Taking Care of Kid's Teeth

We know it's easier to prevent problems than fix them. Nowhere is this more obvious than with children’s teeth. Unbelievably simple steps can help prevent cavities and make taking care of your child's teeth easier. Mouth bacteria can be good or bad. Dominant bacteria are always found in the grooves of molar teeth – so ensure when new molars enter a child's mouth they are quickly populated with healthy bacteria that can promote oral health for years to come. Infants Parents hug and kiss their baby, often unaware that cavity germs in their mouths can become the germs that form cavities in baby’s teeth. Parents, babysitters and caretakers can use xylitol and Dr. Ellie's Complete Mouth Care System to balance their mouth health – preferably before baby is born. Babies born by Caesarian lack nature’s protection in their mouths, and can be prone to cavities and thrush. Dissolve 1/8th teaspoon of granular xylitol in ½ oz of water and wipe this over baby’s gums, or on the nipple at feeding. Mothers can breastfeed without fear if they wipe xylitol on their child's gums and teeth each day. When a mouth is clean of cavity-forming bacteria, cavities cannot occur. Toddler Teeth Baby molar teeth erupt at the back of the mouth soon after the first birthday – so brush or wipe all toddler teeth with a little xylitol every day Whenever cleaning teeth is difficult – let your child enjoy a Zellie's Cherry Berry Mint (or the like) – especially before bed or naptime or after sugary snacks or juice. Please be sure your child can safely have a Zellie's mint in their mouths. If they have trouble, you can cut the mint in half to start. Granular xylitol eaten off a spoon may not be as convenient as mints or gum, but it will work just as well and is a way to keep costs of oral health to a minimum. For very young children, or children with chewing problems – this may be a great way to enjoy xylitol. For more information on how to use granular xylitol for young teeth, please see this blog. Young Children Studies show children with healthy teeth at 4 years old will usually have healthy teeth for life – and they also show that the reverse can be true. Kids often take a water bottle to class – so dissolve a teaspoon of xylitol in this to protect your kids from cavities during the vulnerable school years. An effective approach to using Zellie's Mints or Gum for young children is to develop a routine. One that works well is, 2-4 Zellie's Mints or 1-2 pieces of Zellie's Gum:  after morning brushing  following an after-school snack and after nighttime brushing, before going to bed. Nibbling on Zellie's during nighttime story-time is our personal favorite! The more fillings your child has, the more X rays he or she will require to supervise them, year after year….. Teenagers Snacking at night, or drinking juice or soda too frequently, can wreck havoc on teeth. Zellie's Mints and Gum provide help for teeth – plus they are delicious and easy to enjoy throughout the day! Braces make tooth cleaning difficult, but with Zellie's throughout the day and following Dr. Ellie's Complete Mouth Care System – teenagers with braces can keep teeth healthy and prevent scarring and spots. Firsthand Experience "As a mother of two young kids myself, I know firsthand that the sooner you start protecting teeth, the sooner you can enjoy the wonder and beauty of clean, white and healthy teeth! Xylitol is your family’s friend for oral health." - Chrissie Jarrell, COO, Zellie's

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Oral Health For Moms & Families

Moms often don’t have enough time to consider the importance of their oral health. Here are easy tips to start your journey toward improved oral health.

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The Most Effective Way to Clean Baby Teeth

Granular xylitol is one of the most effective and easiest ways to clean newly erupting baby teeth. It promotes the good bacteria in a baby's mouth while helping to suppress the bad bacteria. And your baby will love it - no struggling to "clean" teeth with a toothbrush and floss - methods that don't specifically address mouth bacteria.  STEP 1: Scoop out roughly 1/8 teaspoon of granular xylitol into a small bowl. The amount can be an estimate. I use a 1/4 teaspoon and fill it about halfway. Remember, the goal is a little bit of xylitol, multiple times throughout the day.      Step 2 - Option 1:  There are 2 options for the second step. This first option is to dip a wet brush directly into the granular xylitol and allow your baby/toddler to suck on the brush. There is no need to "brush" the teeth. Allowing the xylitol to dissolve in their mouth is all you need to do! The toothbrush is just a vehicle for the xylitol and a great way to associate xylitol with dental health.     Step 2 - Option 2: If your child does not like the texture of the granular xylitol - this might be especially true for infants - dissolve the 1/8 teaspoon of granular xylitol in about 1/4 teaspoon of room-temperature filtered water. It should be just enough water to dissolve the granules. Do not add too much water. Also note, xylitol does not dissolve well in cold water - room-temperature water is best. Mix with the toothbrush until mostly or all dissolved.     Step 3 - Option 2: Scoop as much of the xylitol water onto the brush as you can and allow your baby to suck on the brush. You will likely have to do a few dips to use up most of the liquid. You do not need to always use up all of the liquid. The goal is small amounts of xylitol a few times each day.     Aim to do this granular xylitol tooth-cleaning method 3-4 times during the day. Ideally after eating/drinking.  The granular xylitol - either directly as granules or dissolved in filtered water - is a great way to start your young child on xylitol. As they grow and are able to manage solids safely, you can introduce Zellie's mints in place of the granular xylitol. Kid-favorite flavors are the Cherry Berry and Cool Fruit Mints. Tip: For the mints, if you are not sure how well your child will manage the small mint, go ahead and break the mint in half until you are confident they can hold and chew the mint in their mouth safely.  Here is a video showing the joy and deliciousness of using xylitol to clean baby teeth! (We suggest turning the volume up for full effect ;-)  

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What Happens To Your Teeth When You Eat Candy?

Halloween can be a lot of fun for children as they dress up in costume and run from house to house. But responsible parents are often concerned about this candy-centered event, seeing it as an open invitation for cavities and toothache. Over my career I’ve witnessed dental professionals wagging witch-like fingers at kids who admit to eating candy, and some who suggest the best treat is an orange toothbrush. I’ve even participated in a program where kids traded their sweets at a dollar per pound. This was bad for various reasons, but especially since the rescued treats were then shipped to children in countries where they don’t have any candy. These ghoulish ideas are not realistic solutions to the problem, but there are ways to navigate Halloween and minimize dental damage. So, let’s look at what actually happens (scientifically) when we put sugary candy in our mouth. Acidic Damage:Robert Stephan published his famous graph in the Journal of Dental Research in 1943. He discovered our mouth becomes acidic (measured as a drop in pH) the instant we eat sugar. It is not actually the sugar that turns to acid, but sugar feeds acid-forming bacteria that inhabit our mouths and live on our teeth. These bacteria use any consumed sugar as an energy source to multiply. As these bacteria multiply they produce acids. The longer these bacteria enjoy sugar, the greater the explosion of their population and the more dangerous their acid production. The drop in mouth pH caused by eating one candy can go as low as a pH 5.5 – a level that dissolves minerals from teeth. Natural saliva flow will eventually balance this acidity, but the process, when left to work with its own natural timing, always takes about 30-60 minutes (see strategies below for how to speed up this saliva re-balance process). Eventually, when a safe pH is reached, minerals from saliva will begin to repair and replace any that were lost during the acid attack. The longer the period of acid attack, the more minerals teeth will lose and the less likely they can be repaired. This explains why it is better to eat candy at once and then stop. Damage occurs when we nibble candy slowly or constantly sip sugary drinks. Any sugar consumed during the 30-60 minute “recovery” period shoots the acidity levels down again and negates the recovery. This is why sometimes teeth can be attacked for hours. Sticky or slow-dissolving candy will cause similar prolonged acidic damage. Useful strategies to minimize acidic damage: Consume your candies in a reasonable time frame - then STOP! Keep the period of candy eating as short as possible. Do not allow kids (or yourself!) to nibble candy over a long time. Eat them at mealtimes if possible, then end with xylitol mints or gum. Beware sugary drinks, juices and acidic soda or sparkling water that can also cause a pH drop and additional acidic damage. Do not brush teeth until the mouth has returned to a safe pH because it can cause enamel erosion. Drink water to wash the acidity away. Cheese and milk can help speed mineralization of teeth after acidic damage. After eating candy, immediately enjoy Zellie’s xylitol mints or gum. The xylitol in Zellie's mints and gum will: Stimulate a flow of alkaline saliva to quickly wash acidity away Shorten any period of acid demineralization Loosen plaque bacteria from teeth Promote re-mineralization of damaged enamel Use these strategic maneuvers to minimize dental damage so you can feel more confident about your kids’ and your own dental health during this time of year. For more about oral care for children and teens – see chapter 7 in my latest book Mouth Care Comes Clean (p 127-133).  

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Children's Teeth

By a child’s first birthday, front incisor teeth provide a surface for plaque germs to grow and multiply. Pediatric studies show that children with healthy teeth at 4 years old are 80 percent more likely to have good teeth for life.

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