Sunday, January 4, 2009

Don't infect your child with YOUR toothdecay

We all do it- In an effort to wean toddlers off the bottle we try to encourage them to eat real food. There is more to tooth decay than badgering kids to brush and floss. Tooth decay is caused by a bacteria that is more easily passed from a Mom than a Dad (not sure about Granddads...)

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The bacteria behind tooth decay is called mutans streptococcus
Tooth decay begins with a group of germs called mutans streptococcus. "The bacteria feed on sugar and produce acid that eats away at the structure of teeth by depleting calcium," explains Parents advisor Burton Edelstein, D.D.S., founding director of the Children's Dental Health Project. The bacteria also create plaque -- a yellowish film that builds up on teeth and contains even more enamel-eroding acid. Once an area without calcium becomes big enough, the surface of the tooth collapses, and that's a cavity.

Source: http://www.parents.com/baby/health/teething/cavities/

Tooth decay is:
  • Caused by a bacteria

  • Spreads easily between family members

  • Can last a lifetime

  • "it's more common among young children than any other chronic illness, including asthma and diabetes."


  • My daughter found this article on parents.com, it was news to me and felt I should pass it on to my readers here.

    The article goes on to say:
    Babies are born without any of these harmful bacteria in their mouth, and studies have proven that moms (rather than dads) typically infect their children before age 2.

    It happens when you transfer your saliva into your child's mouth -- by repeatedly eating from the same spoon as your baby, for example, or letting your toddler brush his teeth with your toothbrush.



    More stuff I didn't know is that 80% of cavities happen in just 25% of children.
    Cavities have more to do with this family passed bacteria than they do with kids not brushing their teeth (and it's NOT because they have faulty tooth enamel or 'soft teeth')

    Moral of this story?

    Do NOT feed your toddler from food YOU ate off of.
    Don't even use the same spoon!

    I just got used to the fact that when I go outside to smoke a cigarette, I have to wash my hands to keep the noxious fumes from getting all over my granddaughters toys, I have to wash my face before I pick her up to kiss her and now I've got to brush my teeth more?

    Geez, I've got to quit smoking... this is too much work.

    Watching my granddaughter is the most fun I've had in 2 dozen years!



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