Methemoglobinemia is a serious blood disorder that reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood stream and, in severe cases, can lead to death. Symptoms, which could possibly follow a single application of benzocaine with concentrations as low as 7.5 percent, include pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips, and nail beds; shortness of breath; fatigue; confusion; headache; lightheadedness; and rapid heart rate .

The FDA is advising health care professionals to refer to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for teething, which recommend giving infants and toddlers a chilled (not frozen) teething ring or gently rubbing or massaging the gums with a finger instead of using benzocaine to relieve the symptoms.

For more information, visit the FDA website at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm250024.htm and the ADA website at http://www.ada.org/news/5731.aspx

Some common children’s snacks are very sticky and can lodge on the teeth for a long time.  Sticky snacks can deliver sugar to the teeth long after you think your child has swallowed them.  This places teeth at great risk for cavities.  If you do offer your child a sticky snack it is best to brush afterward.

The tablets are manufactured to contain a small amount of belladonna, a substance that can cause serious harm at larger doses. For such a product, it is important that the amount of belladonna be carefully controlled. FDA laboratory analysis has found that Hyland’s Teething Tablets contain inconsistent amounts of belladonna.

FDA has received reports of serious adverse events in children taking this product that are consistent with belladonna toxicity. The FDA has also received reports of children who consumed more tablets than recommended, because the containers do not have child resistant caps.

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And it’s just one new line of attack on a somewhat surprising problem: Despite widespread water fluoridation and advances in dental care, cavities were more common among young children in the early 2000s than they were a decade earlier, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From The USA Today

Strategies for helping your child break the thumb-sucking habit

“The “silent epidemic,” which is what the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2000 report on the nation’s oral health called it, says tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease, five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever.”

“Kids’ Dental Decay Takes a Bite out of School Attendance”, New America Media

According to the AAPD, it is very important to keep primary teeth in place until they are lost naturally. “Baby” teeth:
· Help children chew properly to maintain good nutrition.
· Are involved in speech development.
· Help save space for permanent teeth.
· Promote a healthy smile that helps children feel good about the way they look.

RDH Magazine