Doctor Stefano Scavia, dentistresearcher, yes teaching all’Bicocca State University of Milan, explains what to do from an early age to avoid problems during growth that should not be underestimated. Watch out for baby teeth and sugary drinks…
“Please, brush your teeth before going to bed.” Raise your hand if you don’t remember a similar phrase uttered by your mother or father. In short, it is a refrain that we learn to listen to at the age of five, the right age to start using a toothbrush and toothpaste on our own: “The problem – explains Stefano Scavia, dentist, teacher and medical researcher – is that that advice, even if repeated as a sort of catchphrase, it is often not followed, a recent survey reveals that more than one in five children do not brush their teeth twice a day, a trend which, in truth, also concerns adults, 50% of them % of whom declared that they don’t do it regularly due to laziness, an aspect which, moreover, does not convey to the little ones the positive example that they instead need”.
Correct habits
Nothing could be more wrong. It has been scientifically demonstrated that it is important to acquire correct oral hygiene habits during childhood, so as to strengthen them during adolescence: “Not brushing your teeth – Scavia underlines – has the first consequence of the onset of tooth decay, a a problem that affects 22% of children up to four years old and 44% of children up to twelve years old.
Bacteria, sugars and food residues contribute to the formation of plaque, a sort of biofilm, which tenaciously adheres to the tooth enamel. This is why it is important to remove it mechanically every day, i.e. with a toothbrush. Furthermore, the fluoride contained in toothpaste is an effective molecule for preventing dental problems. The correct way to ensure that fluoride protects our teeth is to use the right toothpaste every day: the fluoride it contains is dissolved in the saliva, thus coming into contact with the surfaces of our teeth, strengthening them”.
From the first months
But baby’s oral hygiene must start from the first months of life. After each feeding, the mucous membranes and gums should be cleaned with gauze slightly moistened with water or saline solution: “This – Scavia underlines – is an effective way to get newborns used to the fact that, after feeding and in general after having fed, we need to clean the oral cavity. It is a mental mechanism that accustoms us to maneuvers for maintaining good personal hygiene, similar to what we are taught when we get our hands dirty, when we return home or before touching food. : they must be brushed. Attention to the care and cleaning of baby teeth is important. Although they are destined to be replaced, if not cleaned properly, they can alter the eruption of the permanent teeth and compromise the health of the child’s mouth in short, with tooth decay it has a higher pathogenic bacterial load which, if the problem is not solved, is destined to persist, potentially also damaging the health of the permanent teeth”.
