About the author: Dr Angela Gilhespie
Q&A
About the author.
Full-time dentist in private practice, (limited to children), Jhb.
Qualified University
of London, UK.
Mother of two
children (in early 20’s)
Why
did you write the book?
Parents need
to know how to prevent dental problems in their child. This information,
unfortunately, is not easily available. The book contains what I needed
to know (and more!) to ensure my own children went into adult life with
beautiful healthy smiles.
Who
needs to read the book?
Every prospective or new parent.
Caregivers (fathers, relative, teachers) will also benefit. The earlier
it is read the better; prevention of dental problems must occur from the
beginning. This is the
perfect stork party gift!
Isn’t
dental decay declining?
Statistics
for the U.S. (CDC figures) give >40% of children under the 5yrs. have
tooth decay. It’s called the “silent epidemic” as so few parents
are aware of its
existence. I know this figure is far higher in South Africa.
Is
this because children don’t brush their teeth?
Brushing does not
prevent tooth decay. It can’t
because most decay occurs in the fissures (grooves) on teeth or between
the teeth where the toothbrush can’t get access. That doesn’t mean don’t
brush; that’s important for gum health.
What
do you think is the challenge for our children’s teeth?
Teeth
break down in acid. The main culprit for this is acidic drinks: fruit
juices, cold drinks and sport’s drinks. The exponential growth in their
consumption has resulted in severe breakdown of our children’s teeth.
‘Bottle’ decay is a tragic example of this. This is one disease we can
wipe out by education.
What
are your hopes for this book?
I hope
every parent who sees the book (there are a lot of pictures!) will think
about what they are giving their child to eat and drink. I hope no mum
will give her child a bottle of fruit juice, cold drink, sport’s drink
or flavoured sugary milk after reading the book. I want all parents to
make preventative dental care a top priority for their child.
Copies of Published articles:
Expectant Mother's Guide 2009 (pdf), DSA August 2008 (pdf), Comment on 'Xylitol’s role in ECC prevention' published on www.dental learninghub.com (pdf), The Power of Xylitol 'Article from ‘The Childbirth Professional Forum’ 2010 by Dr. A Gilhespie p4-5.pdf