Efforts to improve the health of teeth and mouth have been carried out since the old parties, either through government programs, mass media, advertising on television, or counseling in the health center. But the results were not so significant. From the Household Health Survey in 2001 found that 76.2% children in the age group 12 years experience caries.

If described one by one, many factors that cause the difficulty of improving the health status of children's teeth and mouth. But it might need to be seen is one thing very important, namely the role of mother. Mother plays a key role in the family, as a wife and mother of his children. The first figure is known to the child once he was born his mother. Thus, behaviors and habits can be emulated by the mother of the child. Maternal knowledge about dental health will determine the health status of children's teeth later. But 'know' is not enough, to be followed by 'caring' and 'act'.

Dental health and children need to be considered as early as possible. The formation of teeth in children have started since he was still in the womb. Nutritional factors determine pregnant women and fetal development growth, not least the teeth and mouth. Calcium, fluorine and phosphorus is an important element in the formation of the fetal teeth. So did vitamin C and D.

Holt RD, et al doing research on the effects of dental health education given to her mother's 5-year-old in London. The results revealed that 69% of the children of mothers who give oral health education at home shows the caries-free, and the number of gingivitis (gum inflammation) is lower than the children who are not educated about oral hygiene and mouth by his mother.

Dental caries can occur very early, so the teeth are growing and the environment from exposure to the mouth so he has the potential to experience caries. Mother can help clean her teeth are still a toddler with a clean gauze or cotton that added to the surface of the tooth. To determine whether there is still a plaque on tooth surfaces, can be applied disclosing solution that will give the red color on the surface covered by plaque. So whether your teeth could get caught it is completely clean or not.

Sometimes children who are aged under 5 years is very difficult to told to brush her teeth. Well, here lies the role of the mother. Just command may not work to make children want to brush my teeth. But if the mother took the child together brushing teeth, such as bathing, then the child can observe and imitate the habit of the mother.

Entering the school age, children experience caries risk higher. The number of snacks in school, with the type of food and sweet drinks, threaten the health of your child's teeth. Mothers need to monitor patterns of children in the school snack. If possible, children are not socialized to snack at school at all. Supply of food from home so much better, because it can not be denied that most children in school snacks vulnerable to hygiene and nutritious too questionable. If the child insists on for snack at school, better directed not to choose foods that are sweet and sticky. Food sticky sweet with a consistency much more dangerous, because it is more difficult to remove from the surface of the tooth.

Many women who complain, the front upper jaw teeth brown son, the crown of his teeth broken, sometimes even just a little remaining crown. But most of these mothers do not realize what it was. What actually happens is that dental caries experience, and this is often referred to as the bottle caries, early childhood caries, or baby bottle caries. Pattern of dental caries is closely related to the provision of milk or other sweet liquid with a prolonged bottle. Moreover if the child used to or accustomed to drinking milk bottle before bedtime, and not infrequently there are bottles of milk in the child's mouth when he fell asleep.

Dental caries is caused eldest feeding or other sweet drinks to use as long a bottle has a distinctive character. Involved tooth is usually the front upper jaw teeth, and usually four front teeth caries-free lower jaw.

Parent behavior factors into the supporting factors of this problem, primarily because of lack of knowledge of parents about proper dental health. This percentage is quite high, from a study reported in 3-6% of children under the age of 4 years of bottle caries.

From several studies revealed that the contents of the bottle is more significant in increasing the risk of bottle caries, rather than the duration or the duration of the use of the milk bottle. For example syrup, infant formula is added sugar, or honey water to drink with milk bottles, a high potential for causing dental caries, especially if you drink a bottle at bedtime. The flow of saliva decreases during sleep, whereas saliva has a cleansing effect of self-rinsing food or beverage remaining out of the oral cavity during swallowing movements. When liquid or sweet drinks to drink until the child is asleep, then the liquid is still flooding the surface of the teeth all night.
Lactose in milk can stimulate the growth of the bacteria Streptococcus mutants, the bacteria that is very important as a cause of caries.

TIPS FOR THE MOTHER

• Help and teach children while brushing teeth. If the mother together cleaning children's teeth, the child will be more motivated and imitate the example of his mother. In addition women also may consider whether the child how to brush teeth correctly. Do not leave a child alone or only accompanied by caregiver.
• Toothpaste with various flavors and colors are attractive to children, and the formula was designed so that safe if ingested. However, toothpaste containing fluoride is good for teeth should be given after a 3-year-old child in which he was able to rinse.
• Watch your child's type of snacks. Candy and chocolate or other sweet foods can still be given, but needs to be emphasized on the importance of brushing and cleaning your teeth before bed.
• Take time to look at and examine your child's teeth. If this is often done, the child will not feel too strange as to be brought to the dentist. If there is disorder in the child's mouth cavity can be found as early as possible.

CAUTION: Check with the child to the dentist regularly. Many of the mothers who did not deem it necessary to patch up her milk teeth are hollow. Because after all will be replaced by permanent teeth. However, milk teeth can cause a hole left some problems.

• Milk teeth are hollow (as well as in adults) may cause discomfort or pain. As a result children can be fussy and difficult to eat.
• Can cause malfunctioning of mastication, because teeth are not hollow chew comfortable to use. The result does not chew food properly, and can affect nutrition for children.
• Baby teeth can cause tooth hole is rocking and the date of premature or had revoked prematurely. Ideally in this condition made space maintainer. Baby teeth serve as a guide for the growth of permanent teeth. If premature tooth loss, tooth growth remains irregular.

Composition of irregular teeth can lead to malfunctioning of talk (especially the front teeth are irregular), not harmonious facial profile, interference with mastication, and can lower self-esteem of children. Baby teeth should remain patched, so that the teeth are already holes in it can survive as long as possible in the mouth and the date or time off in accordance with the normal.