August 27th, 2015
No parent wants their child to have cavities and the majority of us take special care to ensure that each dental visit ends cavity-free. Yet, tooth decay remains the most common preventable childhood disease in the U.S. Here are a few simple mistakes that, if corrected, could save children from millions of cavities.
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Not Starting Prevention Early Enough
Many parents wait until children are almost school-age before setting the first dental appointment and before they begin focusing on good oral habits. However, oral care should truly begin before primary teeth even appear. For example, parents can use a soft, damp cloth to clean their baby’s gums after each feeding. Scheduling the first dental appointment should also take place when the first tooth appears or before the age of one, whichever comes first. Finding a dental home early in your child’s life is one of the most important preventative measures you can take for your child’s oral future.
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Baby bottles and Sippy Cups at Bedtime
Even though 80% of parents say they know that children should not be put to bed with a bottle of milk or juice, a surprising number of parents still do just that on a regular basis. Regularly allowing your children’s teeth to be constantly bathed in liquids other than water is one of the most significant contributors of early tooth decay. Even diluting juice with water can give bacteria the sugar they need to thrive inside your child’s mouth.
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Not Teaching Kids to Floss
Most parents do a fantastic job of teaching their kids to brush their teeth (two minutes, twice a day!) But recent studies have shown that 43% of school-aged children have never flossed their teeth…not even once. Brushing alone only reaches a quarter of tooth surfaces and a large number of cavities are actually found where a toothbrush can’t go – between teeth. It is important to floss for young children, who often don’t have the dexterity to floss on their own. Older children should be taught the correct way to floss daily. Here’s a great instructional sheet that provides some guidelines on flossing.
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Thinking Sports Drinks are Better than Sodas
These days, nearly all parents are vigilant about keeping sodas away from their children. But one source of sugar may have simply been replaced by another. Sports drinks often contain just as many calories and sugar as soft drinks. Instead of serving kids sports drinks during sporting events and games, a better option is simply water. The types of activities that kids are involved in are rarely strenuous enough to require anything else.
Are you looking for a dental home for your children? Give us a call today!
August 19th, 2015
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August 13th, 2015
As children become more independent, parents often have less direct influence over their child’s oral care. The transition to adolescence means that schedules become more crowded and teens are left with more responsibility in caring for their own teeth. Too often, this results in first-time cavities and missed opportunities to catch dental issues when they are just beginning and are easiest to treat. Here are 6 guidelines to make certain your child’s dental care remains a priority through their teenage years.
1. Keep dental supplies handy.
What better motivation do any of us have to brush than a new toothbrush? Teens may be independent, but they aren’t buying their own dental supplies. Be sure there’s plenty of toothpaste, floss and mouth rinse handy.
2. Get an orthodontic consultation.
Kids (and adults) get braces at all ages, but it’s certainly most common during the teenage years. As they have grown rapidly, so have their facial muscles and bones. We can guide you in the right direction and provide advice about your teen’s specific needs. You may be surprised at the number of options that are now available.
3. Purchase less junk food.
You can’t always control what your teens buy when they aren’t with you. But you can make certain that your refrigerator and pantry aren’t well stocked with sugary drinks and your pantry isn’t full of junk food. Keeping your own purchase of unhealthy foods to a minimum will mean that they are less available when your kids want to grab a quick drink.
4. Play to their vanity!
Teenages are more aware of their looks than at any time in their lives. Use this to your advantage by stressing how attractive a healthy smile can be. It truly is one of the primary reasons each of us cares for our teeth…white, healthy teeth make us all look good!
5. Make them use mouthguards.
Adolescents are more active than ever with sports that can be dangerous to still-growing mouths. Be sure your teen wears a mouthgaurd whenever possible, especially in teen sports where contact is common. Mouth injuries caused by sports are some of the most common we see on a regular basis.
6. Don’t neglect regular checkups.
We know that your family is busy, even more now that each member is “doing their own thing”. And while it can be easy to miss scheduled dental visits, you shouldn’t neglect to do so. Even though adolescents have bigger bodies than they used to, they are still kids. It’s going to remain your job to stay on top of dental appointments. Give us a call today and help your teens transition into adulthood knowing that dental care is a priority.
July 30th, 2015
One of the many milestones that parents anticipate as their children grow up is the loss of baby (primary) teeth. It’s an exciting part of the transition from baby and toddler to becoming a “big kid”. We’re often asked questions about what to expect. While every child is different and no child follows an exact schedule, we’ve provided a few general guidelines:
What timeline can be expected?
Most children will have all of their 20 primary teeth around the age of 3. Some of these primary teeth stick around until your child becomes a teenager. Although they will eventually fall out, it is very important that you and your child takes care of their primary teeth to prevent cavities, decay and gum disease. Caring for primary teeth now will set the stage for healthy adult teeth when they are ready to grow in.
On average, the first tooth falls out when children are 6 years old and will usually fall out in the order they came in. Around this time children will also begin to receive their first permanent molars at the back of their mouth where there is already a space waiting for them. Around the age of 8, you can generally expect the bottom 4 primary teeth (lower central and lateral incisors) and the top 4 primary teeth (upper central and lateral incisors) to be gone and permanent teeth to have taken their place.
After these major changes, many parents experience about a one-two year break when their wallet can take a breather from dishing out tooth fairy cash. By approximately 13 years old, the rest of your child’s primary teeth (canine/cuspid, first premolar, and second premolar) should have fallen out and the second (12 year old) molars will start to erupt. The third molars (wisdom teeth) will come in around 17-21 and these are the last set of teeth to grow in.
Is special care needed?
When your child is starting to lose his or her teeth, they will want to wiggle and play with it. This is normal and encouraged. The tooth will eventually fall out on its own. However, you should instruct your child to not yank or put unnatural force on the tooth if it’s not quite ready to come out. This can damage roots, harm sensitive gum tissue and even cause infection. Losing a tooth is usually never painful.
What if my child is late in losing her teeth?
Certainly, the exact age of losing teeth differs for every child. It is to be expected that if your child received their baby teeth early and quickly, the same will happen for when they start to fall out and vice versa. Again, all children are different and there is no need to be alarmed as long as their teeth are falling in the right order. If you do have some concern, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
