childrens dentistry
When should I schedule my child's first "regular" visit and what will happen?
Our office recommends that the first "regular" dental visit be just after your child's third birthday. No child is "too young" for a first dental visit if you see a problem or have a question.
At your child's first routine examination we will gently examine his or her teeth and gums. X-rays may be taken in order to reveal any decay and check on the progress of the teeth that are still forming. We may also clean his or her teeth and apply topical fluoride to help protect against decay.
If you are not from an area with fluoridated water, we will discuss prescription supplements. Most important of all, we will review with you what you can do at home to care for your child's teeth.
What should I tell my child about the first dental visit?
We are asked this question many times. We suggest you prepare children the same way that you would before their first haircut or trip to the shoe store. This will not be the frightening experience you may remember from your youth.
If you are nervous about the trip, then the less you say the better. You cannot hide your anxiety from a child (they have radar for these things).
Avoid phrases such as "Don't worry, it won't hurt" before the appointment, and "That wasn�t so bad" afterwards.
Have fun going through it with your child. Your children's reaction to their first visit to the dentist may surprise you.
A young person's growing teeth have deep pits and fissures that almost always collect food and bacteria.
Because the pits are so deep often a toothbrush or even a dental pick cannot reach the trapped food and a cavity develops.
Sealants can fill the deep pits and keep the tooth surface cavity free. They are placed without drilling, without a shot and in a single visit. They are an easy cost effective way for children to be cavity free!
Bonding is among the easiest and least expensive of cosmetic dental procedures.
The composite resin used in bonding can be shaped and polished to match the surrounding teeth.
Most often, bonding is used for cosmetic purposes:
- To improve the appearance of a discolored or chipped tooth
- To close slight spaces between teeth
- To make teeth look longer
- Or to change the shape or color of teeth
Step 1 - Place bristles along the gum line at a 45 degree angle. Gently brush using a circular motion along the outer and inner tooth surfaces.
Step 2 - Brush each tooth individually. Tilt brush vertically behind the front teeth. Using the front half of the brush, use the same circular motion.
Step 3 - Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth and use a gentle back-and-forth motion. Brush the tongue to remove odor-producing bacteria.
Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind some of it around your middle finger (3 turns). This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty. Shorten the length between the two fingers to 6 inches and wind some floss (1 turn) around the opposite middle finger. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and index fingers.
Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth. Hold the floss tightly against the tooth as you gently rub the side of the tooth with an up and down motion. Before retrieving it, clean the adjacent tooth surface.
As you finish cleaning each contact wind the dirty floss once around the first middle finger and slide more new length of floss to proceed to the next contact.
Braces are bonded brackets, archwires and elastic bands that move crowded or spaced teeth into the proper position for appearance and function.
Translucent "clear" braces and tooth colored ceramic brackets provide a very aesthetic alternative to traditional metal braces. Today's clear braces provide the same quality of treatment as metal braces, but are simply less noticeable.
Children continually get new teeth from age 3 months to the age 6 years. Most children have a full set of twenty (20) primary teeth by the time they are 3 years old. As a child nears the age 6, the jaw grows making room for the permanent teeth. At the same time, the roots of the baby teeth begin to be resorbed by the tissues around them and the permanent teeth under them begin to erupt.
Primary teeth are just as important as permanent teeth for chewing, speaking and appearance. They also serve as placement holders for the permanent teeth. Primary teeth also provide structure to help shape the child's face.
Permanent
From the ages 6 to 12 a child will be losing baby teeth and getting their permanent adult teeth. By the time a child reaches age 21 years all 32 permanent teeth will usually have erupted.
A space maintainer is a removable or fixed appliance designed to maintain an existing space. They are usually fitted to children when they have lost baby teeth early. The gap left from losing this tooth needs to be held open for the permanent tooth to erupt in its correct position.
