Preventing Bad Dental Habits

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Brenda Paulen, DMD Proud Smiles, Atlanta, GA
We’re finding that the more frequently a child is snacking, drinking, nibbling; the more active the bacteria are and the more cavity-prone they may be… because the mouth just doesn’t have a chance to stabilize and neutralize itself… So when you take a break between eating, the saliva has a chance to bathe

Brenda Paulen, DMD
and neutralize the mouth and let the bacteria quiet down. The frequency and the amount of fruit juice can if used too often can be harmful, because you got both the acid and the sugars working all the time at eroding the teeth. also make sure the little ones don’t go to bed with the bottle.

Brenda Paulen, DMD
And if they do, use a bottle/sippy cup at night that has water in it instead of milk or juice. There is a lot of research now that does support the use of fluoride that fluoride is a great mineral in tooth development and is harder than calcium. Chewing ice can be really harmful to the teeth. It’s one of the few things that can break teeth.

Brenda Paulen, DMD
So I’m finding the most damaging are popcorn kernels, very hard nuts and ice…can cause damage and cracks to the teeth if done on a habitual basis. Once in a while is fine, but if it’s a daily habit, you got to be careful because it can be harmful.

Brenda Paulen, DMD
You got to be careful about using your teeth to cut and break packaging and to bite into really hard things, cause it can be damaging…And any habit such as chewing on a pencil or pen will over time create ware or movement in the teeth.