Say YES to Healthy Smiles
Who's ready for Summer? Dumb question perhaps? Even the bummiest of skiers can't deny a longing for sunshine and warmth during a moment of winter weakness. Welcome to 2018 all you wonderful people. I set one goal for myself. You see, I have four young children ranging from 11 to 2 years old and I've decided to say YES more to them. Not in a spoiled kind of way, just in the context of our Father-Child relationship. For example, if my 5 year old son Maxwell asks me to build Legos with him, the answer is to put down my phone and say YES. If my 2 year old daughter Lennon wants me to read Llama Llama to her over and over again, the answer is to turn off the television and say YES...She is so dang adorable.
The bonds made and the lessons taught within the walls of a child's home are unbelievably important. What comes to your mind when you think of HOME? Is it a physical location, is it your family, a feeling, perhaps it's a group of friends that when you're in their company anywhere in the world would feel like Home? I'm sure it's a complex combination of emotions that is unique to each of you. I hope it brings to mind positive reflections.
That is our goal as parents right? To provide a positive, loving, and supportive setting for our children to grow, learn, and develop. To teach them the rules to this complicated game of life. Some of these rules are classified as healthy living and general hygiene, and a subset of these fall under Oral Hygiene. So I'm going to stop talking outside of my scope of knowledge and focus on the responsibilities we have as parents as it relates to the oral hygiene of our kids.
First off, we need to be actively involved in the brushing and flossing of our children's teeth until they are 8 years of age. What does "actively" mean? Simple, you brush their teeth morning and night. If you can't do that, you can't get upset if they develop a cavity or two. Say YES to this active role. Unsure of the best techniques to use when brushing your kid's teeth? I will post a video to the SMILE MONTANA DENTAL CENTER Facebook page demonstrating the nightly Miller teeth-brushing routine with Maxwell and Lennon. If you recall, they are 5 and 2 years old respectively.
Why is this active participation important? One, it reinforces the importance of oral hygiene and it keeps their baby teeth healthy. Premature loss of baby teeth will result in the shifting of the teeth and eruption pathways, leading to crowding permanent teeth. Potentially altering a child's and possible impaction (will not erupt) of the smile and function for life if left uncorrected.
After a child turns 8 you can transition to a more passive role if your child demonstrates an acceptable understanding of brushing and flossing techniques. What does "passive" mean? Not physically brushing their teeth for them, but making sure they are doing it. Make it part of your morning and evening rituals. Get up close and personal. Look at their teeth. Are they squeaking clean? Is there plaque and gunk building up around their gums? Smell their breath if you think they're pulling a fast one. Please consult with your child's dentist and dental hygienist to determine if your child is ready to for this transition.
I also want you Mothers to realize that all of your child's permanent teeth will arrive by approximately 12 years of age with the exception of the wisdom teeth. These children need our help if their smiles are going to come out the tail end of their teens unscathed. It is so unfortunate that a couple bad years will have repercussions that last a lifetime. It takes time and effort on our part, but it will be worth it. Say YES making oral hygiene a priority. Say YES to regular visits to your child's dental provider. Say YES to #nobadyears.
I hear some version of the following sentence every day in my professional life, "I'm sorry for my mess of a mouth Doctor, my PARENTS did not teach me to take care of my teeth when I was younger." Our kids are going to totally throw us under the bus. I have a sympathetic approach to my patients and I accept that we can't change the past but can improve the future. I do not focus energy on playing the blame game. I simply discuss with my patients what changes need to occur to ensure future oral health.
Look, If we are all lucky I only get to spend 10 minutes or so with your child every year examining their teeth. Even if I was the Socrates of Dentistry my 10 minutes of encouragement pales in comparison to the prevailing attitude towards oral hygiene in your own home. We need you to be our "woman on the inside reinforcing great oral hygiene. Remember, you're the parent and they are the child. You tell them what to do and not the other way around. It seems some of us forget this sometimes.
In closing Happy Valentine's day to you all. During these long winters when we long for some sunshine we can offer our Flathead friends and neighbors the warmth of a big Montana Smile! I'll show you mine if you show me yours ;).
Read Say YES to Healthy Smiles by Dr. John F. Miller in 406 Woman magazine.