At the P&G Blogger event I was invited to I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Janet Tamo explain her feelings about dental health and why she is the Crest and Oral-B brand ambassador. She has a dental practice in Toronto devoted to preventive, restorative and cosmetic dentistry. She also spent 20 years teaching dentistry at the University of Toronto. After getting a chance to try the new ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 Electric Toothbrush with SmartGuide I was sold on how great this line was and wanted to hear more about Dr. Tamo’s views on great dental care for children as well as adults.
1. In your opinion, what is the one key to focus on when it comes to children’s dental health?
·When it comes to children’s dental health, the key is PREVENTION. This includes avoiding dental issues caused by poor oral hygiene and poor diet. It’s also up to you as a parent to provide your child a fresh toothbrush every 3 months and to supervise brushing until age 8 or 9. Your child needs to brush for at least two minutes, twice a day. I’ll cover flossing in question #4. Another really important thing to do (and yes, it may be easier said than done), is to control the quality of food that is brought into your household. Avoid buying “junk food” for yourself or for your children. If you eat it, they will copy you, so try setting a healthy example by snacking on fresh fruits and vegetables instead. When your child does consume sugar (such as fruit juices or other sweets), avoid doing so between meals. Finally, be sure to take your child to the dentist every 6 months to monitor their development and the effectiveness of their oral care routine.
2. Is it true that genetics have a part in dental health?
·Yes.
3. Do you feel that a mouth wash is important to children’s dental habits?
·Small children cannot be expected to spit well on their own, and require very close supervision so that they don’t swallow mouthwash. It really is not necessary for smaller children to use a mouthwash and they may not enjoy the sensation or taste. Older children, on the other hand, who are able to better discern when to spit and when to swallow, may like the Crest ProHealth for Me line of products, which includes a more mild flavoured mouthwash.
4. Do you have a trick for teaching kids to make flossing a real habit and not just before their check-ups?
·As a parent, it’s important for you to floss your children’s teeth every day until they have developed good manual dexterity (age 8 or 9) and can do it on their own. I also think it’s a great idea to share your daily oral care routine with your child to model good behaviour. Brush and floss your own teeth regularly for your children to see. When it’s their turn, stand behind your children in front of a mirror, play music, and talk about fresh breath and healthy teeth while you are flossing & brushing their teeth. Persevere, it will be worth it!
5. I LOVE the Oral-B Electric tooth brush and never ever felt that a dentist was really behind the technology…just marketing, but you do really see a huge difference don’t you? At what age do you recommend kids start with this type of toothbrush?
·Children can start to use an electric toothbrush at age 3-4 (supervised). A lot of scientific research has gone into the development of Oral-B products, especially the electric toothbrushes and the Crest ProHealth lineup of products. I have been a part of some of these studies and I have seen the results. The Oral-B Professional Care 5000 electric toothbrush really can remove up to twice as much plaque as a regular manual toothbrush! It’s not marketing, it’s science!
6. Did you get cavities as a kid?
·Yes. I was a pre-fluoride baby, so I did not get the benefits of Toronto’s fluoridated water supply. We are so lucky to have this benefit, so that our growing children will have stronger, healthier teeth.
Thank you, Dr. Tamo for taking a moment to answer my questions. I am pleased to report that all my kids had no cavities and few problems when they had their last check up.
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