Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

When a child becomes a teenager, the most cavity prone years are gone, but what lies ahead for our teenagers?

Teenagers can do their part in preventing decay by cutting back on one of the primary causes of cavities—snacking! It’s not just what you eat but also how often you eat. Frequency is a major factor. If your teenagers brush every time they snack, then it is not a problem. But knowing them as I have my own, they eat more often than they brush. So it is actually wishful thinking to believe that they will do as they say they will. Each time you eat, acid is produced within 20-30 minutes and, if it is not removed by brushing, it can cause cavities. Cutting down on snacking will not only prevent cavities but also protect your waistline.

Watching out for cavities is only half of the battle; the greater culprit is gum disease. This is actually more prevalent in teenagers than decay. Gingivitis or inflamed gums easily bleed when flossed. The most common answer teenagers give me when asked why they don’t floss is that their gums bleed when they floss. Thus they don’t floss to avoid the bleeding. Healthy gums normally don’t bleed when flossed. They bleed because they don’t floss regularly, thus making the gums unhealthy, filled with bacteria and inflamed. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults and preventing this disease should be their main concern. The best defense is brushing (Sonicare) regularly using a good fluoride toothpaste (I always recommend Flouridex). Flossing at least once a day and rinse with an antibacterial mouthrinse (Listerine).

Gum disease is painless and usually goes unnoticed unless it is in its advanced stage. Gum disease is associated with heart disease, high blood pressure and many other complications. During exam we can spot this "symptomless" disease and treat it at its earliest stage before they cause serious damage.

Sure, wearing braces is a hassle but it is always better to do it now than later. And you’ll always be thankful you did it after the braces are removed. Braces not only make your smile more attractive, they also correct your bite which if untreated, can cause gum and health problems. It is also nice to know that there are braces that are invisible.

Exercise is definitely good for our teenagers but sometimes not for their teeth. In contact sports ,teeth can be chipped, knocked out when you’re not wearing a mouthguard. So before you let your kids go and hit the court for basketball, football, karate, etc, make sure you drop by to get your custom-fit comfortable mouthguard.

Too bad our wisdom teeth are not as wise as they should be. Eighty percent of our patients need to have their wisdom teeth extracted because the teeth have grown sideways, were not able to come out or there wasn’t enough room in the jaws. This is recommended between the ages of 16-19—the earlier the better.

Last but definitely not the least, damage to our teenagers can be caused by smoking. Most of our teens pick up the habit early, with peer pressure being the biggest factor aside from curiosity. Smoking definitely causes bad breath, stained teeth, gum and bone problems, damaged taste buds and will make one five times more likely to get cancer.

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If you have questions, pls call Dr. Valerie de Leon at (650) 697–9000 or visit our website at www.millbraesmiles.com. She is with Millbrae Smile Center located at 15 El Camino Real, Millbrae 94030. She is a member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of Laser Dentistry, ADA, CDA and SMCDS. Please call for a free consultation.

( www.asianjournal.com)

( Published on December 19, 2008 in Asian Journal San Francisco p. B3 )