Posts Tagged ‘baby teeth’

5 Ways to Protect Your Child’s Teeth at Home

Posted on: October 2nd, 2012 by Nicholas Geller, DDS No Comments

Parents typically provide oral hygiene care until the child is old enough to take personal responsibility for the daily dental health routine of brushing and flossing. A proper regimen of home preventive care is important from the day your child is born.

  1. Clean your infant’s gums with a clean, damp cloth. Ask your dentist if you may rub a tiny dab of toothpaste on the gums.
  2. As soon as the first teeth come in, begin brushing them with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste. Remember, most children are also getting fluoride from the community water supply.
  3. To avoid baby bottle tooth decay and teeth misalignment due to sucking, try to wean your child off of the breast and bottle by one year of age, and monitor excessive sucking of pacifiers, fingers and thumbs. Never give your child a bottle of milk, juice or sweetened liquid as a pacifier at naptime or bedtime.
  4. Help a young child brush at night–the most important time to brush, due to lower salivary flow and higher susceptibility to cavities and plaque. Perhaps let the child brush their teeth first to build self-confidence, then the parent can follow up to ensure that all plaque is removed. Usually by age 5 or so, the child can learn to brush his or her own teeth with proper parental instruction.
  5. The best way to teach a child how to brush is to lead by good example. Allowing your child to watch you brush your teeth teaches the importance of good oral hygiene.

Your Child’s First Dental Visit

Posted on: August 21st, 2012 by Nicholas Geller, DDS No Comments

When should my child first see a dentist, and why?

The ideal time is six months after your child’s first (primary) teeth erupt. This time frame is a perfect opportunity for us to carefully examine the development of your child’s mouth. Because dental problems often start early, the sooner the visit the better. To safeguard against problems such as baby bottle tooth decay, teething irritations, gum disease, and prolonged thumb-sucking, we can provide or recommend special preventive care.

How do I prepare my child and myself for the visit?

Before the visit, plan a course of action for either reaction your child may exhibit—cooperative or non-cooperative. Very young children may be fussy and not sit still. Talk to your child about what to expect, and build excitement as well as understanding about the upcoming visit. Bring with you to the appointment any records of your child’s complete medical history.

What will happen on the first visit?

Many first visits are nothing more than introductory icebreakers to acquaint your child with the dentist and the practice. If the child is frightened, uncomfortable or non-cooperative, a rescheduling may be necessary. Patience and calm on the part of the parent and reassuring communication with your child are very important in these instances. Short, successive visits are meant to build the child’s trust in us, and can prove invaluable if your child needs to be treated later for any dental problem.

Young children’s appointments should be scheduled earlier in the day, when your child is alert and fresh. For children under 24-36 months, the parent may sometimes need to sit in the dental chair and hold the child during the examination.

If your child responds well, the first session often lasts between 15-30 minutes and may include the following, depending on age:

  • A gentle but thorough examination of the teeth, jaw, bite, gums, and oral tissues to monitor growth and development and observe any problem areas
  • If indicated, a gentle cleaning, which includes polishing teeth and removing any plaque, tartar build-up and stains
  • X-rays
  • A demonstration on proper home cleaning
  • Assessment of the need for fluoride

We will answer any questions you have and make you and your child feel comfortable throughout the visit. Our entire dental team and the office strive to provide a relaxed, non-threatening environment for your child.

When should the next visit be?

Children, like adults, should see the dentist every six months. Interim visits are sometimes recommended for every 3 months when the child is very young to build up a comfort and confidence level, or to treat a developing problem.

Children’s Teeth Q&A

Posted on: July 3rd, 2012 by Nicholas Geller, DDS No Comments

Answers to some frequently-asked questions:

Q: Why do we have two sets of teeth?

A: A child needs teeth long before his or her jaw is big enough to accommodate the full set of adult teeth. Baby, or deciduous, teeth are “starters” in every sense of the word.

Q: Why worry about cavities if baby teeth fall out on their own?

A: Baby teeth are important “guides” that help frame the development of adult teeth, even the jaw. In fact, the beginnings or “buds” of adult teeth are right behind the baby teeth starting at birth. Badly decayed baby teeth can pass the disease back, and don’t help the permanent teeth grow in properly.

Q: How do baby teeth “know” when to fall out?

A: They’re effectively pressed out by properly developing adult teeth. As grownup teeth grow and press through the jaw to the mouth’s interior, they cause the baby-tooth roots to dissolve.

Q: What—if anything—should I do about a loose baby tooth?

A: Ideally, a loose tooth will fall out on its own or (since they are the only ones who truly know how loose it is) the child will pull it out themselves. But, if it’s really wiggling and needs to be removed, grip it firmly with a clean hanky and rock it out gently.

Take Care of Baby’s Pearlies

Posted on: February 14th, 2012 by Nicholas Geller, DDS No Comments

Tooth decay is declining everywhere except among preschoolers. Proper care of your child’s first teeth is important to ensure the health of permanent teeth in later years.

You won’t see a newborn’s teeth, but enamel and dentin are already forming in the jaw. Teething is just months away. Use a clean dry wash cloth to wipe baby’s gums after every feeding and continue as teeth begin to emerge.

Central incisors arrive first, at nine to ten months, with lateral incisors about two months later. Once teeth appear, use a soft toothbrush on them twice daily. Encourage the child to develop the habit of taking time with the task.

Choose fluoridated toothpaste—a tiny, pea-size squeeze is enough—and push it down into the bristles so kids won’t lick it off.

Begin dental exams before the child’s first birthday, and continue every six months. This allows us to fix problems early.

First molars usually arrive at 15-16 months, cuspids (canines) at 18-19 months, and second molars shortly after a child’s second birthday. During this phase we can apply sealants to the teeth, which help to ward off decay.

When kids are old enough to write their name, teach them how to brush—and continue the habit of brushing after every meal.

Encourage a taste for fresh veggies and fruits, and allow only sugar-free gum.

If straightening is needed, starting while some of the baby teeth are still in helps to create a sound framework for permanent teeth when they arrive.

When kids are old enough to write their name, teach them how
to brush…

Lend Baby Teeth a Hand

Posted on: January 17th, 2012 by Nicholas Geller, DDS No Comments

Here today…gone too soon. Don’t neglect baby teeth because the health of their replacements is right beneath the surface.

Caring for your child’s baby teeth lays a foundation for a lifetime of oral health, so teach good dental hygiene habits while the child is very young. Before the first teeth begin to surface, rub baby’s gums with a clean, damp wash cloth after every feeding. Continue as the teeth emerge until baby is old enough to hold a toothbrush.

Teach your children how to brush, and encourage them as they do. Teach them when to brush, after every meal and snack.

Break the thumb-sucking habit before the child’s fifth birthday, if possible.

Encourage a taste for healthful snacks and meals. Buy only sugar-free gum, shun soft drinks, and have children wear mouth guards for sports.

An orthodontic consultation should begin by age 5, while children still have some of their baby teeth. Building the dental framework early helps to prevent crowded and twisted teeth. With early orthodontic intervention, braces can come off sooner.
If your family is drinking unfluoridated water, consider using a fluoride supplement or a fluoride treatment here in our office.

Bring the kids in for dental exams before their first birthday.

Periodontal disease tends to be a family problem for two reasons: 1. Children can inherit a tendency toward it from one or both parents, and 2. It can spread through long-term intimate contact. An infectious disease that can spread inflammation through the body, periodontal disease can lead to heart disease and stroke.