Children

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. So, give your baby’s teeth the best possible chance and follow these tips for preventing dental problems:

• Visit the dentist
  Take babies for a dental check-up during their first year. This gives your dentist a chance to spot any potential problems and advise you about how to protect your child’s teeth. Familiarising babies with their dental practice will also help to prevent any anxiety about future vists.
• Start brushing
  Dentists recommend that you start cleaning babies’ teeth with an infant toothbrush twice daily as soon as their first tooth begins to emerge. Starting early gets babies accustomed to brushing, thereby avoiding problems later on. Check fluoride levels when choosing an infant toothpaste; under-threes need low-fluoride toothpaste with 1000ppm of fluoride. Your dentist or hygienist

It can be difficult to achieve good oral hygiene in someone with Down’s syndrome. What is it that can make cleaning so difficult and is there any way to help prevent dental disease?

Problems associated with Down’s syndrome
Children born with Down’s syndrome, DS, have an extra piece of DNA that causes various effects all over the body. However, there are some specific effects which can make cleaning teeth much more difficult.

 Those with DS may have smaller mouths or larger tongues – meaning that it is physically difficult to clean teeth and to reach all areas of the mouth.

• DS can cause tooth abnormalities which may result in misshapen teeth and overcrowding. Both of these complications can make cleaning more difficult.
• Scientists are still in debate as to whether DS causes an elevated or reduced risk of cavity formation and if so why (a,b). However they do agree