Diet The evidence that frequent consumption of food and drinks containing fermentable carbohydrates (sugars) is associated with dental caries is overwhelming.
Recommendation 1:
Oral health education to parents, children and adolescents should encourage healthy eating, in line with national dietary guidelines (please make sure to inquire about healthy eating with your dentist in Irvine).
Recommendation 2:
> Parents should be encouraged to limit their child’s consumption of sugar containing foods and drinks, and when possible, to confine their consumption to mealtimes.
> Children and adolescents should be encouraged to limit their consumption of sugar containing foods and drinks, and when possible, to confine their consumption to mealtimes.
Recommendation 2:
> Parents of children who use a baby bottle should be advised never to put sweet drinks, including fruit juice, into the bottle.
> Parents should be advised not to let their child sleep or nap with a baby bottle or feeder cup.
Topical Fluorides:
Fluoride has been at the forefront of caries prevention for over 60 years. A series of systematic reviews found that topical fluorides (varnish, gel, mouthrinse and toothpaste) used either individually or in combination, significantly reduced caries in children and adolescents compared to placebo or no treatment.
Fluoride toothpaste:
Fluoride toothpaste is the most widely used form of topical fluoride throughout the world. Systematic reviews of the effectiveness of fluoride toothpaste at preventing dental caries in children and adolescents have found that:
- Fluoride toothpaste is effective at preventing caries in children and adolescents.
- Brushing twice a day is more effective than brushing once a day
- Toothpaste containing 1,500 ppm F is more effective than standard 1,000/1,100 ppm F toothpaste at preventing caries in permanent teeth.
- Toothpaste containing 1,000 ppm F is more effective than toothpaste containing 250 ppm F at preventing caries in permanent teeth. Low fluoride toothpastes, containing less than 600 ppm F have been introduced specifically for young children who, because of their inability to spit, tend to swallow most of the toothpaste placed on the brush.
Sealants:
Fissure sealants are applied to the grooves and pits of teeth, usually molars, to create an impervious barrier between the tooth surface and the oral environment, thereby preventing dental caries. A Cochrane systematic review of 16 trials found that first permanent molar teeth sealed with resin-based sealant had 78% less caries on occlusal surfaces after 2 years and 60% less after 4–4.5 years compared to unsealed molars.
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