How should I clean my baby’s teeth?
A toothbrush with soft bristles and a small head, especially one designed for infants, is the best choice for infants. Brushing at least once a day, at bedtime, will remove plaque bacteria that can lead to decay.
At what age should my child have his/her first dental visit?
Our Team recommends having the first visit by your child’s first birthday. However, 6 months after the first tooth erupts is ideal. Please visit the First Smiles section of our website for more information.
Why is a pediatric dentist necessary?
Pediatric dentistry is a dental specialty that focuses on the oral health of young people. Following dental school, a pediatric dentist has two to three years additional specialty training in the unique needs of infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health needs.
What is baby bottle tooth decay and how can I prevent it?
Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding. During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished. Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bedtime bottle. Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday. He or she should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.
Can thumb sucking or finger sucking be harmful for my child’s teeth?
Thumb and finger sucking habits that go on for a long period of time can create crowded, crooked teeth, and/or bite problems. If a child is still sucking his or her thumb or fingers when the permanent teeth arrive, dental intervention may be necessary. Most children do stop these habits on their own.
What are dental sealants and how do they work?
Sealants are clear or shaded plastic coatings applied to the teeth to help keep them cavity-free. Sealants fill in the grooved and pitted surfaces of the teeth, which are hard to clean, and shut out food particles that could get caught, causing cavities. Fast and comfortable to apply, sealants can effectively protect teeth for many years.
Is my child getting enough fluoride?
Fluoride has been shown to dramatically decrease a person’s chances of getting cavities by making teeth stronger. The best and easiest way to get fluoride is in drinking water. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste will deliver necessary amounts of fluoride as well.
How safe are dental X-rays?
With contemporary safeguards, such as lead aprons and high-speed film, the amount of radiation received in a dental X-ray examination is extremely small. Even though there is very little risk, pediatric dentists are particularly careful to minimize the exposure of child patients to radiation. In fact, dental X-rays represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem.
My child plays sports. How should I protect my child’s teeth?
A mouth guard should be a top priority on your child’s list of sports equipment. Athletic mouth protectors, or mouth guards, are made of soft plastic and fit comfortably to the shape of the upper teeth. They protect a child’s teeth, lips, cheeks, and gums from sports-related injuries. Custom mouth guards can be purchased at any sporting goods stores.
When do the first teeth start to erupt?
At about 6 months, the two lower front teeth (central incisors) will erupt, followed shortly by the two upper central incisors. The remainder of the baby teeth appear during the next 18 to 24 months but not necessarily in an orderly sequence from front to back. At 2 to 3 years, all of the 20 primary teeth should be present.
What should I do if my child knocks out a permanent tooth?
First of all, remain calm. If possible, find the tooth and hold it by the crown (or top) rather than the root. Replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with a clean gauze or washcloth. If you can’t put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk and take your child and the container with the tooth immediately to the pediatric dentist. The faster you act, the better your chances are of saving the tooth.
If my child gets a cavity in a baby tooth, should it still be filled?
Primary or “baby” teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt. Some of them are necessary until a child is 12 years old or longer. Pain, infection of the gums and jaws, impairment of general health, and premature loss of teeth are just a few of the problems that can happen when baby teeth are neglected. Proper care of baby teeth is instrumental in enhancing the health of your child.
What causes tooth decay?
Four things are necessary for cavities to form — a tooth, bacteria, sugars or other carbohydrates, and time. Dental plaque is a thin, sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that constantly forms on everyone’s teeth. When you eat, the sugars in your food cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids that attack the tooth enamel. With time and repeated acid attacks, the enamel breaks down and a cavity forms.