Children’s tooth development linked to future problems.

Children who have fewer teeth coming through by the age of one could be more prone to orthodontic problems in the future, a new study has shown.

The Telegraph reported the research – which was carried out by teams from Imperial College London, the University of Bristol and the University of Oulu in Finland – showed the delayed appearance of milk teeth has a direct correllation with the need for emergency dentistry treatments as a child grows.

She told the newspaper: “The discoveries of genetic and environmental determinants of human development will help us to understand the development of many disorders which appear later in life.”

Elsewhere, Tod Bigelow recently wrote in a blog for Hattiesburg American parents have been advised by the American Dental Association that letting their children use pacifiers after the age of two could have a detrimental effect on the development of their teeth.

He noted it can lead to a narrowing of the upper jaw in relation to the lower jaw, resulting in an improper bite.

Kids in the US have quizzed dental professionals about their oral health.

Children from a school in the US have been asking students from Flint Hills Technical College on how best to maintain good oral health.

Pre-school pupils from Maynard Early Childhood Center were visited by the trainee dentists to help field any questions they may have about their teeth and keeping them in top condition.

Questions ranged from why it is important to brush regularly, through to what can happen if a person has poor oral health.

The kids were also treated to a visit from Major Molar who led them in a song to emphasise how best to brush their teeth. Sang to the tune of Row, Row, Row your Boat, it went: “Brush, brush, brush your teeth, brush them every day; right, left, up, down, brush the plaque away.”

Elsewhere, research carried out by the Pew Centre recently revealed that a fifth of children in the US do not see a dentist every year.

It concluded that most US states lack key policies to ensure children are provided with annual dental health check-ups.

Children should not suck on a pacifier past two.

Parents have been advised that letting their children use pacifiers after the age of two could have a detrimental effect on the development of their teeth.

Tod Bigelow wrote in a blog for Hattiesburg American that a study carried out by the American Dental Association has shown that sucking on a pacifier can be a problem behaviour as children get older, as it can lead to a narrowing of the upper jaw in relation to the lower jaw, resulting in an improper bite.

He noted: “The study reveals that children who continue past age two increase the risk of developing protruding front teeth.”

Elsewhere, My West Texas recently reported that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month in the US and as a result, parents are being urge to ensure their children eat less sugar in order to boost oral health.

Dental professional at Casa de Amigos Fran Billingsley noted eating excessive amounts of sugar can be detrimental to a child’s oral health. She also urged parents to make regular appointments for check-ups.

Children are being called on to eat fewer sweets.

Parents are being urge to ensure their children eat less sugar in order to boost oral health.

My West Texas reported February is National Children’s Dental Health Month in the US and as a result, parents are being advised to ensure their children do not eat so many sweets and to ensure they get regular check-ups with a dental professional.

“The key is they can take in sugar, they just need to brush their teeth to get it off … before everything starts destroying the teeth,” commented director of public relations and marketing at Casa de Amigos Fran Billingsley.

Elsewhere, parents who give their babies sweet drinks in a bottle have been advised on a number of ways to help reduce the likelihood that they will develop tooth decay.

Health Day noted children should not be allowed to take drinks to bed with them and they should ensure they use fluoridated toothpaste to help strengthen tooth enamel.

Poor tooth care could leave children needing dental implants to prevent their adult teeth from becoming crowded.

Damage to children’s teeth could lead to a need for dental implants in order to prevent long-term negative effects on their mouths.

The Morung Express reports that children’s teeth naturally fall out between the ages of around six and 12.

However, they must still be well maintained to avoid lasting damage to the child’s mouth.

This is because they provide the space for the adult teeth to grow into – and must therefore only fall out when the adult tooth is ready to grow through.

Should they fall out early, the publication warns that the gap can close up, meaning the adult teeth will appear crowded when they grow through.

Dental implants could be one way to combat this, filling the gap until the adult tooth can appear.

Meanwhile, US News & World Report recently reported that babies’ teeth should be brushed as soon as they begin to grow through, in order to avoid tooth decay due to their consumption of sweet milk, baby formula or juice.

Healthy diet helps kids keep strong teeth.

Children should eat a healthy mix of foods in order to keep their teeth as strong as possible, it has been claimed.

Dietician Elaine Hastings claimed drinking lots of milk is important, as the calcium contained in the drink is needed – especially when children’s teeth are developing – to ensure enamel stays strong.

Furthermore, she noted: “Dairy products, especially cheese, can actually prevent teeth from losing minerals and in some people, may even restore minerals to teeth.”

Elsewhere, the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently reported maintaining good oral hygiene cannot be stressed enough as it is intrinsically linked to overall health and wellbeing.

The publication noted gum disease can have serious adverse effects on the rest of the body – not just the gums – and this can be particularly devastating in pregnant women, as the illness has been linked to an increased likelihood of still birth.

Up to a fifth of children in the US do not see a dentist on a regular basis.

A fifth of children in the US do not see a dentist every year, new figures have shown.

Research carried out by the Pew Centre revealed most US states lack key policies to ensure children are provided with annual dental health check-ups, USA Today reported.

Shelly Gehshan, director of the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, commented: “Americans will be spending $106 billion (£68.66 billion) on dental care this year. Much of that pays for costly treatments such as fillings and root canals, which have their origins in poor childhood dental care.”

Ms Genshan added preventative care would ultimately be more cost-effective.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, three NHS emergency dentistry centres are to be closed in Northamptonshire in order to ensure patients see the same dentist whenever they have a check-up.

Premises at St Leonard’s Road, Far Cotton, as well as in Daventry and Corby, are to shut down in order to provide greater continuity in care.

Advice for parents on baby oral health.

Parents who give their babies sweet drinks in a bottle have been advised on a number of ways to help reduce the likelihood that they will develop tooth decay.

According to Health Day, babies’ gums should be wiped with an absorbent pad after feeding, while as soon as the first tooth breaks, it should be brushed regularly and when the child has all their teeth through, they should start using floss.

In addition, children should not be allowed to take drinks to bed with them and they should ensure they use a fluoridated toothpaste to help strengthen tooth enamel.

Elsewhere, Cosmetic Dentistry Guide recently reported George Armelagos, an anthropologist from Emory University in Atlanta, has claimed defects which can develop in the tooth enamel while in the womb or during a child’s first few years could provide a link to premature death.

Therefore, it is important for parents to schedule a check-up for their children as soon as possible after they are born.

A competition to design a new toothbrush has been won by a nine-year-old.

Ambria Schneringer, a nine-year-old fourth-grader from Ripon, California has won a competition to design a new toothbrush.

The annual competition was run by Dr Fresh as part of National Children’s Dental Health Month in the US, with the aim of the competition being to make kids more aware of the need for regular brushing and hopefully making them excited about dental health by designing their own toothbrush.

Ms Schneringer noted: “You never hear parents nagging their kids to play video games, right? Well, my toothbrush is similar to a video game. It will light up with different colours and levels as you brush.”

Elsewhere, researchers for the Cochrane Oral Health Group recently highlighted the importance of fluoride in helping children’s teeth stay healthy.

A study by the organisation revealed a minimum concentration of fluoride in children’s toothpastes of 1,000 parts per million could have a significantly positive impact on oral health.

Putting milk teeth into stasis could save lives in the future.

Parents worried about the future health of their children could help ensure they can maintain good oral health throughout their lives by saving their baby teeth, it has been claimed.

The Daily Mail reported milk teeth are an excellent source of stem cells and these can be used to help in the treatment of illnesses that a person might develop later in their life.

As such, former rugby player Kyran Bracken has packaged the milk teeth of his children and sent them off to be cryogenically frozen at a lab in Cheshire.

“I’m sure that in 20 years’ time the possibilities of stem cells will be amazing and collecting them when the children are young will prove to have been worth its weight in gold,” Mr Bracken told the newspaper.

Elsewhere, Cosmetic Dentistry Guide recently reported Dr Kevin Brunski has developed the I-Denti-Fied chip, which can be implanted into teeth and then be scanned to prove a person’s identity.

He noted the technology has possible applications including identifying lost or abducted children, as well as enabling medical professionals to access an individual’s medical records more easily.