pbk. : alk. paper)
[etc.]
1. ChildrenDental care. 2. Pedodontics.
I. Best-Boss, Angie. II. Title.
RK55.C5S74 2013
617.645dc23 2012047776

A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.

, by Fern Ingber, M.Ed.

As a mother and a grandmother, I find nothing more precious than the smile of a child. A childs smile can warm your heart on the coldest day and bring joy to all who experience it. As president and CEO of National Childrens Oral Health Foundation: Americas ToothFairy, I have witnessed the devastating effects that poor oral health has on our children, our communities, and our future.

Your Childs Teeth: A Complete Guide for Parents provides parents and caregivers a clear understanding of how oral health is inextricably linked to overall systemic health, because the mouth is the gateway to the body. Covering everything, including basic preventive strategies, nutrition, oral care for a child with special needs, and various dental problems and treatments for children of all ages, the book is a comprehensive guide on how to make sure your child maintains good oral health for a lifetime. Americas ToothFairy and our pediatric dental experts are proud to have been collaborators from the inception of this book. This important project perfectly aligns with our mission of eliminating childrens pain and suffering caused by the number one chronic childhood disease in America: preventable tooth decay.

Pediatric dental disease has reached epidemic proportions. Every child deserves a healthy smile, yet millions of children suffer tremendous pain and embarrassment from dental disease, more commonly known as severe tooth decay. Covering their smiles and unable to eat, sleep, or concentrate in school, children with dental disease find themselves in a downward spiral that negatively affects their adult lives. With limited or no access to oral health care, disadvantaged children are at great risk for impaired cognitive and social development, educational disparities, and a lifetime of pain and shame associated with tooth decay.

Oral health education is the key to breaking the cycle of pediatric dental disease. We are grateful to Evelina Weidman Sterling and Angie Best-Boss for their vision and commitment in developing this important health resource for parents and caregivers. This book should be part of every familys library and a vital resource in every child health and welfare institution. By promoting positive oral health behaviors and implementing preventive strategies, we can help make sure that all children have the building blocks they need for happy, healthy futures.

FERN INGBER, M.ED.

President and CEO

National Childrens Oral Health Foundation: Americas ToothFairy

For over two decades now, we have both been fortunate to participate in various aspects of educating patients about important health issues. Imagine our surprise when we tried to find comprehensive and reliable information whenever one of our children had a dental issue and found almost nothing. We decided to use our skills in health education to change this. We envisioned writing a resource similar to the plethora of pediatric health books available today that families would be able to keep on hand and turn to whenever they had a question or concern (big or small) about their childrens teeth.

We want to thank the many people who helped make this book possible. We could not have done this without the tremendous support of Fern Ingber, president of the National Childrens Oral Health Foundation, also known as Americas ToothFairy, as well as the rest of her fabulous staff. Fern connected us with Dr. Martha Ann Keels and Dr. Rebecca Slay-ton, who graciously shared their expertise about pediatric oral health and were willing to answer all questions we had. We would also like to thank Dr. John H. Taylor, a pediatric dentist practicing in Marietta, Georgia, for giving us invaluable feedback, especially regarding orthodontia, that only someone who genuinely cares about his patients and their families could have provided. Dr. Kenneth A. Murphy of Atlanta, Georgia, was also incredibly helpful as he shared with us the latest and greatest dental technologies. We are especially grateful to our editor, Jackie Wehmueller, for believing in us from the beginning and encouraging us throughout the writing process, and to Melanie Mallon for her editing skills and sharp attention to detail. Finally, we are forever indebted to our familiesDan, Ben, Ellie, DuWain, Kaylyn, Clara, and Katyfor seeing us through yet another book.

Good oral health is a cornerstone for overall health and wellness for everyone. Through this book, we want to share our passion for health and all the knowledge we have gained about childrens oral health in order to keep families far and wide smiling brightly for many years to come.

Whether its your babys first smile, toddlers toothy grin, or adolescents shy laughter, you love your childs smile, and you want to do everything you can to protect it. But for a lot of parents, thats easier said than done. A glimpse into most parents to-do list tells the story. Between helping with homework, making dinner, chauffeuring kids to soccer practice, and other activities, most parents barely have time to brush their childrens teeth, much less spend much time thinking about their overall oral health. As a result, most parents encourage their children to brush regularly, get to the dentist when they can, and hope for the best.

Your childs oral health is more important than you may realize. Oral health can offer clues about overall health and wellness. Problems with our mouths can affect the rest of our bodies. Understanding the intimate connection between oral health and general health is enormously helpful when you consider what you can do to protect your childs smile. While it sounds improbable, untreated cavities can lead to painful and sometimes even fatal infections. The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center identifies this and other potential difficulties from neglecting our teeth and oral health: