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| credit: Envato Images |
Dear Melissa,
I have a 4-year-old son with a diagnosis of Autism. He has extreme defensiveness to touch, food textures, and he gags easily. This oral sensitivity also makes brushing teeth a nightmare! He refuses to let me brush his teeth and refuses to brush them himself. I’m hoping that not brushing or flossing will be OK because he just has baby teeth.
I’m sorry to hear about your struggles! Learning tooth brushing skills is tricky for many kids, and for children with Autism the challenge can seem insurmountable. I will respond to your question fully over my next few posts.This week I will tackle your comment about brushing and flossing baby teeth.
We can certainly “hope” that not brushing or flossing will not cause any long term problems for our kids, but is this really the case? I respect the opinion of Dr. Karen Green, a local Board Certified Pediatric Dentist from Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics. I’m again reaching out to her to respond to your comment.
Melissa: What is your response to the idea that not brushing baby teeth is OK because they are not permanent teeth?
Dr. Green: Even if your child does not like brushing, it is very important to brush the baby teeth. There will be some baby teeth in your child’s mouth until around age 12. Not brushing can lead to cavities. Cavities are a bacterial infection in the mouth, which can cause severe pain and swelling if not treated. If a tooth gets infected, it may need to be taken out early. A baby tooth that is taken out early may lead to increased crowding with the permanent teeth.
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| painful, decayed baby teeth image credit: Envato |
Melissa: OK, so care for baby teeth is very important!
Dr. Green: Yes, and baby teeth are very susceptible to cavities, as the enamel (outer and strongest layer) of the tooth is much thinner than in an adult tooth. Good oral hygiene and a healthy low sugar diet are the best way to prevent cavities from forming! Children that have cavities in their baby teeth are also more likely to have cavities in their adult teeth. Protect those teeth from the start!
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| front office area at Pediatric Dental Associates and Orthodontics |
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Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics, Fayetteville, AR
Visiting the Dentist, Children’s Therapy TEAM Dear Melissa Blog for Parents (February, 2015)