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Questions Many Parents Have About Their Child’s Dental Health · Talking FACS

• 0:01
  Welcome to talking facts and thank you for tuning into Kentucky smiles on talking facts,
• 0:06
  a podcast collaboration between the University of Kentucky College of dentistry and the U.
• 0:12
  K.
• 0:12
  College of Agriculture,
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  Food and environment.
• 0:14
  Cooperative extension service Kentucky smiles offers listeners information on maintaining oral health advancements and dental treatments research and more.
• 0:26
  Hello and welcome to Kentucky smiles on talking facts.
• 0:30
  This is your host,
• 0:31
  Dr jennifer Hunter,
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  assistant director for family Consumer sciences extension at the University of Kentucky today.
• 0:37
  I'm pleased to welcome our guest dr kelly Dean Grandeau,
• 0:40
  assistant professor of dentistry with a specialty in pediatrics.
• 0:44
  Welcome.
• 0:45
  Hi thank you for having me.
• 0:47
  So I am particularly excited about our topic today that we're going to talk quite a bit about Children and when they should visit the dentist and about bottles and pacifiers and all those questions that I think young parents just really need and want answered.
• 1:03
  I remember with with our firstborn that I was very you know like I didn't know when I need to take him to the dentist and I don't know what type of toothbrush we needed to use pacifiers.
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  Always a huge question.
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  So you're going to answer all of our need to know questions today about our kiddos and helping them have good dental health.
• 1:22
  Let's start with kind of that question about when should parents bringing their Children for their first visit to the dentist.
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  So the american Academy of pediatric dentistry.
• 1:33
  They recommend either first tooth or first birthday.
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  Um There's several reasons why they suggest such an early date and that's to get a child used to coming to the dentist.
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  So um they're less likely to be nervous if there were ever to be a need for treatment.
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  They've already gotten to know the dentist used to coming to the dental office and and usually having a positive experience.
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  The second reason is just two more so to talk to the parents about questions just like we're answering today.
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  That gives them an opportunity to ask things about the bottle about sippy cups,
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  all the things that you had mentioned.
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  So really by the first birthday is the latest date that we would like to see see a child.
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  So I will tell a story on myself here when my son was was born and I'm he's a teenager now and sometimes I'm shocked that he has made it there that I really just didn't have any idea of of what to do.
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  And so he was much later going to the dentist the first time,
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  but then we have a daughter that's much younger.
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  She's seven years younger.
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  And one of the things that prompted me to get her to the dentist so early is that I already had dental insurance for him.
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  So it didn't cost anything extra for her.
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  But I had to realize when when I had him was like,
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  oh I need to put him on my dental policy and it was just things that I had.
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  Not previously as a young parent thought thought about doing,
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  but she definitely made that first birthday milestone to to make you feel better.
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  This is not to long ago that the LAPD start recommending the one year used to be 33 years old when all the baby teeth are in.
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  That's when you would go to the dentist.
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  So if some parents are like you didn't,
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  it didn't register that.
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  Hey,
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  I should get my child looked at by age one or when a tooth is in there.
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  That's probably because it wasn't a common Thought until probably in the past 10 years.
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  So well that that makes me feel better because he's 17 and I do think that we made that three year old milestone.
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  And so that does I,
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  I'd always feel guilty because we took her so young that I that I didn't even think about taking him but he probably was three when we first took him to the dentist.
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  Well there are also still some pediatricians that Still recommend the three year first appointment.
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  And so we're also as pediatrics was trying to get the word out to even the pediatricians the one year.
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  So for all those parents that like you didn't take one until three,
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  no guilt.
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  It's a new new information.
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  Good.
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  Good to know.
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  But I definitely see the benefit because it did help her become more comfortable and and to understand even just how to sit in the chair and you know that people looking in their mouths and that it that it wasn't going to hurt and that it was just a simple check up similar to going to see the pediatrician for an annual checkup.
• 4:21
  Let's talk a little bit about brushing your child's teeth.
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  When should you begin to brush your child's teeth.
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  And that again is when you see that first too.
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  It is most important to brush your child's teeth right before they go to bed.
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  And as me,
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  I was a nursing mom.
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  And so I would as most moms get the child to nurse to sleep and the last thing you wanna do is wake it up.
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  So that was,
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  that was gonna be my next question.
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  So let's talk a little bit about that.
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  Sometimes I would have a washcloth already ready next to where I was nursing in the,
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  you know,
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  right before equipment equipment kind of sneak in and wipe the teeth off.
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  So if there's one or two,
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  you could use anything like a gauze washcloth.
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  And sometimes I thought I forgot the washcloth.
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  I just used my nightgown.
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  I just,
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  you're just trying to get the milk off the teeth because the milk has a sugar in it.
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  And if it sits on the teeth all night,
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  oh night after night after night it can cause the cavity.
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  So as soon as you can find as soon as you find that tooth has erupted into the mouth and you want to start brushing it what kind of toothbrushes most appropriate?
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  There are little infant toothbrush is there some have,
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  If you go to the stores,
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  you can see one that goes on the little finger on your finger and you can just kind of brush with that.
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  I am weary.
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  I don't,
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  I guess I've been bit enough.
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  I don't put my fingers in Children's mouths unless I absolutely have to.
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  So but they are helpful but just be where I would prefer to use the smallest head infant toothbrush that is at the stores and they're super,
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  super soft and so they will be good to brush the teeth.
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  Now there have been times I recommend the battery operated or electric toothbrush and that is more so for a child,
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  like my oldest child was pretty easy to brush his teeth.
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  Let me do it no big deal.
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  My younger one,
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  I had to sit indian style on the floor and hold him and headlock him and then also trying to do circles made it rough.
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  So then the spin brush would do the circles for me.
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  So if I I could just get it on some teeth.
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  I felt like I was brushing teeth so it really is.
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  Whatever would work best for the family and the parent if the parent is able to brush effectively and get all the,
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  you know,
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  all the surfaces of the teeth and a child will let them do that easily.
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  Then that's a perfectly good toothbrush.
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  It's really kind of which tool will work best for you and your child.
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  Do they make spin brushes for smaller Children Or is that just as a child becomes a little bit older?
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  They do.
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  We um I used to do a program with the head starts and we would go to the head starts and brush little kid teeth with spin brushes.
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  And we had ones that were,
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  you know,
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  relatively small and have sesame street on them or Crayola.
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  They look like a crayon.
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  And so yes,
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  they have them over the counter.
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  Very kid related paw patrol.
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  I think there's ones with paw Patrol on them.
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  Yes.
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  We have debates over the type of toothbrush in our house to my daughter prefers to to use the spin brush.
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  We have we have lots of debates over our toothbrush.
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  And what kind of toothbrush were we're using,
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  what kind of toothpaste we're using.
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  And I guess that's another question when you're when you have a little one,
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  is it okay to use toothpaste again?
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  The A.
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  P.
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  D.
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  They made a change even since my kids were little,
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  it used to be not until they were four years old and could spit.
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  And now they've changed that to use toothpaste with fluoride in it as soon as you start brushing their teeth now with that said they want you to use very very very little toothpaste.
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  You're just the reason why they recommend it to get the fluoride on the toothpaste,
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  especially right before bed and then they sleep and then it keeps,
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  you know,
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  it has a greater effect.
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  So they say like a rice size pencil tip size.
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  Yeah,
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  like a pencil tip.
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  Yeah,
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  that's a good way to describe it for up to,
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  I think up to age three.
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  And then at 3-6 it's more like a a smear so it barely covered the toothbrush with the toothpaste,
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  mainly because they can't spit.
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  So and then after age six it's more like a pea sized amount.
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  So nobody should be using,
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  not even us as adults.
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  Should not should be using the amount of toothpaste that they show in the commercials with the big dollop,
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  nobody should be using that amount.
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  But for their little friends we want very little toothpaste,
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  but they do recommend brushing with it.
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  So when is an appropriate age or expectation for a child to brush their own teeth.
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  So as you said,
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  you had one child that you struggled with and one that did great at what age should our child,
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  we even still have this sometimes in our house um with,
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  with our,
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  with our little girl,
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  do we need to check and go over those teeth again at what age should we expect a child to be brushing their own teeth at one time?
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  The rule was when they could write,
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  encourage it.
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  So now that they don't teach that in schools anymore.
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  Um that generally was around 2nd and 3rd grade because they would have the dexterity to get back there,
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  do the circles and get the teeth.
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  I have an 11 and 14 year old and I don't know what happened.
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  But they used to be great toothbrush ear's and they did a great job and now they don't.
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  So I do a thing every Friday night where I brush their teeth for them as much as my 14 year old hates that and I floss his teeth for them to at least ensure that once a week.
• 9:38
  Um it's getting done correctly.
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  But they say by age seven or eight years old,
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  you should be able to trust your child to go into the bathroom and brush its own teeth and be doing a pretty decent job.
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  I still would probably check.
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  But I'm a I'm a dentist.
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  So you can imagine,
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  I'm kind of a nerd about it.
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  Well we we still have to do checks,
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  checks at home too as well.
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  All right.
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  Now,
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  I think that this is a big question.
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  When should a child be weaned from a bottle?
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  It is recommended between,
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  I think it's somewhere between six months to a year,
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  but they definitely say by one year they really don't even want you to do sippy cups.
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  That was gonna be my next question about our sippy cups.
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  Okay.
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  And if so are their suggestions about using a sippy cup.
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  Yes.
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  So I'll go back to,
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  they want you to go and use a cup cup that meals.
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  The issue with the sippy cup has nothing to do with developing the teeth or making them flare kind of like if you were thinking about sucking at them now bottle is more so possibly.
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  But a sippy cup.
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  Not really.
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  It's usually what the parents are putting in the sippy cups.
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  So if you're,
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  if you've got a child and I definitely would be so becoming my kid as long as I could because I don't want,
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  I don't want to mess.
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  But if you are sippy cup ng,
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  it needs to only be water.
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  So that's all that can be in the sippy cup.
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  It meals if if you're trying to still do sippy cup and you're putting milk and stuff in the sippy cup,
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  that's probably fine at meals.
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  But you generally want to try to start doing the cup.
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  You want them off the sippy cups as well as soon as you can.
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  Just because it becomes something that people put the wrong contents in it coats the teeth with a sugar.
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  Whether it's natural sugar from juice or milk or if it's sometimes it's soda whatever people are putting in in their sippy cups besides water,
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  it becomes a problem.
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  So you brought up juice.
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  Let's talk a little bit about juice.
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  Is juice ever Okay.
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  Regardless of type of cup or should we try to steer clear of juice.
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  The recommendation,
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  This is from even the american Academy of pediatrics and the pediatric dentist Association.
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  They don't recommend more than four ounces and I think it's up to age like,
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  yeah,
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  this is gonna be a bad quote,
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  but somewhere around four and then 4 to 6 ounces.
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  Typically though most Children don't need juice,
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  they don't.
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  And um,
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  if they're getting fruit like vegetable,
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  strawberries,
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  strawberries,
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  blueberries,
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  kiwi,
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  whatever bananas,
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  they're getting enough of nutrients from fruit and getting those sources.
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  So juices not ever needed actually,
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  it's probably not really recommended it.
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  Um,
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  has a lot of sugar in it.
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  Even naturally occurring sugar,
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  which for me it's an issue with teeth for the pediatrician is an issue with obesity.
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  So they try to steer away from it if you are going to do a juice,
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  do it with meals.
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  So while they're eating when they're done eating that's it and water in between meals.
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  And we never really had a juice issue at our house.
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  But both our kids and still today at milk,
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  just large,
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  large quantities of milk.
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  And we,
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  we did have to watch,
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  especially our our daughter when she was old enough to fill a cup herself.
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  She would go and fill a cup with milk and just sit and kind of sit on it for an extended period of time.
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  As opposed like you said,
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  at a meal where you're there's gonna be a concentrated window when you're drinking the milk.
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  She would just sit and sip it and so we had to work on that behavior.
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  Yeah,
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  they'll I mean they'll even tell you for adults it's better to drink three mountain Dews breakfast,
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  lunch and dinner than to sip one mountain dew all day long.
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  Um Not that I'm recommending drinking three mountain Dews,
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  I I am just saying the idea of coating your teeth constantly with the sugar,
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  the acid and stuff is just really,
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  really bad.
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  So um if you are going to treat your child with with some juice,
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  do it with a meal.
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  So um while we're kind of talking about sugar and sugar on teeth,
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  what about medicines?
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  Is it true that there are some medicines for Children that have a lot of sugar in them.
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  And how should we be mindful of those with our teeth?
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  There are um if you'll look,
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  if you ever look it up um things like Tylenol or Motrin,
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  even the amoxicillin.
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  Uh So kids that are have a lot of ear infections when they're little,
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  a lot of times,
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  you know we're having to give them the antibiotic which got a lot of sugar.
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  I mean it's tasty that's how we get them to take it.
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  The Motrin,
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  the Tylenol full of sugar,
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  even the gummy vitamins that a lot of parents are giving Children these days.
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  We're seeing a lot of issues with those.
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  My recommendations are especially with the gummy vitamins give them in the morning because that then throughout the day the saliva will break that down where if we do it right before bed,
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  which a lot of parents do.
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  Which is probably a great idea.
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  They're thinking we got this routine will get this done.
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  It sits on the teeth all night long and then we're seeing a lot of cavities from that same thing like with any of your antibiotics or your Motrin and Tylenol,
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  try to do it around the meal time.
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  But if you're doing it right before bed,
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  make sure you're brushing their teeth.
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  Last thing that should ever be on the teeth is the toothpaste.
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  And they recommend brushing the teeth and not even rinsing and that allows the fluoride from the toothpaste is sent on the teeth all night long,
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  which is which is a great help.
• 15:10
  Yeah,
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  so it's interesting what you're talking about.
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  Especially some of the chewable medicines like the ibuprofen or the Tylenol.
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  That that that's a debate that we've had that we've had in our house as well that unfortunately not not very often had had the need for it.
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  But sometimes when you've given that to our to our little girl,
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  my husband will say go brush your teeth first and then we'll give you this so that you so that it's still in your mouth that you just don't brush it all out after after you take it before bed,
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  we've often had that debate so I can just play in this podcast and I'm right.
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  I really like it when the podcast confirmed that I'm right.
• 15:45
  Um,
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  so last question is we begin to,
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  to,
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  to wrap up and maybe I've saved the most controversial for last,
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  but our pacifier is okay.
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  And if,
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  if so up until what age.
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  And is there a good kind versus a bad kind?
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  So there are some studies that support the pacifier in helping with SIDS.
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  So there's been some recommendations that allow the kids,
• 16:13
  they'll suckle on the past fire helps move their jaw in a a way to help with SIDS.
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  I don't think it's been proven.
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  I just think there's some studies that have suggested this could be a help a deterrent.
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  I personally don't think there's a real difference between the past fires.
• 16:30
  There are some people that say the nuke in UK because a lot of times we'll say dentally Serving or something.
• 16:38
  Um,
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  we want any habit whether it be thumb or pacifier to be done by age three the sooner the better.
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  Like if you can get it done by age one that we're done with all of our habits,
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  that will be great.
• 16:51
  It's by age three.
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  If we start seeing changes in the dentition in the mouth,
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  like where the,
• 16:57
  the arches forming,
• 16:59
  those cannot be repaired without braces later.
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  If it's done before three,
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  a lot of times the lip is strong enough to push it back.
• 17:07
  If you don't have that habit constantly having are happening.
• 17:11
  I do have a lot of parents that have thumb sucking kids and they say,
• 17:15
  I sure wish we did the pacifier because you can get rid of the pacifier can take it away.
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  You can't cut away a thumb.
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  So if you think there's a habit forming with the thumb,
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  maybe try to use the pacifier.
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  But if we can never use the pacifier,
• 17:32
  that would be great.
• 17:33
  Now I will tell him myself I had a colicky first child and I tried to put a pacifier in that kid's mouth and he would not take it.
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  Then at age seven,
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  he decided to try to start sucking his thumb.
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  I said,
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  Oh no,
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  no,
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  no.
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  You know,
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  you wouldn't take the pacifier to help me.
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  You're not getting that thumb.
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  I don't know where that came from all of a sudden at seven,
• 17:54
  but I don't want to say absolute on the pacifier.
• 17:58
  An absolute hard.
• 17:59
  No,
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  I mean I'm a parent.
• 18:01
  I understand sometimes survival is to get through,
• 18:05
  but the closer you can get it after age one but definitely by age three it needs to be it needs to be stopped.
• 18:13
  I will say some parents,
• 18:15
  I'll talk to them about it and they're like,
• 18:17
  yeah,
• 18:17
  we're going to start winning the pacifier said,
• 18:20
  and the kid would be about two and I'm like,
• 18:21
  well,
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  are you all going to be potty training soon and they're like,
• 18:24
  yeah,
• 18:25
  okay,
• 18:26
  well don't do both at the same time.
• 18:27
  It's too much on a child to try to quit the habit and be potty trained.
• 18:32
  So things to keep in mind if there's going to be a big transition in your life,
• 18:36
  like moving houses moving or just any kind of big transition you may want to weight on your pacifier habit or try to get the pacifier habit done before the transition occurs.
• 18:46
  A lot of kids reverted back to their habits during the shutdown,
• 18:50
  which makes sense.
• 18:51
  Just like they started putting in their pants again or pacifier or thumb sucking whatever the habit may have been,
• 18:59
  the shutdown did have an effect on our Children.
• 19:02
  So just trying to keep that in mind when you're going to start a new change for a child,
• 19:07
  like not to do too,
• 19:09
  not to do too much because there's only so much the little one can handle.
• 19:12
  But there's also only so much parents can handle only so much,
• 19:17
  a little bit more than we can,
• 19:18
  but there's only so much parents can handle Dr Dean Brando,
• 19:22
  thank you so much for joining us today and um,
• 19:25
  answering,
• 19:26
  answering all of our questions.
• 19:27
  I know I know for myself as a,
• 19:29
  as a,
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  as a parent of older Children,
• 19:31
  but certainly when I had when I had young Children that never really knowing exactly what to do or what was right or what could have some form of,
• 19:41
  of long term impact.
• 19:42
  So I appreciate you helping us answer those questions today.
• 19:45
  It was it was great.
• 19:47
  I enjoyed it.
• 19:47
  Thank you.
• 19:48
  Thank you again.
• 19:50
  Thank you for listening to Kentucky smiles on talking facts.
• 19:54
  Our goal is to provide you with knowledge to support your oral health needs.
• 19:59
  If you have suggestions for future topics,
• 20:01
  please message us on the UK College of Dentistry facebook page at facebook dot com forward slash u ky dentistry or visit our website at UK healthcare dot u k Y dot e d u forward slash dentistry For more information.