Adolescent Education

Adolescent Education

 The definition of adolescents has changed and is now defined as the period between ages 10-24. During adolescence there are a lot of changes- emotional, social, physical- and even dentally! These rapid changes present as unique needs and educational opportunities for our patients and parents.

• Cavities

  • The cavity rate is highest during adolescence! This could be attributed to immature enamel, changes in diet, social factors, and/or low priority for oral health.

  • During this time, education, fluoride, and routine professional care is very important.

• Diet

  • During this time in life, many adolescents are exposed to and/or drink acidic and sugary drinks such as soda, sports drinks or energy drinks. They also may eat more “junk food” in the form of refined carbohydrates. These changes in diet can lead to an increase in cavities. It is for this reason we do a dietary analysis at every appointment.

• Sealants

  • Sealants are a thin, white coating that helps prevent cavities on the biting surfaces of molars.

  • Sealants are effective in preventing cavities and will be recommended if your adolescent child if their tooth is at risk for cavities.

• Professional care

  • We typically see our patients every 6 months, but we may suggest every 3 months if they are deemed to have a high cavity risk.

  • The frequency and type of x-rays we take will also be determined by their cavity risk, exam and history.

• Fluoride

  • Brushing 2x/day for 2 minute duration with an ADA approved fluoridated toothpaste is recommended.

  • We also may suggest you purchase Clinpro toothpaste, a toothpaste we have in office that has 5X the amount of fluoride found in over-the-counter toothpaste. The higher concentration of fluoride can help prevent cavities and can even remineralize (or reharden) initial cavities!

  • We also provide fluoride varnish at our office and will recommend it 2 to 4 times a year to help reduce cavities.

• Gingivitis

  • Gingival disease is most prevalent during adolescence!

  • This can be attributed to hormonal changes that cause excess inflammation in response to plaque.

• Malocclusion

  • Tooth/jaw position will be evaluated at each appointment and we will provide a timely referral to an orthodontist if it can impact your child’s quality of life!

• 3rd molars (wisdom teeth)

  • 3rd molars will be evaluated and we will provide a timely referral to the oral surgeon if problems are present that indicate the need for removal.

• Traumatic injuries

  • 25% of adolescents will experience dental trauma!!!

  • This can be attributed to sports, falls, collusions, accidents, violence, and recreational activities.

  • Faceguards and mouthguards will be recommended, and we can make custom mouthguards in office to help better protect the teeth.

• Bleaching

  • Commonly adolescents will desire to improve esthetics and may request tooth whitening.

  • We will never suggest whitening, but if desired by the patient, we do offer in office and at home whitening options.

• Tobacco, nicotine, alcohol and recreational drugs

  • Unfortunately, it’s a reality that adolescence is a time that exposure to tobacco products, alcohol, drugs may occur.

  • An oral cancer screening will be performed on every adolescent.

  • If we are made aware of exposure to tobacco and nicotine products, we will recommend cessation aids.

• Oral piercings

  • Lip and tongue rings are strongly associated with gingival recession and fractured teeth.

  • We strongly discourage oral piercings and will counsel the patient on adverse effects.

• Sexually transmitted infections

  • We encourage the HPV vaccination for our male and female adolescent patients starting at age 11 because of the association between HPV and oral/oropharyngeal cancers.

  • Screening for signs of sexually transmitted disease that present in the oral cavity is routinely completed.

• Eating disorders

  • The onset of eating disorders peaks in adolescence. We will evaluate for oral signs of eating disorders and refer as needed.

  • If an eating disorder is diagnosed, we will provide education information on how to care for the teeth to mitigate the deleterious effects to the dentition during recovery.

• Transitioning to adult care

  • We commonly keep our cavity-free patients through college, but if their dental needs at outside the scope of a pediatric dentist we will refer sooner at a time agreed upon by dentist, patient, and parent.