facilitate chewing that builds stronger teeth and creates better alignment,” she explains. If childhood tooth growth is delayed, Pearson often suggests a chiropractic adjustment if all other developmental areas are normal. “It can help the body relax so that teeth erupt naturally,” she advises.
Mouth-to-Mouth Susan Maples, a doctor of dental surgery and owner of Total Health Dentistry, in Holt, Michigan, notes that Streptococcus mutans is the leading reason children are hospitalized today. “Cavities are formed when the rate of decay of the teeth caused by the lactic acid produced by the bacteria exceeds the rate of repair initiated by the phosphate and calcium ions in saliva,” she explains. The unwanted bacteria is transmitted through saliva, which is why adults should avoid licking spoons or tasting foods before offering them to children between the ages of 1 and 3. “This type of bacteria thrives on sugar, so children shouldn’t have lots of sugary drinks and sweet treats,” says Maples. Mouth kissing presents a similar risk.
Early Intervention Kris Kammer, a doctor of dental surgery and owner of Gums of Steel Oral Hygiene Transformation, in Middleton, Wisconsin, learned early in his career to avoid mercury amalgam fi llings and early extractions of bicuspids for orthodontic purposes, and that xylitol reduces buildup of plaque bacterial biofi lm on teeth. A study published in the Journal of Dental Research, supported by fi ndings of a metastudy appearing in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry “shows that regular use of xylitol over six months signifi cantly reduces the Streptococcus mutans population,” he says.
He also suggests early interceptive treatments which can be performed by general dentists. “Parents don’t need to wait for children’s teeth to come in crooked and crowded. These issues can be addressed with a removable appliance that expands the arch in the roof dome, infl uences bone growth and makes room for incoming teeth,” says Kammer. Early proper diet may also help
prevent crowding of teeth as well as malocclusion, or misalignment of upper and lower teeth, according to Pearson.
Role Modeling “Parents play a pivotal role in their children’s dental hygiene. They infl uence how their children care for their teeth, behave in the dentist’s offi ce and feel about dental visits,” advises Pentti Nupponen, a doctor of dental medicine and owner of the Halifax Center for Holistic & Cosmetic Dentistry, in Halifax, Pennsylvania.
Children should be made familiar with dentistry and taught that they are responsible for their dental hygiene from around age 1. Nupponen explains his gentle method: “I encourage mothers to bring their children along for dental appointments so that they can watch me from their mother’s lap. Generally, by the time they are alone in my chair, they aren’t frightened.”
Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at
ItsAllAboutWe.com.
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