Discovery Health : Dirty Mouth

08/30/2012

We all know that the mind controls everything in the body. A recent study showed that a mother’s emotional health and knowledge influences her child’s dental health. The longitudinal study showed that mothers who provided social networks for their kids had better oral health. The data showed that their kids had less cavities (which is the number one chronic disease in children), less plaque and better oral hygiene.

In other words…

Healthy mind = healthy mouth

Here are some simple tips for mothers to keep their kid’s mouths healthy:

1. Become knowledgeable about the 7-Minute Window

2. Teach your children and their social network about the 7-Minute Window and the principles of Dirty Mouth. Your children’s social network may include siblings, other parents, friends, school teachers, sport coaches, and mentors. It is important to educate all people who have nutritional contact with your children around meals and snacks. For example, in school the teacher may reward positive behavior with a piece of fruit. However, they need to know that it only takes 7 minutes for tooth decay to begin. They need to know to instruct the student to either brush their mouth or rinse with water.

3. Before your child has a snack or meal, instruct them to either get their toothbrush and toothpaste prepared for mouth cleansing or get a glass of water ready to rinse within seven minutes:

At home
At school
At sports activities
At work
Over friend’s houses
During travel
Any other location where there is food or drink to be consumed.

I find it important to set your environments up for a healthy mouth lifestyle. It takes knowledge of what to do, practice of how to do it, and development of healthy habits for a lifetime.

I wish you all the best in oral health!