Dentistry: educational program from a doctor for expectant mothers

The formation of temporary teeth, like other organs and systems of the baby, occurs in the prenatal period. Accordingly, everything that happens to the mother's health can affect the health and teeth of the baby.

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Illnesses, taking medications, such as antibiotics, can affect the development of teeth and their structure, which can later affect the strength of teeth and how effectively they will resist caries. Sometimes they talk about a genetic predisposition to caries. Yes, it does exist. But more often the state of the expectant mother's body and her nutrition have a greater impact on how well and strongly the teeth will form.

Of course, if the mother has certain diseases or there are significant risks to the health of the mother and child, and in this case, taking antibiotics is necessary, the issue of teeth recedes into the background.

Food issue

It is clear that a future mother should eat not for two, but for two. That is, the freshest and highest-quality products, a well-thought-out, balanced menu are not just theoretical recommendations, but a very important part of your life now.

A tooth has two components: a protein matrix (the base of the tooth), on which hydroxyapatite crystals, consisting mainly of calcium, are strung. Therefore, the mother's diet should not only be balanced, but also with the necessary calcium content.

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On the other hand, if during pregnancy some negative factors still affected the teething of the child, then this issue can be controlled through preventive procedures on your own and timely examinations by a pediatric dentist. Practice shows that timely individual and professional prevention allows in the case of defects in the development of teeth to ensure that pathological processes do not develop in them even in the presence of incorrect formation. A pediatric dentist will be able to orient, explain, show what needs to be done independently, and if necessary, take measures so that negative processes do not develop actively in the child's oral cavity.

Brush your teeth correctly: code, what, how and how many times a day

Caries: does it really come at night?

Caries does not come like a ghost at night, but there is a certain meaning in this statement. Caries is (a scary word:) a polyetiological disease. That is, its occurrence and development are influenced by many factors. But among them there are those that can be influenced by simple methods.

The cause of caries is microorganisms that become unbalanced in the oral cavity. On the one hand, they are part of the normal microflora, so the microbes that initiate the development of caries are most often present in the oral cavity. But if adults do not introduce these microbes into the oral cavity of the baby, there is a high probability that he will not develop caries at all. This version is confirmed by a number of studies.

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How to protect a baby?

For example, do not taste hot porridge yourself and then give it to your child. Or do not lick a baby's nipple before giving it to your child. There is a lot of debate about this. But if a certain microbe called Streptococcus mutans is not in the cavity, then there will be no caries. In sterile animals that were specially bred for research and did not have Streptococcus mutans, caries did not occur. To provoke the occurrence of caries, this microbe needs conditions for development and prosperity.

The main condition is the lack or poor oral hygiene. In such conditions, this microbe can stick to the tooth tissues, and if you do not brush your teeth regularly and correctly, then you have ideal conditions for the development of caries. The second important point is the culture of nutrition. This microbe loves sweets. In a sweet environment, having eaten glucose, it releases lactic acid, which is aggressive and begins to dissolve tooth tissues.

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Why at night?

At night, natural mechanisms slow down: we talk little, move little and do not eat solid food, which helps self-cleaning, less saliva is secreted, which is also a factor in cleaning and protecting teeth. If you eat something sweet and do not brush your teeth at night, then caries can occur. More precisely, the initiation of the carious process can begin, which will cause the appearance of carious cavities.

Products or vitamins?

When it comes to dental health, there are certain foods that help the body fight and resist tooth decay. And there are cariogenic foods that help microbes develop tooth decay. No single food in itself causes tooth decay, but foods create conditions for tooth decay to a greater or lesser extent. The main conditions for tooth decay are food and poor hygiene.

Microbes that contribute to the development of caries love everything sweet. Therefore, the fewer sweet foods in the mouth, the better. And the longer the remains of sweet food are in the mouth, the faster and more intensively the microbes absorb them, digest them, secrete lactic acid, which initiates the caries process and destroys teeth. But it is difficult for children to live without pleasures, so sweet foods must be consumed correctly. After eating sweets, you need to brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth with water. As already mentioned, if you eat something sweet at night and do not remove the remains of food, the honeymoon begins for carious microbes: they multiply rapidly, feel good and create all the conditions for the development of caries.

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Teeth like calcium, phosphorus and fluorine. These are the components of which they are composed, and the more of these trace elements in the products, the better for the body and the hard tissues of the teeth. Calcium is dairy, fermented milk products, cheeses, cottage cheese. Fluoride and phosphorus are fish, seafood. Of course, it is unrealistic to eat only cheese, seafood and kefir, but these products must be in the child's diet constantly, because they help mobilize the protective properties of the hard tissues of the teeth.

Regarding vitamins, there is much to be said about the importance of a balanced diet fortified with vitamins and the benefits of multivitamin complexes for overall health. Everything that has a positive effect on the general condition of a child also has a positive effect on the condition of the oral cavity. If we talk about vitamins and trace elements related to dental health, then this is vitamin D, which helps hard tissues absorb calcium and phosphorus.