“Cha-may weeya ”
Medicine Talk
Siletz
Community
Health
Clinic
Happy New Year 2002!
Make a New Year’s Resolution to Live Healthier
Tooth Talk
by Linda Kreutzer, RDH
Preventing Tooth Decay in Children
Decay of baby teeth is a real problem. It causes unnecessary pain and suffering
in young children and is 100 percent preventable! It can cause the permanent
teeth growing under the baby teeth to become weak and deformed. Baby teeth do
matter. Children need their baby teeth to remain healthy and strong until the
permanent teeth come in.
Baby (or deciduous) teeth are needed to allow a child to chew a variety of
healthy foods. Baby teeth also are very important because they allow the permanent
teeth to come in where they should in a straight line. If the baby teeth decay and
are lost, the permanent teeth come in crooked.
Studies have shown that if a
child has decay of baby teeth,
the permanent teeth will be
excessively decayed. Why is
this? It’s because of eating
habits and oral hygiene habits.
If lots of candy and pop are
consumed as a child.
accompanied by poor
irushing, these habits
continue to cause
decay of permanent teeth,
child get off to a good
healthy start with
healthy teeth.
Baby teeth can
easily become decayed
from milk sugars,
juice, or pop if these
liquids are allowed to
cover the teeth for long
periods of time. This happens
when
a
baby
is put to bed with a bottle.
The sugar in the milk stays on the teeth all night long, causing decay. This
also can happen if a toddler is allowed to carry a bottle around all day, constantly
“bathing” the teeth with milk or juice.
If your baby must have a bottle to sleep, fill it with plain water. Gradually
dilute the milk or juice with water, making the transition easier for the baby. Save
the full-strength milk or juice for the daytime. Clean your baby’s teeth and gums
with a clean washcloth or small soft toothbrush before bedtime.
The most important way to prevent decay in children’s teeth is to encourage
healthy foods and things to drink. Cooked vegetables, fruits, crackers, and biscuits
without sugar are great instead of sugary cereals or cookies.
Children naturally like healthy foods and will readily eat them if offered these
foods on a regular basis. A child’s preference for foods high in sugar and fat is
learned, especially if these foods are all that is available. The more sugar a child
consumes, the higher the decay rate. It’s a simple fact.
Decay of baby teeth hurts. Toothaches are real for children, just as they are for
adults. It’s so much easier to prevent dental problems than to expect a child to endure
the stress of dental fillings and maybe even dental extractions at a tender young age.
12
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Siletz News
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January 2002
1) Quit smoking.
2) Drink eight glasses of water daily.
3) Cut back on or cut completely out of your diet the following: real mayonnaise,
butter, vegetable oils, cream sauces, and whole milk.
4) Try instead the following: light mayonnaise, Smart Beat butter, olive oil
(sparingly), cooking sprays, tomato-based sauces, and skim or 1% milk.
5) Don’t diet. Fad diets may work temporarily, but often one gains and then some.
6) Make healthier food, snack, and meal choices.
7) Eat fruits, vegetables, grains, poultry, fish, meat, and dairy (food pyramid).
8) Vow to see your health care provider for your yearly checkup.
9) Vow to see your dentist every six months.
10) Floss and brush your teeth every day.
11) Reduce stress in your life.
12) Exercise and be active.
13) Laugh and find ways to have fun.
100 Mile Club
Completes
First Session
Nearly 40 people enjoyed a
wonderful lunch prepared by Jack
Strong as the 100 Mile Club
celebrated with an “End of the Road”
luncheon in December.
Club members received dark blue
“Finisher” sweatshirts for walking 100
miles in the allotted time frame,
Another session will start in the
spring.
Jack is the co-executive chef at
Adam’s Place in Eugene. He prepared
winter pumpkin puree soup,
pomegranate salad, cedar plank-
roasted herbed salmon, slow-roasted
pork tenderloin, and sauteed
seasonal vegetables.
Above: Jack Strong prepares a tasty
lunch and gets a bit of help from his
wife, Miranda.
Below: Darlene Carkhuff (I) accepts
her sweatshirt from Laura Bremner.