This may come as a surprise to you. A new study finds more children are getting cavities now than ever before, and it's not in their permanent teeth, but in their baby teeth.
Carter Heslam, 6, is getting a dental check-up, and what did the dentist find?
"Cavities," Carter said.
Carter's not alone. A new study finds 28 percent of children between age 2 and 5 had cavities, compared to 24 percent of children surveyed in the late 80s and early 90s. Pediatric dentist Dr. Howard Needleman sees an increase in cavities in his practice, and there maybe some reasons for it.
"One might be less fluoride exposure. More and more parents and households are using bottled water, which may or may not have fluoride in it," Dr. Needleman said. "Another reason... less parental supervision of the children, in terms of what they eat [and] in terms of their oral hygiene."
But should you be concerned, since baby teeth fall out eventually? Dr. Needleman says yes.
"Cavities harbor bacteria. You could end up having a higher bacterial count in your mouth which then, as the permanent teeth erupt into the mouth, will be more likely to get decay as well," Dr. Needleman said. "In addition, if you lose baby teeth prematurely because of decay, then you don't have the proper guidance of the erupted permanent teeth, and you're more likely to have orthodontic bite problems."
The best advice is to make sure your child brushes twice a day. But Dr. Needleman knows that is easier said then done with little ones, so at least aim for a nighttime brushing.
"Because at nighttime your mouth is dry, bacteria multiply. So, the most important cleaning is nighttime cleaning," Dr. Needleman said.
Dr. Needleman says prior to age 1, a child should have an oral examination and have their first dental cleaning at age 3.
