You can prevent this from happening to your child’s teeth by learning how to protect them.
- Clean your child’s teeth daily
- Never allow your child to fall asleep with a bottle filled with juice, milk, or infant formula (or when awake, sip on it for long periods of time as a pacifier)
- Start bottle weaning by at least a year
- Give your child plain water for thirst
- Make sure your child gets the fluoride needed to prevent decay
- Have regular dental visits for your child beginning when their first tooth erupts
What are sealants?
Sealants are a safe and painless way or protecting your children’s teeth from decay. A sealant is a protective plastic resin coating (similar to a tooth colored filling), which is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing decay.
Which teeth should be sealed?
Sealants are only applied to the back teeth – the molars and premolars. These are the teeth that have pits and fissures on their biting surfaces. Your dentist will tell you which teeth should be sealed after he/she has examined them, and checked whether the fissures are deep enough for sealing to help. Some teeth naturally form with deep grooves which will need to be sealed, others with shallow ones which will not need sealing.
What is procedure that is involved involved?
The process is usually quick and straightforward taking only a few minutes per tooth. The tooth is thoroughly cleaned, prepared with a special solution, and dried. The liquid sealant is then applied and allowed to set hard – usually by shining an ultraviolet light onto it.
How long do pit and fissure sealants last?
Sealants usually last for many years, but your dentist will want to check them regularly to make sure that the seal is still intact. They can wear over time, and sometimes the dentist needs to add or replace some sealant to be sure that no decay can start underneath them.
How do pit and fissures work?
The sealant forms a smooth, protective barrier, by covering all the little grooves and dips in the surface of the tooth. Dental decay easily starts in these grooves.
Sealant placed over the grooves
When should this be done?
Sealants are often applied as soon as the permanent teeth start to come through. This is usually between 6 and 7 years of age for the first molar teeth. The rest are usually sealed as soon as they appear which can be any time between 11 and 14 years of age (premolars).
Do my children still have to clean their teeth?
Yes. It is still vital that they do this. The smooth, sealed surface is now much easier to keep clean and healthy with normal toothbrushing. Using a fluoride toothpaste will also help to protect your children’s teeth. Pit and fissure sealing reduces tooth decay and the number of fillings your child might need.
As a pediatric dentist, I am trained to observe and look for any "oral" habits that may be occurring with your child, and to suggest any steps necessary to prevent the oral habit from causing any long term ill effects with your child's dental health or development.
When we speak of oral habits, we are typically speaking of any thumb, finger, or pacifier habits that may be causing damaging effects to the normal growth and development due to sucking or biting habits of the child. This type of sucking is completely normal for babies and young children as it provides a kind of security for them.
Most children stop sucking on thumbs, pacifiers, or fingers on their own between the ages of two to four years. No harm is done to their teeth or jaws. However, some children continue these habits much longer, and this is where problems can occur.
Habits can be responsible for a number of problems. Thumb and finger habits can cause an anterior open bite, facial movement of the upper incisors, lingual movement of the lower incisors, and constriction of the maxillary arch.
Lip sucking and lip biting can procline the maxillary incisors, retrocline the mandibular incisors and increase he amount of overjet.
Tongue thrusting and mouthbreathing may also play a part in the creation of a malocclusion. An anterior open bite is the most common dental problem associated with the anomalies.
As a pediatric dentist, we observe these habits in children, and stand ready to make recommendations should we feel the child is displaying these habits for too long a period of time. If so, we will suggest your child be fitted with a habit or mouth appliance specifically designed to block the sucking action, and in the case of nocturnal grinding, a splint or orthopedic appliance worn at night will be recommended to stop excessive wear on the teeth.
Why do children lose their baby teeth?
A baby tooth usually stays in until a permanent tooth underneath pushes it out and takes its place. Unfortunately, some children lose a baby tooth too soon. A tooth might be knocked out accidentally or removed because of dental disease. When a tooth is lost too early, your pediatric dentist may recommend a space maintainer to prevent future space loss and dental problems.
Why all the fuss? Baby teeth fall out eventually on their own!
Baby teeth are important to your child's present and future dental health. They encourage normal development of the jaw bones and muscles. They save space for the permanent teeth and guide them into position. Remember: Some baby teeth are not replaced until a child is 12 or 14 years old.
How does a lost baby tooth cause problems for permanent teeth?
If a baby tooth is lost too soon, the teeth beside it may tilt or drift into the empty space. Teeth in the other jaw may move up or down to fill the gap. When adjacent teeth shift into the empty space, they create a lack of space in the jaw for the permanent teeth. So, permanent teeth are crowded and come in crooked. If left untreated, the condition may require extensive orthodontic treatment.
How does a space maintainer help?
Space maintainers hold open the empty space left by a lost tooth. They steady the remaining teeth, preventing movement until the permanent tooth takes its natural position in the jaw. Its more affordable -- and easier on your child -- to keep teeth in normal positions with a space maintainer than to move them back in place with orthodontic treatment.
How to Maintain the Appliance:
- Please see to it that appliance/ appliance area is kept clean.
- In case of breakage of the appliance or any disturbance please bring the child immediately to the dentist.
- Bring the child once in 6 months to the dentist for periodic check up.
- The space maintainer has to be removed; teeth checked and should be fluoride treated every 6 months
One of the more important services I provide is dental care for special children (Developmental Disabilities). Many special children are extremely susceptible to dental disease or oral injury, while others require medication or special diets that may be detrimental to dental health. As a pediatric dentist, I have received specialized training to focus on the special needs of your special child.
Special children can benefit from many of the same preventive measures recommended for all children. We will be happy to design a preventive care plan for your special child so that they may enjoy a lifetime of good dental health.
We will happily discuss a program of treatment with you for your special child, in order that they may live healthier and happier with good dental health. Every child deserves a healthy smile.
Cleaning Your Babies Teeth
Tooth Brush for Children
Children should use smaller brushes with shorter brushing planes in proportion to the size of their mouths. Most children use brushes that are too big to be easily maneuvered into small spaces in their mouth.
Tooth paste for children
All that you need from your toothpaste is the fluoride that helps strengthen your teeth and protects them from cavities. The time you should spend brushing and your technique are more important, so go with the flavor you prefer. Remember only a pea-sized drop of paste on your brush is all that is necessary.
Time for brushing
The two really important times to brush your teeth are in the morning after breakfast and at night before you go to bed. Any extra times you brush during the day is great particularly after eating stick and sugary foods.
Cleaning baby's teeth?
Definitely. Even before the first tooth appears, use a soft, clean cloth to wipe your baby's gums and cheeks after feeding. As soon as the first tooth appears, begin using a small, soft bristled tooth brush to clean the tooth after eating. Don't cover the brush with toothpaste. Young children tend to swallow most of the toothpaste, and swallowing too much fluoridated toothpaste can cause permanent spots on their teeth called dental fluorosis
I find brushing my child's teeth awkward. Any suggestions?
Try having your child lie down. Put your child on your lap or on the floor, keeping his/her head steady with your legs. If your child is standing, have his/her back to you with their head tilted slightly and resting against your body. Have your child hold a mirror while you brush and floss their teeth so your child can see what is being done.
Importance of brushing before going to bed
If you have to miss a brushing, the bedtime one is probably the worst one to miss. If you don't get rid of the bacteria and sugar that cause cavities, they have all night to do harm. While you are awake, saliva helps keep the mouth clean. When you are asleep, there is less saliva produced to clean the mouth. For this reason it is important to brush before bedtime.
Brushing your Childs teeth Effectively:
- Every day plaque forms on the inner, outer, and chewing surface of teeth and the gums. Tooth brushing is one of the most effective ways to remove the plaque.
- The best kind of toothbrush to use is one with soft, round-tipped bristles.
- A child will need a smaller brush than an adult.
- Young children do not have the manual dexterity to brush properly. Your child will need your supervision and help brushing until he or she is 8-10 years old to ensure a thorough brushing has been done.
- When the bristles become bent or frayed, a new brush is needed.
- Start flossing your child's teeth when the teeth touch each other and you can no longer brush in between them.
When your child needs urgent dental treatment, your dentist stands ready to help. Please keep the emergency number available and convenient.
Q: What should I do if my child's baby tooth is knocked out?
A: Contact your dentist as soon as possible.
Q: What should I do if my child's permanent tooth is knocked out?
A: Find the tooth and rinse it gently in cool water. (Do not scrub it or clean it with soap -- use just water!) If possible, 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, saliva, or water. Get to the dental clinic immediately. The faster you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth. The tooth needs to be stabilized as soon as possible. If the tooth is replanted and stabilized within 30 minutes the survival rate of the tooth is 90 percent, 30-60 minutes the survival rate is 75 percent.
Q: What if a tooth is chipped or fractured?
A: Contact your dentist immediately. Quick action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment. Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling. If you can find the broken tooth fragment, bring it with you to the dentist.
Q: What if my child has a toothache?
A: Call your dentist and visit the clinic promptly. To comfort your child, rinse the mouth with water. Apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth. Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area.
Q: Can dental injuries be prevented?
A: Absolutely! First, reduce oral injury in sports by wearing mouth guards. Second, always use a car seat for young children. Require seat belts for everyone else in the car. Third, childproof your home to prevent falls, electrical injuries, and choking on small objects. Fourth, protect your child from unnecessary toothaches with regular dental visits and preventive care.
Some common Injuries:
