VOA慢速英语:Laying the Roots for Healthy Teeth in Young Children

Bad teeth can be painful -- and worse. They can even be deadly. Infections of the gums and teeth can release bacteria into the blood system. Those bacteria can increase the chances of a heart attack or stroke and worsen the effects of other diseases. And adults are not the only ones at risk.
牙齿损坏是非常痛苦的——甚至更糟糕，可能会致命。牙龈和牙齿的感染会向血液系统中释放细菌。这些细菌会增加心脏病或中风的风险，还会恶化其他疾病的新影响。而遭受这种风险的不仅仅是成年人。

For example, in two thousand seven, doctors in the Washington area said a boy died when a tooth infection spread to his brain. They said it might have been prevented had he received the dental care he needed. He was twelve years old.
例如，2007年，华盛顿地区的医生说，一个男孩因为牙齿感染侵入大脑而死亡。他们表示，如果接受了所需的牙齿护理，这原本是可以避免的。这个男孩当时只有12岁。

Experts at the National Institutes of Health say good dental care starts at birth. Breast milk, they say, is the best food for the healthy development of teeth. Breast milk can help slow bacterial growth and acid production in the mouth.
国立卫生研究院(National Institutes of Health，NIH)的专家表示，良好的牙科护理应该从婴儿出生时就开始。他们表示，母乳是对牙齿的健康生长最好的食物。母乳可以减缓口腔中细菌的滋长和酸性物质的生成。

But dentists say a baby's gums and early teeth should be cleaned after each feeding. Use a cloth with a little warm water. Do the same if a baby is fed with a bottle. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, only give the child water.
但是牙科医生表示，每次喂养婴儿后都应该为他的牙龈和乳牙进行清洁。用布沾着温水来清洗。如果婴儿是用奶瓶来进食也采取同样的过程。专家表示，如果婴儿睡觉时你为他准备了奶瓶，瓶中只能装水。

When baby teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently.
婴儿的牙齿开始长出时，可以用湿牙刷来为他清洁。牙科医生表示，必须使用专供婴儿使用的柔软的牙刷，必须轻轻地刷。

The use of fluoride to protect teeth is common in many parts of the world. For example, it is often added to drinking water supplies. The fluoride mixes with enamel, the hard surface on teeth, to help prevent holes, or cavities, from forming.
在世界许多地方，使用氟化物来保护牙齿非常普遍。例如，氟化物通常被添加到饮用水中。氟化物与牙齿表面的釉质混合，防止生成龋齿。

But young children often swallow toothpaste when they brush. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry notes that swallowing fluoridated toothpaste can cause problems. So young children should be carefully supervised when they brush their teeth. And only a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste, the size of a pea, should be used.
但是幼儿刷牙的时候通常会吞食牙膏。美国儿科牙科学会指出，吞食含氟牙膏会造成一些问题。所以，儿童刷牙的时候，家长必须小心监管。儿童只能使用少量牙膏，大约绿豆粒大小。

Parents often wonder what effect thumb sucking or sucking on a pacifier might have on their baby's teeth. Dental experts generally agree that this is fine early in life.
父母经常想知道，吮吸手指或奶瓶橡胶头会对婴儿的牙齿造成怎样的影响。牙科专家普遍认为，在早期，这对牙齿是无害的。

The American Academy of Family Physicians says most children stop sucking their thumb by the age of four. If it continues, the group advises parents to talk to their child's dentist or doctor. It could interfere with the correct development of permanent teeth.
美国家庭医生学会表示，大部分儿童在四岁时就会停止吮吸手指。如果这种现象继续的话，该学会建议父母咨询孩子的牙科医生。这会影响永久性牙齿的正确生长。

Dentists say children should have their first dental visit at least by the time they are one year old. They say babies should be examined when their first teeth appear -- usually at around six months.
牙科医生表示，儿童最迟在一岁之前就应该进行第一次牙齿检查。他们表示，婴儿长出第一颗牙齿时就应该进行检查——大约在六个月大的时候。