Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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 Teen Teeth

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, March 28, 2005

STORY:  TEEN TEETH

Teenagers have a higher risk of tooth decay than younger children. That's according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.  The reason? Greater independence from parents and the teenager diet. Dr. Linda Niessen explains in this segment of Dental Health Check.

Kathryn Napier turns thirteen in just a few months. But she already knows the dangers teenagers face if they don't take care of their teeth. "Going off with their friends to the movies a lot and eating all that candy and stuff at the movies," said Kathryn.

At age 16, Taylor Collier struggles to keep his teeth clean while wearing a full set of braces. Taylor said, "It's a lot harder to floss with these braces on so I just use Listerine. Because it is now clinically proven to work just as good as dental floss."

Many parents don't realize that tooth decay in teens is twice that of children; that poor diet causes dental problems; frequent snacking increases the risk of tooth decay; and teens have a significant increase in dental injuries. Girls and boys soccer coaches seldom require mouth guards. But mouth injuries are not uncommon. Dentists recommend custom made mouth guards that are comfortable.

"The boys have really changed in their use of spit tobacco," said Dr. Francis Miranda.

Spit tobacco and cigarette smoking increase during teen years. Dr. Miranda has noticed a decline in their use among his patients. "Probably one in ten was doing something. Now I don't see one a month," the Pediatric Dentist added.

Just like adults, many teenagers are wanting to undergo whitening procedures. "It's becoming the routine now to do braces and bleach your teeth regardless of what color they are," said Dr. Miranda.

During the late teen years, the wisdom teeth or third molars will begin to erupt. Most teens won't have enough space and will need them extracted. So during the senior year in high school, talk to your dentist about wisdom teeth. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

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