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I admit it. I despise making my daughter brush her teeth. She does it, but she doesn't really do it properly, but when I seize the Cinderella motorized tool of plaque destruction, she squirms and complains and the toothpaste comes frothing out, and I still think I'm not doing a good enough job. I fear I don't make her brush often enough. And taking her to the dentist ranks right up there with wiping my cat's butt in terms of my least favorite things to do.
But my dears, teeth are so important. We notice them. Oh, yes, we do. CouponAddict writes of her son's seven cavities, and her fears for her little one inheriting a mouth full of silver:
I feel bad because I made the mistake of always picking juice when we would go out to eat, and now he has a mouth full of cavities. I just hope they use white filling, I do not want him to have a month full of silver teeth when he smiles.
I'm one of the lucky ones. At least when I take my daughter (and myself) to the dentist, I don't have to worry about how I'm going to pay for it. I have dental coverage. Preventative care should be two of the loveliest words in medical vernacular, but it seems once again not everyone has access to it. Because, you know, it's so much cheaper to wait until things go really badly awry.
It seems this economy is affecting every part of our lives, including our teeth. Reporter Natalie Kaplan notes smaller bank accounts may make for imperfect smiles in the younger generation:
Since times are tough for many, one thing some parent's have to cut back on is their children's dental work. Braces can cost anywhere from two to six thousand dollars and many health insurance plans won't bite into the majority of the bill.
Here's the thing: straight teeth and a proper bite don't just look good -- they ensure you won't end up unable to eat later in life. I once dated a guy who had to have his jaw broken and reset after college because his bite was interfering with his ability to chew properly. When I was a tween, I had to have gum tissue removed from the roof of my mouth and affixed below my lower row of teeth, because the gum had receded so bad you could see the roots of my teeth. I asked in fear what would happen if it kept receding, and I was told my teeth might fall out. Neither my ex-boyfriend nor I failed to brush. Sometimes bad teeth happen to good people.
Dental procedures may seem draconian, I know, but seriously, folks, teeth are important. According to a University of South Carolina study, more than 47 percent of children aged 5 and younger haven't seen a dentist in the past year. Yikes.
I know, it's not fun. Perhaps the best thing to do is find a dentist or hygienist who understands your brand of kid. Josh and Maddie's mom found one in a very macho teeth-cleaner:
The hygienist was awesome!!! He explained everything to Josh, let him touch all of the instruments, and walked him step by step through everything he was doing or was about to do. I swear, they need more male nurses, hygienists, preschool teachers, etc. Men understand men better. This guy knew just how to explain everything to Josh and what to say.
One blogger has set up a blog entirely dedicated to covering children's dentistry, particularly access to dentistry for low-income kids, who have the highest rate of tooth decay and the least access to dental care.
The Children's Dental Health site advocates for kids who need access to dentists, and the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center has more information on Medicaid, SHIP and other programs.
I hate to recite the poster on the ceiling of my childhood dentist's office, but if you neglect your teeth, they'll eventually go away.
