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Faq's |
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When should your child visit the dentist? |
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Your child should visit the dentist by his/her 1st
birthday. The first visit to the dentist should be
enjoyable and positive. The dental team will comfort and
encourage your child as well as answer any questions
that you or your child may have. It is best if you
refrain from using words around your child that might
cause unnecessary fear, such as needle, pull, drill or
hurt. The office makes a practice of using words that
convey the same message, but are pleasant and
non-frightening to the child. |
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What is baby bottle tooth decay and how can I prevent
it? |
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Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay
associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a
child goes to sleep while breast-feeding 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/she should be weaned
from the bottle at 12-14 months of age. |
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Can thumbsucking be harmful for my child's teeth? |
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Thumb and pacifier sucking habits that go on for a long
period of time can create crowded, crooked teeth or bite
problems. If they are still sucking their thumbs or
fingers when the permanent teeth arrive, a mouth
appliance may be recommended by your pediatric dentist.
Most children stop these habits on their own. |
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What are dental sealants and how do they work? |
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Sealants are clear or shaded plastic 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. |
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When should my child start using toothpaste? |
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Do not use fluoridated toothpaste until age 3. Earlier
than that, clean your child's teeth with water and a
soft-bristled toothbrush. After age 3, parents should
supervise brushing. Use no more than a pea-sized amount
of toothpaste and make sure children do not swallow
excess toothpaste. |
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If my child gets a toothache, what should I do? |
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To comfort your child, rinse his/her mouth with warm
salt water and apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a
cloth on your child's face if it is swollen. Do not put
heat or aspirin on the sore area, but you may give the
child acetaminophen for pain. See us as soon as
possible. |
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Is my child getting enough fluoride? |
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Fluoride has been shown to dramatically decrease a
person's chances of getting cavities by making teeth
stronger. Fluoride in the drinking water is the best and
easiest way to get it, but to make sure your child is
getting enough fluoride, have your pediatric district
evaluate the fluoride level of your child's primary
source of water. If your child is not getting enough
fluoride internally through water (especially in
communities where the water district does not fluoridate
the water or if your child drinks bottled water without
fluoride), your pediatric dentist may prescribe fluoride
supplements. |
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How safe are dental X-rays? |
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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. |
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My child plays sports. How should I protect my
child's teeth? |
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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. Any mouth guard works better
than no mouth guard, but a custom-fitted mouth guard
fitted by our doctor is your child's best protection
against sports-related injuries. |
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When do the first teeth start to erupt? |
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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 these 20 primary teeth should be present. |
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What should I do if my child knocks out a permanent
tooth? |
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First of all, remain calm. If possible, find the tooth
and hold it by the crown rather than the root. Replace
the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean
gauze or a 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 glass immediately to
the pediatric dentist. The faster you act, the better
your chances of saving the tooth. |
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How can I help my child through the teething stage? |
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Sore gums when teeth erupt are part of the normal
eruption process. The discomfort is eased for some
children by use of a teething biscuit, a piece of toast
or a frozen teething ring. Your pharmacy should also
have medications that can be rubbed on the gums to
reduce the discomfort. |
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I noticed a space between my child's two upper front
teeth. Is this cause for concern? |
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Usually, the space will close in the next few years as
the other front teeth erupt. We can determine whether
there is cause for concern. |
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If my child gets a cavity in a baby tooth, should it
still be filled? |
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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. Also, because tooth decay is really
an infection and will spread, decay on baby teeth can
cause decay on permanent teeth. Proper care of baby
teeth is instrumental in enhancing the health of the
your child. |
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