 Dental decay is avoidable. Follow correct diet right from birth. Avoid sugar as much as possible. Feeding children on formula food with added sugar or drinks with added sugar will affect their taste for such foods. Trying to wean a child off sugar once the teeth have erupted into the mouth can be extremely difficult. Drinking from a baby’s bottle/feeder prolongs the contact of liquid with the teeth and even children who have milk only develop dental decay when using the bottle for long periods. If your child is regularly prescribed medicine in a syrup form you should ask the doctor for a different form of prescription. Children on long-term medication in syrup form develop more dental decay. Fruit drinks, even the non-sweetened variety, contain fruit sugars and fruit acid that are damaging to the teeth. Give these only when diluted and only at meal times. Eating sweet things in between meals causes the most damage. Start a tooth brushing routine as soon as the fi rst teeth are in the mouth. We recommend fl uoride drops or tablets in some areas. These help to strengthen the enamel of the teeth and make them more resistant to decay. Get advice from your team. Dental decay is often diffi cult to treat in young children. A number of extra visits will be required in addition to those to the surgeon and other specialists, thereby adding extra time to the overall treatment. If the decay progresses too far your child might need a general anaesthetic just for dental treatment. REFERENCE: “A PARENTS' GUIDE TO THE TREATMENT OF CLEFT LIP AND PALATE” / "‘n OUER-HANDELING VIR DIE BEHANDELING VAN ‘n GESPLETE LIP ENVERHEMELTE" / ISIKHOKELO KUBAZALI NGONYANGO LOMLEBE OCANDEKILEYO NENKALAKAHLA EVULEKILEYO. © Haydn Bellardie 2006. |
Dental aspects |