That's me, as a practicing dentist. Circa 1994
Although I spend most of my days educating on food and environmental issues, deep down I’m still a dentist. So I cannot simply let the NY Times misinform the public when it comes to fluoride’s connection to rampant tooth decay in toddlers and preschoolers.
The Motherlode column in today’s paper has a piece about The Preschool Cavity Epidemic:
“Dentists say bottled water instead of fluoridated tap water contributes to the problem, along with juice at bedtime, and endless snacking — not necessarily sugary snacking, either, since starchy foods can also lead to tooth decay.”
While I will wholeheartedly agree that juice and endless snacking are big big players in the massive onslaught of pediatric dental decay, the mention about lack of fluoride playing a role is pure fantasy.
Here’s what I tell parents on how to keep their kids cavity free.
Water is THE best beverage. Preferably fluoride free water.
1. WATER– is the beverage to drink. No soda, ever. Juice is a joke, eat fruit instead. Don’t think you’re doing your kid a favor with chocolate in their milk: you’re corrupting your kids taste buds and creating a sweet tooth! If you choose to drink milk, I recommend grass fed, organic, whole milk. With meals, not as a snack.
2. Sticky foods are cavity causing foods. They get stuck in nooks and crannys of teeth. Make sure you’ve got lots of water to follow up with sticky snacks.
3. Starchy foods are cavity causing foods. Pretzels, crackers, chips, cookies transform into simple sugars in the mouth. There’s an enzyme in saliva, salivary amylase, that does this trick. Teeny tiny remnants of these starchy snacks remain in nooks and crannys of back teeth, under the influence of saliva, they break down into sugar….really not all that different than a sticky, sugar filled snack once you get right down to it. Make sure you have plenty of water on hand to drink.
4. STOP SNACKING! Eat real meals instead. The frequency of snacking is a huge factor in increased decay rates. Find a way to re-commit to regular mealtime. Our digestive systems appreciate a regular rhythm. A snack after school is fine, but make it real food and make it a sit down snack. With a glass of water. Stop eating in cars and in front of TV, eat at a kitchen or dining room table. BE with your food!
5. BRUSH YOUR KID’S TEETH! This is the bottom line: kids need their teeth brushed at LEAST twice a day for 2 minutes. That’s 120 seconds. Until kids have the fine motor skills to write their name really small, really well, this is your job to brush their teeth. Twice a day, 120 seconds. This is completely non-negotiable. This is the secret to keeping your child’s teeth cavity free. This investment of your time and energy does a few things. First off, you see their teeth daily and can monitor changes….kind of like being your child’s personal dental assistant. Secondly, your child feels what a good, thorough 2 minute brushing feels like. He/she will model their brushing habits on this. Lastly, your child will see how important you value their dental health.
Read this book and share it with your dentist
Despite what your dentist may tell you, fluoride is not a magic formula that decreases decay. Keep in mind that your dentist was brainwashed in dental school that fluoride is fantastic. That was tied into test questions on their board exams. Never, ever were dental students allowed to question this gospel.
I myself only started to question the fluoride piece after many years of dental practice. Then I got a clear wake up call when my third daughter was born with congential hypothyroidism. I urge you to take a look at the facts on the Fluoride Action Network website. Click here.
Back to brushing. I used to have a great method with my kids when they were small. I put them on my lap and tilted them back like they were in a dental chair. One arm went around their back, we’d tilt back a bit so I could see right into their mouth. With my other hand, I would brush. There are 4 quadrants in the mouth: upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right.
Each quadrant requires 30 seconds. Biting surfaces get 10 seconds, cheek sides of the teeth get 10 seconds and tongue sides of teeth get 10.
You can sing the ABC song, 26 letters can take 30 seconds if you sing slowly. You can pretend your cleaning rooms of your house. the lower left might be the dining room, the upper right might be your child’s bedroom.
The deal is to keep chatting, or singing, keep the little one entertained and KEEP GOING! 120 seconds. Timers are another fun way to integrate.
After you’ve invested 120 seconds, then your child can brush his/her teeth. Or even brush yours if you want to be playful.
Keep brushing your child’s teeth until they can write small and neat. Anywhere from 6-9 years of age. This act will save you thousands of dollars of unnecessary dental bills. Please heed my dental advice!
My water filter
PS if you have fluoridated water and haven’t been able to convince your town to get the fluoride out yet, here’s a great filter that can do it for a reasonable cost. click here
