Every parent wants their kids to have perfect teeth and beautiful smiles. Don’t you?!

I’m one of those! Being a kiasu mom who want the best on my kids esp when come to their health including dental health.

I even read up about kids’ dental health info way before my elder girl start sprouting her first tooth; so I do have slight info after reading what could have caused early tooth cavities and crooked teeth at later stage.

So I have been trying my best to prevent that from happening. I don’t wish them going through any phobia, pain, dental surgeries at such young age nor having to spend huge amount to have braces that come with pain, extraction, filing etc and having to wear retainer for the rest of their life. So I have been bringing my girls for their routine dental check every half a year or once a year at very young age even despite they don’t have any issue with their baby teeth. This is to ensure I keep their dental health at the top form. I don’t even share our food and spoon nor blow cold the piling hot food before it goes into their mouth (which a lot of parent love doing that). I don't let my hus do that of course; he often get a lot of scolding from me by attempting to do that. I let the food cool down it own. This is  to ensure no dental bacteria pass from adult to them before their age of I think 1 and the half, even after I do keep it at a minimal.

So not too surprise that I have noticed and known from my paed dentist that nowadays toddlers (preschoolers) teeth are started to be in really bad shape and condition. There is a study conducted few years ago and dentists everywhere are confirming this; reported that the number of preschoolers and children with cavities and develop crooked teeth rose. It doesn’t seem to matter if the child gets regular checkups or whether good tooth brushing habits are followed though these would be plus point to maintain dental hygiene and early acknowledge of dental problem. I saw a number of cases from the toddler groups I had met proven this.

Something is obviously very, very wrong in our modern diet and/or lifestyle of the vast majority of children added to having the disease known as dental caries that's caused by specific germs known mutans, spreads easily within families with high levels of decay-causing bacteria (which can last a lifetime) to cause such terrible dental health at such a young age and continue to adult age.  

Reason behind cavity 

Babies are born without any harmful bacteria in their mouth, and many studies have proven that moms had unknowingly infected their children with decay-causing bacteria before age of 2. It happens when you transfer your saliva into your child's mouth as I mentioned above. So if you frequently had cavities yourself, you're likely to pass the germs / bacteria to your baby by sharing food and utensils. Once a child's mouth has become colonized with mutans, he/ she will be prone to cavities in his baby and permanent teeth. And with children now having much more sugar in their diets at an early age which easily allowed the bacteria feed on sugar and produce acid that eats away the structure of teeth by depleting calcium caused the surface of the tooth collapses and there’s the cavity.

The key role that bacteria play in tooth decay may also explain why some kids who eat tons of candy are lucky to avoid dental problems. Yes, I’m definitely one of the lucky one as I eat many processing food and candy during my childhood and yet I never get a single cavity since young TILL NOW. Thank god I didn’t have those bacteria. And I don’t have to worry much like the other parent about passing decay-causing bacteria to my baby though I still take that precaution. So it is really good for parent to read up more or checking with professional dentists.

So I would advise if you've had trouble with your own teeth, please ensure you take responsibility for your child's dental health by the time their baby is 6 months old, do take extra precautions if a child is at high risk by reduce possible reasons that can cause cavity like the following

- avoid sharing of food and utensil cutlery with your baby, if you yourself are frequently had cavities, it is to prevent your baby from infected with the decay-causing bacteria from adult

- an excess of refined carbohydrates. This can increase insulin and IGF-1 to abnormal levels. These are growth factors and when they are too high it can disturb normal growth.

- introduction of sugary drinks, juice, processed food and snacks.

Reason behind crooked teeth 

The foundation for the problem in crooked teeth is that the palate is not wide enough, not big enough for fitting all the teeth in it. Thus the teeth become crowded and crooked or misaligned


Possible reasons for crooked teeth

- an excess of refined carbohydrates. This can increase insulin and IGF-1 to abnormal levels. These are growth factors and when they are too high it can disturb normal growth.

- not eating food that we need to chew hard. Only eating soft (fast) food is not normal for humans, and may stop the teeth and jaws from developing normally - substituting formula for breastfeeding.

- The rise of processed food and industrialized foods did contribute to the modern epidemic of crooked teeth because those foods are devoid of the critical nutrients necessary to produce a broad and sturdy jaw with correspondingly straight teeth.

My small A, Aisleyne are born with very small build and also very small facial bone structure. Her face bone structure is damn small, even smaller than my hand.


trying to reach her jaws

Everyone are so envious of her small face, commented that when she grow up every girls will jealous of her small face. But truly speaking I ‘m quite worry that I did attempt to talk to her dentist about my concerns; small narrow facial bone meaning most likely will cause narrow palate?! But dentist ensure that hers is consider normal and as she grows, it will slowly expand more if I provide healthy diet and resist the above mentioned refined, processed food and sugary food for normal growth. And ya, I read that at about the age 18 which the bone plates are fused, and there's no room for any adjustments and budging them anymore. So I would work harder now in controlling the food that goes to her mouth as far as I could and so I would also advise parents to not only start taking care of your kids’ teeth but also to feed their kids healthier foods and restrict the above mentioned processed food, refined carbohydrates, sugary food or drink etc especially when you already know that your children are prone to cavity and also to prevent crooked teeth.

I have started my kids on grinded brown rice when she starts on grain and I slowly transit them from white rice (refined carb) to now totally brown rice and those other unrefined carb like Quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth (which is the only 4 healthy grains on earth). And since they start solid, I never ever add any white sugar in home cooked food till now, except that they will on and off get some candy treats from others which sometime I can’t control much. Well, I also informed (warn) heir childcare not to offer candy and processing food to them. So even during party with goodies bag, whenever my girls crying for it, they will only dare to allow her to hold it but not eat it. Give her bring back to ask me for permission herself. But mostly I would just dump it in the dustbin.


 
So I have tried my best to start these early so have you?!

 
So far Amabel’s teeth are cavity free and her baby teeth dropped according to the normal tooth development schedule above, which is the one at the bottom left central incisors, it dropped at 7 years old on 14 September 2013. I were petrified when I saw a slight appearance of permanent tooth erupting behind her baby tooth on 1 September 2013 which was just a little shaky. Without 2nd thought, straight away concluded that the tooth will be crooked inward forever. Immediately called our private dentist for next day appointment to seek advise on whether it is better to extract now or not but she is out of town. Then I go read up further to confirm my memory doesn't failed that I partially remembered that it is normal and the permanent tooth will make the roots of the baby tooth weaker and the baby tooth will fall off on its own and then this space will be then occupied by the permanent tooth. Although, this may not the course of event followed all the time. So I still go ahead to book the appointment but just when I'm about to bring her go see her dentist for reassurance, it dropped it own when eating meal, a few days before the appointment lol. 

Surprisingly, it is growing and filled up the space as days goes by till it is almost align with the rest of her baby teeth.I believe could be partly the healthy diet that it seem growing and moving to the right place very fast.

























And her top right central incisors tooth was actually extracted without my acknowledgement from her primary school’s dentist few month back in July. Not because it was decayed but because it was hit and tripped during a fall when she was 6 years old (K2). And for some reason which the dentist claimed that she would advise to have it extracted early. WTF right, should actually inform me first and get my approval cause at least I can seek her own private dentist for alternative advice. Well, is already done so forgive and forget but I do raise it to their school that no 2nd times. That's why her front top tooth has been bogay for so long, still no sign of tooth erupt. This also kept me worried as milk teeth plan an important role in the alignment and spacing of permanent teeth. If milk teeth are lost too early, the position of the other teeth may be affected, which is why it is important that milk teeth should remain intact until they are replaced by permanent teeth. Will continue to monitor it then.




































As for Aisleyne, her teeth are still strongly intact and cavity free too.
Envious of her pearly white teeth








I will definitely love to naturally help reinforce their mouth’s defense system other than restrict sugary food and provide healthy diet for them. So been using this oral rinse which contains natural enzymes,100% natural organic substances, it's like those in normal healthy saliva which are essential in prevention of caries and gingivitis. Gargle this after brushing their teeth with natural kids' toothpaste and the residue spit out was a substances; alkaloids, brass, tannins which combined with the bacteria in the mouth. Pretty gross! Suitable for preventing tooth decay, antibacterial, sensitive teeth,acid teeth, ulcer, smoker, alcoholism, relieve sore throat, relieve gums gingivitis, eliminate bad breath, improve dry mouth, pregnant / child and all health condition as it is natural so is safe as long as the user know how to spit it out but still it is safe if accidentally swallow it.



 
And this is organic toothpaste for myself, natural and no fluoride also


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Labels: Educate, Growth : Tooth Chart, Healthy Body, Healthy Diet, Milestone