When it comes to children’s teeth, it’s important to know how to prevent cavities or other problems.
Paediatric Dentist, Dr. Rana AbuRashed from HealthPlus Children’s Specialty Center explains more.
Early childhood Caries (ECC) is a dental disease that can affect young children. It is sometimes referred to as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay.
Early childhood caries is a preventable disease, but if left untreated can lead to pain and severe cavities in the child’s baby teeth.
What Parents Should Do:
- Breastfeed at regular feeding times. After feeding, mothers should remove the baby from the breast and wipe the baby’s gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or brush the teeth
- If parents’ bottle feed, they should remove the bottle as soon as they are done feeding the baby. This keeps the child from spending too much time with a bottle. They should then wipe the baby’s gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or brush the teeth
- Do not put the baby to bed with a bottle with anything other than water in it, and never let the baby hold or walk around with the bottle for long periods of time
- Do not let the baby drink fruit juice from a bottle. Fruit juice should only be offered in a cup with meals or at snack time
- Train the child to use a sippee cup by the age of 6 months. However, do not let the child walk around and suck on the sippee cup for long periods of time
- Wean their child from the bottle by age one. Parents should not allow continual bottle use or nursing on demand because frequent exposure to the sugars in drinks, formula, milk and breast milk can lead to cavities
- Wean their child from sucking on other items, like a thumb or pacifier, by two years of age
About Dr. Rana AbuRashed
Dr. Rana Muneir AbuRashed is a highly skilled General Pediatric Dentist practicing at the HealthPlus Children’s Specialty Center and HealthPlus Family Health Center, where she treats our young patients with tenderness and compassion. During her eight-year tenure as a physician, she has received honors such as the Tri-Collegiate Membership in Pediatric Dentistry at the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, The Royal College of Surgeons England, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow’s MPaedDent RCSED, RCSENG, RCPSG. She has a BDS from the University of Jordan, an MSc in Pediatric Dentistry from King’s College London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Training King’s College London.
For more information visit www.hplus.ae/doctor/rana-muneir-aburashed or call HealthPlus Children’s Center on
02 658 2221. HealthPlus Children’s Center is located on Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street.
