New study says that premature children have smaller teeth

A study from the Faculty of Odontology at Malmö University in Sweden unveiled that the size of teeth in premature children is smaller than those of children who were full term.  In recent years multiple studies of children's dental health have been published by researchers at the Faculty of Odontology in Malmö.  The research involved 80 children born before week 33 of pregnancy.

"We have examined how their teeth are developing and, among other things, we've looked at their bites.  We've also checked their need for orthodontic adjustments and found that it is greater than in the control group, children born at full term," she says.

Study Says Lollipops Reduce Tooth Decay

Just a couple of days ago we informed you about a new study claiming that sugar-free lollipops containing licorice root extract reduce tooth decay causing bacteria.  Bacterias such as streptococcus mutans (or S. mutans,) which is considered to be the primary culprit in tooth decay.

We now have a bit more information to add, Martin Curzon, Editor in Chief, European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, said that "The use of the licorice root lollipops is an ideal approach as it will stop the transfer and implantation of the bacteria that cause dental decay from mothers to their infants and toddlers.  It also has the merit of being a low cost, high impact public dental health measure."

CSADC Reached 16,000 Children during National Children's Dental Health Month

During National Children's Dental Health Month, which took place in February, more than 16,000 children across the country received free dental screenings and/or oral health education, announced Church Street Health Management (CSHM).

This was the third year when "Healthy Child, Happy Smile Day," together with supporting community outreach initiatives provided free dental screenings and taught children about brushing and flossing and the importance of regular dental visits.

As part of the company's "Healthy Child, Happy Smile Day," Church Street Health Management's associated network of (which consists of more than 70 dental clinics in 22 states throughout the U.S.) caregivers held free screenings and community events.

Children Receive Free Dental Health Kits at NASCAR Event

During "SpeedFest," which took place on March 12th, the younger NASCAR fans learned how to improve their oral health and score free oral health kits.  Nearly 7,000 area children enjoyed the festivities. The SpeedFest kits include a card with oral health tips, together with a toothbrush, toothpaste and Henry Schein dental floss.

The program is an annual initiative of American Dental Association, where children from low-income families across the United States get free oral health care services. This year, more than 12,000 dentists nationwide are expected to provide free oral health care to almost 400,000 under served children.

Your Child's Bright Smile: Precautions

"It's crucial for parents to make good dental health a central component of their children's lives," explains Robert Shechet, D.D.S., Director of Dental Programs for Health Net, Inc. "What many people don't realize," he adds, "is that youngsters who don't receive proper dental care can develop into adults with poor dental health. Poor dental health can lead to heart attacks, strokes, premature or low-weight babies, diabetes complications, and other serious medical issues."

"Good dental health also extends to protecting youngsters' teeth when they're playing sports, and even when they're engaged in recreational activities such as rollerblading or snowboarding," says Health Net's Shechet.

Dentists Urge Patients to Quit Smoking

Recent research shows that after some dentists got tobacco cessation training, they were about twice as likely to counsel patients to quit smoking.

The research was performed by the researchers from the New York University College of Dentistry. The study involved six different dental clinics at the college, the first thing the researchers did was to look at nearly 700 patient charts in order to see if dental health professionals were asking patients about tobacco use and offered help in quitting.

Common Causes of Tooth Discoloration

It goes without saying that the teeth are a vital structure in our anatomy so we should keep our teeth healthy and strong. Dental health starts in maintaining the "whiteness" of teeth as tooth enamel is considered to be one of the highly mineralized parts in the human body, which causes the white characteristic of the teeth. Usually the color of enamel of the teeth varies from yellow to white, if there is enough of calcium content teeth have white-colored enamel.

Tooth discoloration can be caused by aging (when one grows older there is a reduction in calcium content), salivary dysfunction, or poor oral hygiene.

If you practice head and neck radiation therapy the exposure to UV rays can cause stains on teeth as well as multiple medications.

Dental Health Issues among Children

It goes without saying that nothing brings more joy to mother than seeing her child smile for the first time. However, as children grow up, the appearance of their smiles depends on the health of their teeth. Consequently, it is quite important for a child to understand dental health importance from the early years.

In fact, factors affecting a child's dental health depend on the age. Babies 4 months old to 3 years old frequently have tooth decay, because of excessive sugar concentration and thumb sucking; the bacteria stay on the baby's mouth, feeding the sugar trapped on the teeth.

Types of Tooth Bleaching Part 2

Tooth bleaching trays

Dental bleaching can also be successful thanks to the help of trays. “The whitening gel is kept in place over the surface of the tooth with a tray worn over the teeth” states Dr. Mujtaba (the creator of SaneDentist an info site on dental health and dental hygiene). There are various types of trays that are available such as “one size-fits-all tray” or individual trays specifically created for the definite patient. It’s easy to understand that the special trays are more effective because of a simple reason: they supply the actual fit and the teeth are kept in contact with the special gel. Using this type of bleaching gel usually put is 10-15 percents carbamide peroxide. The tray is recommended to be worn for a certain amount of time in an appropriate manner.