Brush and Spit! Helping Kids with Special Needs Keep Their Pearly Whites Smile-Ready

By Dr. Robert Rada, Illinois Dentist and American Dental Association Member from Disability Blog:
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, yet many people fail to understand why dental health is so important for children.
Tooth decay is the most common, chronic childhood disease in the U.S. In fact, it’s five times more common than asthma. It causes kids to miss 51 million school hours and their parents to lose 25 million work hours annually. It also impacts children’s self-esteem, concentration and social development, so dental disease should not be ignored.
The good news is that simple things, like brushing your children’s teeth for two minutes twice a day and visiting your dentist regularly, can help greatly decrease the risk of painful cavities and other dental disease.
In children with special health care needs, regular brushing is also critical to help ease the effects that some medication may have on their dental health. Always supervise children while brushing to make sure they are using the right amount of toothpaste (and that they spit it out when done). Help them brush and make sure they’re not doing it too hard. To learn more about the right amount of fluoride toothpaste to use, visit MouthHealthy.org and read the section called, “Cleaning Your Child’s Teeth.” You can also watch this video to “brush up” on how to brush.

NDSS Webinar: Oral Health and Down Syndrome 11/14 12pm EST

from the NDSS:

Dear Friends,

This is a reminder, if you have not yet resgisterd that our November webinar will be “Oral Health and Down Syndrome” with Jessica De Bord.  (This is an encore presentation from earlier this year). 

This presentation will describe oral characteristics that are common in people with Down syndrome, ways to prevent dental disease, and tips for finding a dentist and having a successful dental visit.

Jessica De Bord is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. Dr. De Bord is the oral health faculty for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at the USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She earned her BA from San Diego State University and her DDS from the UCLA School of Dentistry. Dr. De Bord completed her residency training in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Washington (UW) and Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she served as Chief Resident. During her residency she completed a Certificate in Maternal and Child Health through the UW School of Public Health, an MS in Dentistry, and an MA in Bioethics and Humanities.

Dr. De Bord’s primary clinical and research interests are the oral health of children with developmental disabilities and ethics. She serves on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Committee on Special Needs, is a member of the Clinical Advisory Board of the National Down Syndrome Society, serves on the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Ethics Resource Committee, and is a board member of the Academy of Dentistry for People with Disabilities. She is a member of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities, and the American Society of Dental Ethics.

Slides from the presentation will be posted to www.ndss.org. During the webinar there will be time for Q and A.

Please feel free to share this webinar and the login information with anyone you feel may be interested in the presentation.

Please register to attend this webinar, which will take place on Monday, November 14th at 12pm Eastern.  Seats are limited: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/863082050

Warmly,
NDSS
National Down Syndrome Society
666 Broadway, Suite 810
New York, NY 10012
800-221-4602
www.ndss.org