By Gayle Lightfoot Ball RDH, MA Assistant Professor, Department of Dental Hygiene

Check our Blog posting from January 27 for Part One of this series.

Fact 4

 When should children have their first dental appointment?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children should have their first dental examination when the first tooth appears.

Fact 5

Should babies go to bed with a bottle?

Do not permit babies to fall asleep with a bottle containing juice, soda, Kool-aid, or formula. Soda, juices and Kool-aid contain large amounts of sugar and formula also contains sugar.

If sugar is left on your baby’s teeth for long periods of time, like over night,cavities can develop. Babies can be permitted to fall asleep with a bottle containing water.

Fact 6

Do pacifiers adversely affect your baby’s teeth?

It is fine to give babies a clean pacifier; however, never dip the pacifier in any sugary substance such as: honey, soda, and syrup.

Fact 7

What is vertical transmission?

Vertical transmission is the passing of a disease from the parent or caregiver to the infant. This occurs when parents share utensils or clean a pacifier by using the parent’s mouth. Also if the parent chews food to soften it up and then gives it to the infant, this is vertical transmission. The bacteria in the parent’s mouth is going in the baby’s mouth. Yuck!

Look for Facts 8-11 in part 3 of this series on dental health

Gayle Ball is a 1976 graduate of the Community College of Baltimore Dental Hygiene Program. She received her BA degree in 1977 (Planning and Administration) and a MA 1978 (Health Service Administration) from Antioch College and Antioch University. Her current academic rank is Assistant Professor in the Department of Periodontics, Dental Hygiene Program. Mrs. Ball presently chairs the Dental Hygiene Curriculum Committee. She was a recipient of the Provost Fellowship for Diversity in 2006 and was recognized as one of 50 Women of Excellence in 2010 by the New Pittsburgh Courier. She has worked in private practice, military facilities, health clinics, and has taken part in the UPMC Black Family Project. Her research interest includes access of care for marginalized groups and minority recruitment and retention in health fields.

Check out Part THREE of this series

Send to a friend!