CLAREMONT, N.H. – Dental caries, or, “cavities,” is the most common chronic disease of childhood. The disease process is well-understood: our teeth develop cavities when bacteria in our mouth break down sugar to create an acid. Acid dissolves the teeth to create holes that can result in difficulty chewing, pain, and infection.
At Montshire, our goal is ambitious but simple: to eradicate this disease using techniques that are less traumatic, less invasive, and often significantly less costly. This improved method of care makes dental health more accessible and more enjoyable. Nutritional counseling and oral hygiene instruction help children and parents develop habits to minimize acid exposure to teeth. Safe and easily applied antimicrobials such as betadine and silver diamine fluoride can be used to kill the bacteria in our mouth directly.
These antimicrobials – Silver Diamine Fluoride and Betadine – allow us to treat the disease directly, rather than just the symptoms. Importantly, these minimally invasive techniques help to prevent the need for uncomfortable procedures and allow our children to have a positive dental experience.
By focusing on overall health, wellness, and early intervention, our team has been able to lessen the number of children ‘put to sleep’ for dental treatment by an estimated 90%! This means less surgical dental work for our young patients!
Encouraging good habits and early intervention can help set the stage for a lifetime of good oral health. A small shift can pay large dividends over the course of our children’s lives.
Written by Dr. Jonny, Dr. Colin, and Dr. Bryn of Montshire Pediatric Dentistry