I loved this article! Dentists are an integral part of the health care team and mine even noticed my own acid reflux flare before anyone else.
As far as teeth brushing is concerned I have found that an early start, even before your child has teeth, can help to encourage proper teeth brushing and help to avoid the fear of it. I used the "gum brush" for my girls before they even had teeth just to get them used to the sensation. I have (luckily) never had a problem getting them to brush their teeth.
There are also fun mouth rinses that show tarter that can be nice for older kids who may be balking at brushing. I remember those red chewable tablets when I was a kid that was the same kind of idea.
I also have made the choice (because our area does not have water that contains fluoride) to supplement my children with the lowest fluoride dose known to provide teeth strengthening benefits. We do sealants as previously mentioned too.
As someone with pretty severe acid reflux, major erosion on my back teeth, and NO cavities I think the need for apropriate dental care needs to be stressed for anyone with acid reflux. Thanks for this article Jan!
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Our kids' dentist applies a dental sealant to their back teeth each year. It is used to help them to avoid getting cavities. It is simple and painless, he applies it to their teeth with what looks like a small paintbrush, and it dries in a few minutes. I wonder if this could help reflux sufferers to help avoid or minimize tooth damage? It does need to be reapplied each year, but is **painless** and can be done at your checkup.
Hello!
Excellent information! Sealants do an excellent job of protecting the enamel on the top surfaces of the teeth. This is a wonderful treatment with excellent results.
One of my kids had the sealants applied and reapplied when it wore off and still had cavities. I just think her reflux was out of control and I didn't see an improvement until she had the reflux surgery.
Sealants seems to do a super job with the top surfaces (a spot where reflux can really attack the teeth). I always wished they could paint each and every tooth top to bottom!
Jan Gambino
The Reflux Mom