By Isaac Olufemi Ojo
In a strategic shift from traditional school outreach, paediatric dental experts have taken their oral health advocacy directly to expectant mothers at Antenatal Clinics (ANC), warning them against indiscriminate drug use and poor dietary habits that could jeopardise their unborn children’s dental health.
The experts spoke during an outreach programme held in Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of the activities marking the 8th Biennial Conference of the Nigerian Association of Paediatric Dentists (NAPD).
According to dental specialists, educating schoolchildren alone often yields limited results because mothers at home frequently dismiss their children’s feedback. By engaging women during pregnancy, the medical team aims to tackle dental complications right from the womb.
Womb-to-Cradle Dental Care
Speaking with journalists, a Consultant Paediatric Dentist with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr. Popoola Bamidele Olubukola, explained that many dental defects observed in children originate from maternal habits during pregnancy.
She specifically warned expectant mothers against patronising roadside vendors to purchase unprescribed drugs, citing medications such as tetracycline as a major culprit behind intrinsic, permanent tooth discoloration in children.
“I have warned them about going across the counter to buy drugs such as tetracycline that can harm them, giving their children teeth stains which are totally intrinsic discolouration that cannot be treated except with crowns, which is quite expensive,” Dr. Popoola stated.
She also cautioned the women against neglecting their own oral health due to pregnancy-related hormonal changes and morning sickness.
She advised against constantly sucking on sugary sweets to suppress excessive salivation, noting that it can lead to dental cavities after 9 months.
Instead, she recommended xylitol-containing chewing gum as an affordable alternative and advised mothers to rinse their mouths with water—rather than brushing immediately—after vomiting to prevent enamel erosion from gastric acid.
Debunking Teething Myths
While Addressing common misconceptions surrounding infant teething, Dr. Popoola firmly dismissed the notion that teething causes fever, diarrhoea, or coughing.
“Teething brings out nothing but teeth,” she emphasised. “That is our belief as dentists.”
She explained that infants experience an itchy gum sensation during eruption, leading them to bite on shoes, slippers, or their fingers.
However, she maintained that to safely manage this irritation without exposing children to lead-laced plastic toys from secondhand markets, she recommended chilled raw carrots.
“Carrots are common, cheap, and a fruit,” she said. “Let them get carrots and give them to the child to bite on. It will ease that irritation instead of the child biting on slippers.”
Combating Childhood Tooth Decay
Corroborating her stance, the National President of the NAPD, Professor Odegua Eminue, noted that the association’s 8th biennial conference centres on the theme: “Smiles for the Future: Advancing Paediatric Dental Care in a Changing World.”
Professor Eminue stressed that early childhood caries (tooth decay) remains the most common chronic health condition globally, with Nigerian prevalence rates ranging from low figures up to 2.3 to 90 per cent depending on the environment.
“Even one per cent is significant to us. We wouldn’t want any child to have dental caries because it’s painful,” she noted.
The NAPD president highlighted that maternal oral health is directly tied to general health and can even influence pregnancy outcomes like premature delivery.
She expressed optimism that the seed sown at the ANC will resonate with mothers and influence how they monitor their children’s consumption of sugary snacks and carbonated biscuits.
The dental experts urged parents to introduce proper oral hygiene—including twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste supervised with a peanut-sized amount—as soon as a child’s first teeth erupt, while encouraging routine visits to dental homes rather than waiting until dental emergencies arise.
