Good dental habits need to last a lifetime

Apr. 13—You age and so do your teeth.

Many people underestimate the importance of healthy teeth. Just like any other part of the human body, our teeth provide an important role and skipping dental care can be detrimental.

It's important to start a consistent dental routine at a young age and follow it.

Baby teeth start appearing at about 6 months old. By age 2, most children have all of their 20 baby teeth and should start being seen by a pediatric dentist who specializes in adolescents.

"Kids this young don't have the dexterity to floss and parents are going to have to help them brush their teeth," said Dr. Andrew Baxter with Baxter Orthodontics.

Baxter, who practiced general dentistry for 13 years before becoming a board-certified orthodontist, said diet is an important part of tooth health and advises too much sugar leads to cavities. He urges parents to help children develop habits of brushing after meals and at bedtime.

"Probably one of the biggest issues we see is 'baby bottle syndrome,' where they are laid down with milk or a sugary drink," Baxter said. "You can imagine the damage that can do. If (parents) are going to give them something ... water."

The first permanent molars appear between ages 6 and 8, which means additional brushing.

At this age, dentists can apply sealants to the teeth to help prevent cavities. These are thin coatings that, when painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, can prevent cavities or tooth decay for many years. Sealants protect chewing surfaces from cavities by covering them with a protective shield that blocks germs and food. Once applied, sealants protect against 80 percent of cavities for two years and continue to protect against 50% of them for up to four years.

It's during this age that children lose their front baby teeth.

"This is also the time to see the orthodontist to see if everything is on track," Baxter said. "I think parents wait too long to come in and see (an orthodontist). We're looking to be off binkies, sucking on fingers and sippy cups. These can hinder facial development."

As far as dental visits, things don't change much as we get older. Children and adults should see a dentist every six months.

"Being seen on a regular basis is very important," Baxter said. "A lot of kids go (to the dentist) on a regular basis but once they become adults, they may quit going for lots of reasons. A lot can happen in those years."

Rita Brock has seen about every case, good or bad, in her 35 years as an oral hygienist. From no cavities to gum disease and root canals, the retired St. Joseph woman said dental care tends to worsen into adulthood.

"Children are typically seen regularly because parents are bringing them in and looking for those milestones," Brock said. "It's once they become adults that we don't see them as often."

More than one in four adults, about 26 percent, have untreated dental cavities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, nearly half of adults over 30 have signs of gum disease, and 13 percent of youths, ages 5 to 19 years old have untreated tooth decay.

Brock said that lack of insurance and cost are the biggest factors as to why people avoid the dentist.

"What people don't understand is that delaying that toothache or not getting regular checkups can cause much bigger problems," she said.

Brock said a former patient put off dealing with tooth pain for three years. A simple cavity filling would have been a relatively minimal fee, even without insurance. But because the tooth decayed, a root canal and subsequent crown had to be performed and that bill ended up being nearly $2,000.

Cavities, also called tooth decay or caries, are caused by a combination of factors, including bacteria in your mouth, frequent snacking, sipping sugary drinks and not cleaning your teeth well.

Yet individuals with good brushing and flossing habits as well as regular checkups can still have poor tooth health.

Smoking, diabetes and other lifestyle habits cause tooth issues. Brock said periodontal diseases are one of the more common things she saw in her decades of cleaning teeth.

"While the disease is absolutely treatable, it does make for more frequent, and intense, cleanings," she said. "It can cause a whole host of other issues too if not treated appropriately."

Periodontal diseases are commonly the result of infections and inflammation of the gums and bones that surround and support the teeth, according to the CDC.

In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums can become swollen and red, and they may bleed. In its more serious form, called periodontitis, the gums can pull away from the tooth, bone can be lost, and the teeth may loosen or even fall out.

Periodontal disease is mostly seen in adults. The disease and tooth decay are the two biggest threats to dental health.

A recent CDC report showed that approximately 47% of adults 30 and older have some form of periodontal disease. Unfortunately, those numbers increase with age. As many as 70% of adults over the age of 65 have the disease.

"Just because you don't have pain, doesn't mean you don't have problems going on," Baxter said.

Jenn Hall can be reached at jenn.hall@newspressnow.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPHall.