This episode is an intimate exploration of why keeping those pearly whites healthy matters more than you might think, especially for our little ones. Dr. Valerie Mukanga from Healing Wings Dental joins us to shed light on pediatric oral care, focusing on children with ADHD and autism. Together, we navigate through practical tips and strategies to make dental care less daunting for kids and parents alike.
Brushing aside myths and fears, we get to the tooth of the matter on fluoride, its role in tooth enamel fortification, and the right time to introduce it to your child's dental routine. The discussion branches out into the realm of innovative dental tools designed to engage and assist children with special needs. These tools are not just gadgets, but lifelines for parents striving to engrain healthy habits in their kids from the get-go.
Today's conversation is like flossing through the intricacies of sugar's impact on oral and brain health, with a special focus on dietary considerations for kids with autism and ADHD. It's a refreshing reminder of water’s role in diluting the harms of sugar-laden beverages and nursing bottle syndrome. We round off with pearls of wisdom for parents. Dr. Mukanga, it's been an honor to have you lend your expertise to our listeners; your insights are a guiding light for parents on this journey. Remember, folks, a solid foundation in oral care is not just vital for a sparkling smile, but for a thriving, healthy brain.
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If you want to schedule an ADHD/Autism appointment for your child, you may contact Glow Pediatrics:
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- Fax: 949-695-2681
- info@glowpediatrics.com
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💼 LinkedIn: hokeheeffiongmd
And join our Glow Health Circle! Weekly coaching calls for a close-knit community of like-minded parents, to get practical strategies for your child's whole-child well-being — from brain and gut health to navigating the environment. Let's thrive together!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (00:00):
Hello parents, welcome to another episode of
Brain Power with Dr Eko.
I have a special treat for youtoday.
Her name is Dr Valerie Mukangaand I'm gonna let her introduce
herself, but Dr Valerie is anamazing dentist and a great
friend of mine, and I can't waitto hear all the wisdom she has
(00:20):
to share with us.
So welcome to the show, drValerie.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (00:24):
Thank you so much, Dr Hokehe.
Thank you so much for having metoday.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (00:27):
So tell our listeners all about your amazing
practice and how you help bothparents and children with oral
care.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (00:36):
Okay, so I'm Dr Valerie Mukanga.
I am the owner-founder ofHealing Wings Dental, where we
help people of any age maintainor regain their health, oral
health that is.
I'm a general dentist and ouroffice is located in Dallas Fort
Worth area.
So I say that we help childrenand adults and that's befitting
(00:58):
of the question you asked me.
How do we do that?
So we see people from any age,starting at six months,
especially because Medicaidfacilitates and our office does
take Medicaid, so it actuallygets people to start seeing a
dentist at six months, becauseat about six months is when, in
general, children will starthaving their first teeth
(01:21):
erupting.
So we do that.
And we also see adults up towhatever age they are.
So we say a hundred plus and sowe go do treatment, from
preventative care to just anytype of restorative care that
they would need Wonderful.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (01:39):
So, parents listening from Dallas Fort Worth
area there's your dentist.
Go see her.
But let's dive into what we'regoing to talk about today Oral
care for children with ADHD andautism as well.
So I know I hear a lot in myoffice about parents saying that
their children don't like to goto the dentist.
What are some ways that we canencourage patients to come see
(02:01):
you and what are tips that yougive parents to help their
children who are afraid ofcoming to the dentist?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (02:08):
Okay.
So one of the tips is, first ofall I'm going to address myself
parents, because there are alot of parents who would have
had anxiety and they themselvesare anxious as far as going to
the dentist.
We see so many people who cometo the office and they sit down.
You say hello, and it's like Ihate the dentist, that we see so
many people who come to theoffice and they sit down.
You say hello and it's like Ihate the dentist.
That's something we are all toofamiliar with and I kind of
(02:30):
downplay it many times and I say, well, I'm not scary, am I?
And they're like, no, it's not,it's just any dentist.
It's like, no, I understand,but one of the reasons why
people may experience anxietycould be because they had
experienced a traumatic eventwhen they went to the dentist,
maybe when they were young oreven when they were older.
(02:51):
So with that they haveinternalized that anxiety and
fear and unknowingly they maypass that down to the children,
right?
So I would say, try to overcomeyour fear and one of the
greatest things that you can dois to bring your child to see a
dentist as soon as possible.
That's as far as it's going tofoster a kind of routine for the
(03:13):
child where they know what toexpect.
That goes with any children,but especially with children
with disability, adhd or evenautism, right, because they want
to do things on like a routinebasis so that they know what to
expect.
That's what I would advise aparent as far as taking a child
to a provider, whether that be aphysician or even a dentist.
(03:37):
But another thing that they canactually grab hold of is to
start actually their oralhygiene routine as early as
possible with their children.
So initially, even when thechildren do not yet have teeth,
they may take like a wet clothand after feeding, kind of wipe
their gums because they stilllike gunk that stays in the
(03:58):
mouth.
But once they start havingtheir first teeth, if you see
teeth, that is definitely asurface that needs to be brushed
.
So there are many tools thatcan be used.
You can use like a, maybetoothbrush, or they have like
needle brushes that you can puton your hand and start like
brushing those areas.
And yeah, so the more you getthem used to oral hygiene, the
(04:21):
earliest you do it, the betterthey're going to be acquainted
with the whole procedure.
And so, yes, don't bediscouraged, because children
will cry.
Most children cry, they don'tcry, and so if you see that your
child's crying, don't let itbreak your heart, they do that.
The good thing about it is thatwhen they cry, that means that
their mouth is open, so you canactually do the job well.
(04:45):
And so, yeah, that's one of thethings.
Don't just look at the factthat you are brushing your
child's teeth and they're justlike throwing havoc or like
having a tantrum.
Just try to do the best you can.
It's better for you to try todo the best you can than not to.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (05:00):
Amen to that, because we all know that
cavities are harder to fix thanif we just prevented it in the
first place.
And I want to go back tosomething you said in the
beginning, that the fear ofgoing to the dentist probably
stems from we, the parents.
Right, and so I want toencourage parents change your
thoughts around.
I hate going to the dentist.
(05:21):
How about you?
Think about it?
Why is the dentist actuallyimportant?
And this is something I sharewith my kids.
I ask them where's your brain?
And then they point to me and Isay where's your mouth?
And then they point to you andI say which way does your blood
flow?
And a lot of times they get itright that the blood flows this
way, right?
So I say you know, if you don'tbrush your teeth and you have a
(05:43):
booboo in your mouth, way right.
So I said you know, if youdon't brush your teeth and you
have a booboo in your mouth,then guess where all the stuff
is going Right here.
You know I'm the brain happypediatrician, so anything I can
do to prevent this from notfeeling good is what we're going
to do, which means we need totake care of our mouth, because
whatever is going on with ourmouth will eventually end up in
the brain.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (06:03):
Honestly, doctor, that is such great
advice that you're actuallysharing with your children and
even with your patients, becausethere is truly like a
correlation between oral healthand brain health, oral health
and your heart.
I have a sad story that Idecided to share.
Often, my uncle, who was mymother's younger brother, came
(06:24):
right after her.
He had a cavity, ended uphaving an infection, and that
was back home in Congo, becauseI'm from the Democratic Republic
of Congo and we don't reallyhave the habit of going to see a
dentist right.
When he finally went, the painwas just too atrocious.
He went to see a physician.
However, it was really late,because that very day when he
(06:46):
got back, he ended up having astroke and he actually passed.
He passed the same day.
So when you're talking abouthaving a boo-boo in your mouth,
that ends up in your brain, itis not frustrating Like.
This is what can truly happenDoesn't happen often, but does
happen.
I thought they were just likenot wanting to tell me the true
story about what happened to him, but truly, truly, it's when I
(07:07):
ended up in dental school andwhen we learned those
correlation that I understoodthat it was actually a true
story.
So, yes, it's very important.
There's definitely something alink between your mouth and your
brain, and taking good care ofyour mouth will also see that
your brain is well taken care ofas well.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (07:26):
Yes, yes, thank you for sharing that story and
my condolences to you for it.
On your own, but that is sotrue?
Yes, because we often take itfor granted that, oh, we're just
going to eat, we're not goingto brush our teeth and we're
going to go to sleep, and allthat stuff just sits there and
percolates, and yeah.
So, parents and kids, if you'relistening to this, it's so
(07:49):
important for you to take careof your mouth, because your
mouth houses so much right.
Where would we be without ourmouths?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (07:58):
That's really important.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (08:00):
Right, we wouldn't be able to eat.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (08:02):
We wouldn't be able to smile, we wouldn't
be able to speak.
We would.
Just what would we?
Dr. Hokehe Eko (08:07):
That's a true question Right, so I wanted to
ask you what's your take aboutfluoride?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (08:13):
Okay, so fluoride is really good and I
know that we have come to an erawhere there's all this
information about fluoride isnot good and it can cause cancer
and all those kind of things.
Honestly, the ADA there's notbeen any solid research that is
saying that there is definitelythat link as far as bringing
(08:36):
cancer or being traumatic.
However, there's lots ofadvantages with using fluoride,
because it's going to help youhave your teeth being
strengthened right, so it makesyour enamel stronger, which is
why the reason why it's reallywell advocated, and especially
with the, the children that youare taking care of, because of
(08:59):
many things like maybe themedication that they're taking
that is well coated with sugarso that it can taste better, or
because otherwise it tastesreally nasty, or, you know, just
like the habits that they mayhave, or me being maybe like
forgetful or not brushing for along period of time, as they are
too maybe forgetting to brush,and maybe the parents are
(09:20):
already so stressed out tryingto manage that they are not
truly able to go in theremindfully to get the job done.
Fluoride would be verybeneficial because it's going to
help you as far as likestrengthening your teeth and
kind of like lowering down orslowing down the process of
getting cavities.
I would say definitely a bluff.
(09:41):
However, you want to be mindfulof when you start introducing
the fluoride to your children,because when they're too young,
they are not able to spit out,they're swallowing everything
Fluoride.
When you ingest too much, it'sgoing to give you a tummy ache.
It's going to hurt your stomach, but also if you ingest too
much of it, it can even likechange the color of your teeth.
(10:04):
So you want to be mindful whenthe child is so young they
cannot yet spit you want todefinitely give them training
toothpaste that does not havefluoride.
But once they are able to spitout, then definitely start
introducing fluoride.
You don't have to like overfillyour toothbrush.
Piece size is good enough sothat they get enough of the
(10:26):
fluoride in the oral cavity.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (10:29):
Okay, and so I hear from a lot of my thank you
for that.
I hear from a lot of mypatient's parents about the
struggle with brushing.
Are there any specialized, liketoothbrushes, that parents of
children with ADHD or autism canuse to brush their teeth
adequately at home?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (10:48):
Yes, so they have some three-sided
toothbrushes whereby when theybrush, it hits all the surfaces
of the teeth at once, so thatthey don't have to, because some
of them don't really have themanual dexterity so that they
can be able to do a good job.
Some of them are not going tohave the attention span to do it
for the whole two minutes.
(11:09):
So there are many differentthings that have been introduced
.
You have a three-sidedtoothbrush where they're
brushing and is going toactually brush the outside
surfaces of the teeth next tothe cheek, the one next to the
tongue and also the chewingsurfaces.
That's going to help children alot and parents can use that.
They have some type of mouthproper or mouth block that helps
(11:34):
your child keep their mouthopen so that the parent can go
in there and get the job done.
They also have electrictoothbrushes, which you can
start introducing after agethree, and that's going to help
you because then they don't haveto do so much of the job.
They position the toothbrush inthe right position and the
(11:55):
toothbrush is doing the job forthem.
Plus, the advantage of that toois that they have some electric
toothbrush, have a timer, sothey know that okay, they will
be turning on the toothbrush andthey will know that once the
beeper goes off they are done.
But if you don't have that, youcan still use some small timers
.
That's going to help the childknow.
(12:16):
Or you can even play a song forthem that is worth maybe two
minutes and while they'rebrushing they can know that when
they're done is when the songis done.
So there are many things thatthey can also use.
And because slossing is alsoessential, it's more than likely
going to be very difficult forthem to use the string, but they
(12:38):
can use these little slossersand, kind of like get between
their teeth so those are kind oflike some things they can use
yeah, they also can use as faras not just the toothbrush even
the toothpaste.
Some of them may have adifficult time adjusting to,
maybe, the taste of thetoothpaste, so they also have,
like, some toothpaste that donot have any flavor and that can
(13:01):
be easier on the children.
So you want to kind of likegauge out and kind of like play
and see what works best for thechild.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (13:10):
Yeah, I'm going to get a list of those resources
from you to send out on a shownote so we can help parents
figure out what to get.
Thank you for that.
So what's one last tip forparents and kids?
I like to ask everybody to givea brain health tip for both
(13:30):
parents and kids.
What would you like to share?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (13:33):
Before I dive into that, may I please
talk about something that's veryimportant and that's a tip as
well.
Before I go into the brain tipparents need to be mindful of
what they actually feed theirchildren.
I know that I had lots and lotsof conversation with you as far
as children with autism andeven ADHD, and you're talking
(13:54):
about how sugar is actuallycausing more traumatic outcomes
for them.
Well, it's also tied in.
As far as oral health.
Everybody knows, who arewell-versed into oral health or
slightly versed into it, thatsugar is a big culprit as far as
, like, bringing on cavities andso many dental issues.
(14:16):
So you know nutrition is veryimportant and whatever is
beneficial for what you'retalking about as far as helping
children with autism and evenADHD, there's the same type of
food.
Decreasing very much thecontent of the sugar that they
do take also will help thechildren.
So be mindful of what you aregiving them as far as what to
(14:38):
eat and even what to drink,because juices and things like
that is going to cause a lot ofproblems for children and even
with babies, when you breastfeedor even when you feed them,
there's this thing called babybottle syndrome or nursing
bottle syndrome, whereby it'snot just the bottle that you
give, but even when you'renursing your child.
(15:00):
The milk actually has enoughsugar in it to start causing
cavities.
And the thing is like manytimes at night when you're
feeding your child they might befeeding or nursing and while
they sleep they will have likepart of the milk that they have
not really swallowed.
That's just lingering on theteeth right there and just
(15:22):
pulling the teeth and that cancause cavities on children, and
when that happens it's oftenvery generalized.
I remember my younger brotherwhen he was a baby.
He had these two dots on histeeth and I didn't know what it
was.
It's only when I went to dentalschool that I realized that's
what it was.
He just had cavities and wedidn't know.
We thought maybe it was juststains.
(15:42):
So one of the tips would be toactually also have a bottle of
water and actually have themdrink the water, because it's
going to wash out like the lastsip of milk that kind of lingers
on their teeth and try to givethem lots and lots of water.
I know, especially in the US,like children do not tend to
(16:03):
like water a lot, but I thinkthat if you start them early
they won't know any better.
Another tip would be for parentsto encourage their children by
brushing with them.
If the whole family is brushingtogether, then they'll be like,
oh, this is what our familydoes, you know.
And get them on a routine toknow that they're going to be
brushing and dressing in themorning and at night.
(16:23):
So they know, okay, this iswhat we do in the morning, this
is what we do at night, and alsowe know that we also go to the
dentist at least twice a year.
But a good thing also withchildren with autism and ADHD,
if the parents are able to.
I know that some of them haveinsurance and the insurance only
covers maybe two visits a year.
However, if they have Medicaid,medicaid would up until the age
(16:47):
of three.
They would actually encouragethe children to go every three
months.
But if the parents are able togo more often and they can
afford it, I would say,definitely do that.
And then when you, if you have achild with disability, you want
to maybe like have the parentsgo and visit the office prior to
(17:08):
and just doing nothing, so theykind of like observe and know
what to do if the doctor willallow them to do that and also
should tell, to tell them thisis what is going to happen, what
to expect.
But ask also in the office ifthey do see children with autism
.
Do they see children who havedisability, so that, if they
(17:29):
don't, maybe look for one?
That would that we're notwasting time and you actually
get someone that's not going tobe like, well, we can't take
care of, why you have maybe likeleft work or gotten the child
out of school and all that.
So that's what I wanted to add.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (17:45):
Thank, you so much.
Oh, my goodness, thank you foradding that in.
That just made it so muchricher.
Everything you said is soimportant Absolutely, and I like
the fact that you encouragingparents to start at as early as
six months and even the tipabout if your child is on
Medicaid, you can go more oftenuntil the age of three.
(18:07):
That's really good for parentsto know that as well.
So the oral health is connectedto brain health.
What do you have for us?
So my brain tip.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (18:17):
I actually have two tips, in fact.
One of them would be sleepenough.
Try to get yourselves and thechildren to get enough sleep,
and I should take my own advicebecause we are like you have to
do this, you have to do that,you have to do that and you
don't sleep enough.
So try to really sleep enough.
(18:37):
That's going to help your braindevelop well and even function
well.
But another tip now, as we'retalking about the link between
your mouth and your brain makesure you take care of your oral
hygiene.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (18:52):
It's going to help you as far as having a
strong brain.
Thank you, dr Valerie.
This has been so helpful, andso tell parents again how they
can find you for your services.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (19:03):
Thank you so much.
So I am Dr Valerie Mukanga onceagain, and we have a dental
practice called Healing WingsDental located in Arlington,
texas, which is in the greenarea of Dallas-Fort Worth, texas
, and so our address is 4101West Green Oaks Boulevard, suite
(19:24):
number 317, and our zip code is76016.
And our zip code is 76016.
We can also be called in ouroffice at 972-213-0202.
And on social media, we can befound by typing Healing Wings
Dental on our handles Facebook,instagram, linkedin, youtube.
But we also have a websitewhere you can request an
(19:44):
appointment for you or for yourchildren, and the website is www
.
healingwingsdental.
com.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (19:53):
Yes, please go check her out.
She's amazing.
So thank you so much again forcoming on.
We're so honored to have youand love all the amazing tips
you shared with the parentstoday.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (20:05):
Well, thank you so much, Dr Hokehe, for
having me.
I appreciate you.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (20:08):
Yes, of course.
So, parents, I hope you got asmuch out of this as I did and
please share this with somebody,a parent that you feel needs to
hear this information.
And until the next time, bewell, take care of yourself,
because you know you're the bestparents for your children and
blessings.
Take care.
Hello parents, welcome to another episode of
Brain Power with Dr Eko.
I have a special treat for youtoday.
Her name is Dr Valerie Mukangaand I'm gonna let her introduce
herself, but Dr Valerie is anamazing dentist and a great
friend of mine, and I can't waitto hear all the wisdom she has
(00:20):
to share with us.
So welcome to the show, drValerie.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (00:24):
Thank you so much, Dr Hokehe.
Thank you so much for having metoday.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (00:27):
So tell our listeners all about your amazing
practice and how you help bothparents and children with oral
care.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (00:36):
Okay, so I'm Dr Valerie Mukanga.
I am the owner-founder ofHealing Wings Dental, where we
help people of any age maintainor regain their health, oral
health that is.
I'm a general dentist and ouroffice is located in Dallas Fort
Worth area.
So I say that we help childrenand adults and that's befitting
(00:58):
of the question you asked me.
How do we do that?
So we see people from any age,starting at six months,
especially because Medicaidfacilitates and our office does
take Medicaid, so it actuallygets people to start seeing a
dentist at six months, becauseat about six months is when, in
general, children will starthaving their first teeth
(01:21):
erupting.
So we do that.
And we also see adults up towhatever age they are.
So we say a hundred plus and sowe go do treatment, from
preventative care to just anytype of restorative care that
they would need Wonderful.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (01:39):
So, parents listening from Dallas Fort Worth
area there's your dentist.
Go see her.
But let's dive into what we'regoing to talk about today Oral
care for children with ADHD andautism as well.
So I know I hear a lot in myoffice about parents saying that
their children don't like to goto the dentist.
What are some ways that we canencourage patients to come see
(02:01):
you and what are tips that yougive parents to help their
children who are afraid ofcoming to the dentist?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (02:08):
Okay.
So one of the tips is, first ofall I'm going to address myself
parents, because there are alot of parents who would have
had anxiety and they themselvesare anxious as far as going to
the dentist.
We see so many people who cometo the office and they sit down.
You say hello, and it's like Ihate the dentist, that we see so
many people who come to theoffice and they sit down.
You say hello and it's like Ihate the dentist.
That's something we are all toofamiliar with and I kind of
(02:30):
downplay it many times and I say, well, I'm not scary, am I?
And they're like, no, it's not,it's just any dentist.
It's like, no, I understand,but one of the reasons why
people may experience anxietycould be because they had
experienced a traumatic eventwhen they went to the dentist,
maybe when they were young oreven when they were older.
(02:51):
So with that they haveinternalized that anxiety and
fear and unknowingly they maypass that down to the children,
right?
So I would say, try to overcomeyour fear and one of the
greatest things that you can dois to bring your child to see a
dentist as soon as possible.
That's as far as it's going tofoster a kind of routine for the
(03:13):
child where they know what toexpect.
That goes with any children,but especially with children
with disability, adhd or evenautism, right, because they want
to do things on like a routinebasis so that they know what to
expect.
That's what I would advise aparent as far as taking a child
to a provider, whether that be aphysician or even a dentist.
(03:37):
But another thing that they canactually grab hold of is to
start actually their oralhygiene routine as early as
possible with their children.
So initially, even when thechildren do not yet have teeth,
they may take like a wet clothand after feeding, kind of wipe
their gums because they stilllike gunk that stays in the
(03:58):
mouth.
But once they start havingtheir first teeth, if you see
teeth, that is definitely asurface that needs to be brushed
.
So there are many tools thatcan be used.
You can use like a, maybetoothbrush, or they have like
needle brushes that you can puton your hand and start like
brushing those areas.
And yeah, so the more you getthem used to oral hygiene, the
(04:21):
earliest you do it, the betterthey're going to be acquainted
with the whole procedure.
And so, yes, don't bediscouraged, because children
will cry.
Most children cry, they don'tcry, and so if you see that your
child's crying, don't let itbreak your heart, they do that.
The good thing about it is thatwhen they cry, that means that
their mouth is open, so you canactually do the job well.
(04:45):
And so, yeah, that's one of thethings.
Don't just look at the factthat you are brushing your
child's teeth and they're justlike throwing havoc or like
having a tantrum.
Just try to do the best you can.
It's better for you to try todo the best you can than not to.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (05:00):
Amen to that, because we all know that
cavities are harder to fix thanif we just prevented it in the
first place.
And I want to go back tosomething you said in the
beginning, that the fear ofgoing to the dentist probably
stems from we, the parents.
Right, and so I want toencourage parents change your
thoughts around.
I hate going to the dentist.
(05:21):
How about you?
Think about it?
Why is the dentist actuallyimportant?
And this is something I sharewith my kids.
I ask them where's your brain?
And then they point to me and Isay where's your mouth?
And then they point to you andI say which way does your blood
flow?
And a lot of times they get itright that the blood flows this
way, right?
So I say you know, if you don'tbrush your teeth and you have a
(05:43):
booboo in your mouth, way right.
So I said you know, if youdon't brush your teeth and you
have a booboo in your mouth,then guess where all the stuff
is going Right here.
You know I'm the brain happypediatrician, so anything I can
do to prevent this from notfeeling good is what we're going
to do, which means we need totake care of our mouth, because
whatever is going on with ourmouth will eventually end up in
the brain.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (06:03):
Honestly, doctor, that is such great
advice that you're actuallysharing with your children and
even with your patients, becausethere is truly like a
correlation between oral healthand brain health, oral health
and your heart.
I have a sad story that Idecided to share.
Often, my uncle, who was mymother's younger brother, came
(06:24):
right after her.
He had a cavity, ended uphaving an infection, and that
was back home in Congo, becauseI'm from the Democratic Republic
of Congo and we don't reallyhave the habit of going to see a
dentist right.
When he finally went, the painwas just too atrocious.
He went to see a physician.
However, it was really late,because that very day when he
(06:46):
got back, he ended up having astroke and he actually passed.
He passed the same day.
So when you're talking abouthaving a boo-boo in your mouth,
that ends up in your brain, itis not frustrating Like.
This is what can truly happenDoesn't happen often, but does
happen.
I thought they were just likenot wanting to tell me the true
story about what happened to him, but truly, truly, it's when I
(07:07):
ended up in dental school andwhen we learned those
correlation that I understoodthat it was actually a true
story.
So, yes, it's very important.
There's definitely something alink between your mouth and your
brain, and taking good care ofyour mouth will also see that
your brain is well taken care ofas well.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (07:26):
Yes, yes, thank you for sharing that story and
my condolences to you for it.
On your own, but that is sotrue?
Yes, because we often take itfor granted that, oh, we're just
going to eat, we're not goingto brush our teeth and we're
going to go to sleep, and allthat stuff just sits there and
percolates, and yeah.
So, parents and kids, if you'relistening to this, it's so
(07:49):
important for you to take careof your mouth, because your
mouth houses so much right.
Where would we be without ourmouths?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (07:58):
That's really important.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (08:00):
Right, we wouldn't be able to eat.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (08:02):
We wouldn't be able to smile, we wouldn't
be able to speak.
We would.
Just what would we?
Dr. Hokehe Eko (08:07):
That's a true question Right, so I wanted to
ask you what's your take aboutfluoride?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (08:13):
Okay, so fluoride is really good and I
know that we have come to an erawhere there's all this
information about fluoride isnot good and it can cause cancer
and all those kind of things.
Honestly, the ADA there's notbeen any solid research that is
saying that there is definitelythat link as far as bringing
(08:36):
cancer or being traumatic.
However, there's lots ofadvantages with using fluoride,
because it's going to help youhave your teeth being
strengthened right, so it makesyour enamel stronger, which is
why the reason why it's reallywell advocated, and especially
with the, the children that youare taking care of, because of
(08:59):
many things like maybe themedication that they're taking
that is well coated with sugarso that it can taste better, or
because otherwise it tastesreally nasty, or, you know, just
like the habits that they mayhave, or me being maybe like
forgetful or not brushing for along period of time, as they are
too maybe forgetting to brush,and maybe the parents are
(09:20):
already so stressed out tryingto manage that they are not
truly able to go in theremindfully to get the job done.
Fluoride would be verybeneficial because it's going to
help you as far as likestrengthening your teeth and
kind of like lowering down orslowing down the process of
getting cavities.
I would say definitely a bluff.
(09:41):
However, you want to be mindfulof when you start introducing
the fluoride to your children,because when they're too young,
they are not able to spit out,they're swallowing everything
Fluoride.
When you ingest too much, it'sgoing to give you a tummy ache.
It's going to hurt your stomach, but also if you ingest too
much of it, it can even likechange the color of your teeth.
(10:04):
So you want to be mindful whenthe child is so young they
cannot yet spit you want todefinitely give them training
toothpaste that does not havefluoride.
But once they are able to spitout, then definitely start
introducing fluoride.
You don't have to like overfillyour toothbrush.
Piece size is good enough sothat they get enough of the
(10:26):
fluoride in the oral cavity.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (10:29):
Okay, and so I hear from a lot of my thank you
for that.
I hear from a lot of mypatient's parents about the
struggle with brushing.
Are there any specialized, liketoothbrushes, that parents of
children with ADHD or autism canuse to brush their teeth
adequately at home?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (10:48):
Yes, so they have some three-sided
toothbrushes whereby when theybrush, it hits all the surfaces
of the teeth at once, so thatthey don't have to, because some
of them don't really have themanual dexterity so that they
can be able to do a good job.
Some of them are not going tohave the attention span to do it
for the whole two minutes.
(11:09):
So there are many differentthings that have been introduced
.
You have a three-sidedtoothbrush where they're
brushing and is going toactually brush the outside
surfaces of the teeth next tothe cheek, the one next to the
tongue and also the chewingsurfaces.
That's going to help children alot and parents can use that.
They have some type of mouthproper or mouth block that helps
(11:34):
your child keep their mouthopen so that the parent can go
in there and get the job done.
They also have electrictoothbrushes, which you can
start introducing after agethree, and that's going to help
you because then they don't haveto do so much of the job.
They position the toothbrush inthe right position and the
(11:55):
toothbrush is doing the job forthem.
Plus, the advantage of that toois that they have some electric
toothbrush, have a timer, sothey know that okay, they will
be turning on the toothbrush andthey will know that once the
beeper goes off they are done.
But if you don't have that, youcan still use some small timers
.
That's going to help the childknow.
(12:16):
Or you can even play a song forthem that is worth maybe two
minutes and while they'rebrushing they can know that when
they're done is when the songis done.
So there are many things thatthey can also use.
And because slossing is alsoessential, it's more than likely
going to be very difficult forthem to use the string, but they
(12:38):
can use these little slossersand, kind of like get between
their teeth so those are kind oflike some things they can use
yeah, they also can use as faras not just the toothbrush even
the toothpaste.
Some of them may have adifficult time adjusting to,
maybe, the taste of thetoothpaste, so they also have,
like, some toothpaste that donot have any flavor and that can
(13:01):
be easier on the children.
So you want to kind of likegauge out and kind of like play
and see what works best for thechild.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (13:10):
Yeah, I'm going to get a list of those resources
from you to send out on a shownote so we can help parents
figure out what to get.
Thank you for that.
So what's one last tip forparents and kids?
I like to ask everybody to givea brain health tip for both
(13:30):
parents and kids.
What would you like to share?
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (13:33):
Before I dive into that, may I please
talk about something that's veryimportant and that's a tip as
well.
Before I go into the brain tipparents need to be mindful of
what they actually feed theirchildren.
I know that I had lots and lotsof conversation with you as far
as children with autism andeven ADHD, and you're talking
(13:54):
about how sugar is actuallycausing more traumatic outcomes
for them.
Well, it's also tied in.
As far as oral health.
Everybody knows, who arewell-versed into oral health or
slightly versed into it, thatsugar is a big culprit as far as
, like, bringing on cavities andso many dental issues.
(14:16):
So you know nutrition is veryimportant and whatever is
beneficial for what you'retalking about as far as helping
children with autism and evenADHD, there's the same type of
food.
Decreasing very much thecontent of the sugar that they
do take also will help thechildren.
So be mindful of what you aregiving them as far as what to
(14:38):
eat and even what to drink,because juices and things like
that is going to cause a lot ofproblems for children and even
with babies, when you breastfeedor even when you feed them,
there's this thing called babybottle syndrome or nursing
bottle syndrome, whereby it'snot just the bottle that you
give, but even when you'renursing your child.
(15:00):
The milk actually has enoughsugar in it to start causing
cavities.
And the thing is like manytimes at night when you're
feeding your child they might befeeding or nursing and while
they sleep they will have likepart of the milk that they have
not really swallowed.
That's just lingering on theteeth right there and just
(15:22):
pulling the teeth and that cancause cavities on children, and
when that happens it's oftenvery generalized.
I remember my younger brotherwhen he was a baby.
He had these two dots on histeeth and I didn't know what it
was.
It's only when I went to dentalschool that I realized that's
what it was.
He just had cavities and wedidn't know.
We thought maybe it was juststains.
(15:42):
So one of the tips would be toactually also have a bottle of
water and actually have themdrink the water, because it's
going to wash out like the lastsip of milk that kind of lingers
on their teeth and try to givethem lots and lots of water.
I know, especially in the US,like children do not tend to
(16:03):
like water a lot, but I thinkthat if you start them early
they won't know any better.
Another tip would be for parentsto encourage their children by
brushing with them.
If the whole family is brushingtogether, then they'll be like,
oh, this is what our familydoes, you know.
And get them on a routine toknow that they're going to be
brushing and dressing in themorning and at night.
(16:23):
So they know, okay, this iswhat we do in the morning, this
is what we do at night, and alsowe know that we also go to the
dentist at least twice a year.
But a good thing also withchildren with autism and ADHD,
if the parents are able to.
I know that some of them haveinsurance and the insurance only
covers maybe two visits a year.
However, if they have Medicaid,medicaid would up until the age
(16:47):
of three.
They would actually encouragethe children to go every three
months.
But if the parents are able togo more often and they can
afford it, I would say,definitely do that.
And then when you, if you have achild with disability, you want
to maybe like have the parentsgo and visit the office prior to
(17:08):
and just doing nothing, so theykind of like observe and know
what to do if the doctor willallow them to do that and also
should tell, to tell them thisis what is going to happen, what
to expect.
But ask also in the office ifthey do see children with autism
.
Do they see children who havedisability, so that, if they
(17:29):
don't, maybe look for one?
That would that we're notwasting time and you actually
get someone that's not going tobe like, well, we can't take
care of, why you have maybe likeleft work or gotten the child
out of school and all that.
So that's what I wanted to add.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (17:45):
Thank, you so much.
Oh, my goodness, thank you foradding that in.
That just made it so muchricher.
Everything you said is soimportant Absolutely, and I like
the fact that you encouragingparents to start at as early as
six months and even the tipabout if your child is on
Medicaid, you can go more oftenuntil the age of three.
(18:07):
That's really good for parentsto know that as well.
So the oral health is connectedto brain health.
What do you have for us?
So my brain tip.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (18:17):
I actually have two tips, in fact.
One of them would be sleepenough.
Try to get yourselves and thechildren to get enough sleep,
and I should take my own advicebecause we are like you have to
do this, you have to do that,you have to do that and you
don't sleep enough.
So try to really sleep enough.
(18:37):
That's going to help your braindevelop well and even function
well.
But another tip now, as we'retalking about the link between
your mouth and your brain makesure you take care of your oral
hygiene.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (18:52):
It's going to help you as far as having a
strong brain.
Thank you, dr Valerie.
This has been so helpful, andso tell parents again how they
can find you for your services.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (19:03):
Thank you so much.
So I am Dr Valerie Mukanga onceagain, and we have a dental
practice called Healing WingsDental located in Arlington,
texas, which is in the greenarea of Dallas-Fort Worth, texas
, and so our address is 4101West Green Oaks Boulevard, suite
(19:24):
number 317, and our zip code is76016.
And our zip code is 76016.
We can also be called in ouroffice at 972-213-0202.
And on social media, we can befound by typing Healing Wings
Dental on our handles Facebook,instagram, linkedin, youtube.
But we also have a websitewhere you can request an
(19:44):
appointment for you or for yourchildren, and the website is www
.
healingwingsdental.
com.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (19:53):
Yes, please go check her out.
She's amazing.
So thank you so much again forcoming on.
We're so honored to have youand love all the amazing tips
you shared with the parentstoday.
Dr. Valerie Mukanga (20:05):
Well, thank you so much, Dr Hokehe, for
having me.
I appreciate you.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (20:08):
Yes, of course.
So, parents, I hope you got asmuch out of this as I did and
please share this with somebody,a parent that you feel needs to
hear this information.
And until the next time, bewell, take care of yourself,
because you know you're the bestparents for your children and
blessings.
Take care.
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