"Look Mom...No Cavities!/How To Raise A Cavity-Free Child
written by Gregory F. George, DDS and illustrated by John D. Valerio
A guide to raising cavity-free children, written by a pediatric dentist with over 17 years of experience. Details a simple and effective program for cavity-prevention and dental maintenance -- explains how cavities form, what you can do to prevent them for your child, where the most common problems occur, why it is so important to avoid cavities, which foods help prevent cavities, how breast & bottle feeding can cause infant tooth decay.
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Look! My Tooth Is Loose!
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by Patricia Brennan Demuth and
illustrated by Mike Cressy.
"Every kid looks forward to losing that first wobbly, jiggly, loose baby
tooth. But why do we have baby teeth in the first place? And why do they
fall out? And, most of all, is pulling teeth really as painful as-well,
pulling teeth? From getting and losing their first set of teeth to growing
and taking care of their second and last set, kids will learn all about
teeth. In addition, there is a great big full-color poster (16 x 22) of a
great big open mouth. The book comes with 20 "black hole" tooth-shaped
stickers so kids can black out their teeth as they lose them."
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What To Do About Pacifiers Or Thumbsucking? top^
Thumb sucking is a habit that often starts while the child is still in the womb. It is a natural instinct that helps prepare an infant for nursing. Infants and young children will often use thumbs, fingers, pacifiers or other available objects to satisfy their sucking needs. This gives them a sense of security, happiness, and relaxation that can even lull them to sleep. Most children will quit their thumb/pacifier sucking by age 4, or at least by school age (due to peer pressure). At this stage, any dental problems (tooth movement, jaw-shape changes) that have resulted from the sucking habit will usually correct on its own. If thumb sucking or pacifier use continues past 5 years of age (or when permanent teeth arrive), full self-correction is far less likely, and there are possibly other issues that are perpetuating the habit that should be explored. Stress may exacerbate the thumb-sucking problem, thus scolding the child for thumb sucking is not recommended. It is better to use positive reinforcement to motivate a child to quit the habit. Finding, and eliminating the source of stress can also be really helpful.
If your child is over 5 years of age, and all other attempts to help your child stop their thumb sucking fails, a more aggressive approach is indicated to stop the habit. If their habit is with a pacifier, there is a simpler solution to the problem (please consult Dr. Hsu).
There is a very good book with information and tips on breaking the habit of thumb sucking entitled “David Decides About Thumbsucking: A Story For Children, A Guide For Parents” written by Susan Heitler, PhD. It is available on amazon.com for $13.95.
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