Allow them to air dry afterwards. A recent article published in Pediatric Dentistry discussed toothbrush contamination in a day care setting. In spite of the current emphasis on preventive dental health, many children are still affected by dental caries. In fact,dental caries is the most common chronic infectious disease of childhood. Early childhood caries remains a severe problem in some cultural and ethnic groups.
Dental caries is a lifestyle-dependent infectious disease.
The lactic acid produced by the cariogenic bacteria causes tooth structure to dissolve. It destroys dental enamel - the hardest material in the body. When dental decay spreads to the nerve and pulp tissues of the tooth, the result can be dental pain, dental abscess, or facial cellulitis. The oral bacteria responsible for dental caries belong to the streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli groups of bacteria. These bacteria, which cause dental caries, are able to metabolize sugar, produce a destructive lactic acid, and produce a sticky dental plaque.