Dr Thu-Linh ALLAIN NGUYEN, French dentist in London, visited La Petite Ecole Française this month to promote oral health with children aged 5 to 10 years old. They learned how to keep healthy teeth with fun activities and videos. The 3 key-points are:

1) Toothbrushing, at least twice a day, morning and evening under parents supervision

2) A balanced diet, without snacking and with a reasonable amount of sugar to reduce the cavity risk (be careful with the sugary drinks like fruit juice and fizzy drinks)

3) A consultation with the dentist once to twice a year to get them used to the dental examination, for early detection of problems and treatments, and to monitor the growth and eruption of the baby teeth and permanent teeth

6 years-old is a key age for teeth with the eruption of the first permanent teeth, the upper and lower incisors (“front teeth”) after loss of baby teeth but also the first permanent molars, often forgotten because no baby tooth is lost before their appearance at the very back of the mouth. They may get decayed because of difficulty of access when brushing but they can be protected by Fissure sealants (quick and easy painless treatments to facilitate the brushing and add a fluoride protection).

Thu-Linh also works with le Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres, in particular with l’Ecole André Malraux in Ealing.