children

When Should Children Start Using Fluoride Toothpaste?

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There is some conflicting information about when children should start using fluoride toothpaste. Studies have suggested that young children who consume large amounts of fluoride through fluoridated water, beverages, and toothpaste have an increased chance of developing mild enamel fluorosis see http://blog.teethremoval.com/large-amounts-of-fluoride-consumed-by-young-children-leads-to-fluorosis/. Hence some felt that not using any fluoridated toothpaste when a child was young was the better choice, whereas some felt that that using a small amount of fluoride toothpaste was okay In 2014, the ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs updated its guidance on the use of fluoride toothpaste for children. The new guidance is that children’s teeth should be brushed with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth comes in. The idea is to provide children with the full benefit of cavity protection while also minimizing the risk of the development of fluorosis. The ADA’s Council on … Read more

Bacteria and Fungus Can Team Up to Cause Cavities

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An interesting article titled “Symbiotic relationship between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans synergizes the virulence of plaque-biofilms in vivo,” appears in the February 2014, edition of Infection and Immunity, written by Megan L. Falsetta and et al. The article describes how although Streptococcus mutans is often cited as the main bacteria in dental caries (cavities), particularly in early-childhood caries (ECCs), it may not act alone and may team up with Candida albicans. The infection with both can double the number of caries and increase their severity as it did for rats in the study. Candida albicans adheres mainly to the cheek and tongue, while Streptococcus mutans sticks to the surfaces of teeth by converting sugars to a sticky glue-like material called extracellular polysaccharide (EPS). The researchers found that the exoenzyme that S. mutans uses to react with sugar to produce EPS also … Read more

Few Children Under 1 See a Dentist

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Unfortunately, new research has shown that few children under the age of 1 are seeing a dentist. This was touched on in an earlier blog post over at http://blog.teethremoval.com/will-health-care-reform-result-in-more-dental-visits/ where it was mentioned that for children between ages 1 and 4 around 60% of them have seen a medical doctor (physician) during the year, but not a dentist. The new research appears in an article titled “Factors Associated With Dental Care Utilization in Early Childhood,” by Denise Darmawikarta and et al. which was published online in Pediatrics in May 2014. The study looked at 2505 children in Toronto, Canada, who were seen for primary health care between September 2011 and January 2013. The study was past of TARGet Kids (The Applied Research Group for Kids), a collaboration between doctors and researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children in … Read more

FDA Issues Alert to Prevent Lidocaine 2 Percent Solution to Not be Used for Teething Pain for Children

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On June 26, 2014, the FDA issued an alert warning health professionals and providers that “…prescription oral viscous lidocaine 2% solution should not be used to treat infants and children with teething pain.” The FDA says that topical pain relievers and other medications that are rubbed on the gums are not useful for infants because they wash out of the mouth within minutes. Furthermore, when too much viscous lidocaine is given to children and is swallowed it can result in brain injury, seizures, heart problems, and even death. The FDA alert is located over at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm402790.htm. In the background information it states “In 2014, FDA reviewed 22 case reports of serious adverse reactions, including deaths, in infants and young children 5 months to 3.5 years of age who were given oral viscous lidocaine 2 percent solution for the treatment of … Read more

The Image Gently Campaign in Dentistry

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If you keep abreast at all with radiation exposure from medical imaging, you may have heard of the Image Wisely campaign. The Imagely Wisely Campaign was designed to have people aware of the fact that certain medical imaging tests such as CT exams are sometimes over used and do not have to be used in certain instances. The goal is to reduce radiation exposure to patients while still providing good medical care, see http://www.imagewisely.org/. The Image Gently campaign is designed to provide information to parents and others to help reduce exposure to radiation for children, see http://imagegently.org/, and has been around since 2007. The campaign is supported by the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, which is a coalition of healthcare organizations dedicated to providing safe and high-quality pediatric imaging. Recently, it has been announced that a new Image Gently campaign in dentistry … Read more