Did you know that tooth decay is the most common chronic disease for children and teens in America? Not obesity, as I might have guessed. I had no idea that tooth decay was such a problem and I want to help educate parents and kids so they can ward off this preventable disease. I've partnered with UnitedHealthcare to show you a tooth decay experiment to show kids why teeth brushing is so important.
Many Americans aren't aware that tooth decay is a real problem among our youth. Recent U.S. data show that 1 in 6 preschool-age children has experienced at least one cavity, which can cause pain and can necessitate expensive treatments. As I mentioned in my post about when you should schedule your child's first dental appointment, many don't know that most medical professionals recommend children should visit the dentist for the first time by age one. Also, many aren't fully aware of the steps they can take at home, like drinking fluoridated water and brushing properly, to keep themselves or their kids cavity-free.
That’s why Children’s Dental Health Project (CDHP) and UnitedHealthcare have created an initiative aimed at helping parents keep their kids’ teeth healthy. They've released PSAs featuring helpful tips and are encouraging parents and caregivers to visit CDHP’s EndCavities.org website which offers videos, fact sheets and other helpful resources for educating families.
Supporting parents’ efforts at home can help keep kids healthier and avoid the discomfort, anxiety and cost that can come from treatment to repair decayed teeth. Young children with advanced tooth decay are typically treated under general anesthesia. Not only can this be scary for young kids, this kind of treatment is also costly (with average costs ranging between $5,000 and $15,000!). The good news is that tooth decay is preventable, and when armed with the right information, parents can help their kids implement good oral health habits, starting at birth and continuing through adulthood.
As Tom Wiffler, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits stated, "Maintaining proper oral health matters more than just keeping a sparkling smile — it’s also important for good overall health, especially for children.” That got me thinking. I've told my kids over and over about the importance of preventing cavities, but I wanted to be able to show them too. That's when I decided to do a little tooth decay experiment with them.
Tooth Decay Experiment
I'm sure you've heard stories about how damaging excessive amounts of cola can be to your teeth. Not only can it cause staining, the acidity can also erode your enamel. I knew this would be the perfect medium for our experiment. I took two eggs and placed them in a bowl of pop for a few hours. My little ones tried to be patient to see what would happen.
My 6-year-old guessed correctly and knew the eggs would chance color but he didn't know how we were going to "magically" change them back to white.
You can see just how brown our white eggs turned after being submerged for just a few hours. That's when I whipped out our secret weapon... a toothbrush!
I let my son start so he could show his 3-year-old sister how gentle he needed to be with the egg. We started with just a plain toothbrush and he was excited when parts of white started to show through again.
Then, I added in a bit of fluoride toothpaste so they could see the difference it makes. This is when the real whitening occurred. We chatted about keeping our smiles bright, but also about how things like cola and sugary snacks can sit on our teeth and wear away the protective coating and weaken them over time.
My daughter was also excited to brush the egg. Again, I used this time to talk about why we need to brush our teeth every morning and night, and why we need to floss too.
After a few minutes, the eggs were noticeably whiter. I think this tooth decay experiment really help my kids visualize and learn why brushing their teeth is so important.
I hope you'll try this tooth decay experiment with your kids and teach them how to effectively brush their teeth to avoid cavities. Be sure to visit EndCavities.org for more tips and resources about #dentalhealthforkids.
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