Dr. Maggie Davis' Blog
Infant Oral Care
December 4, 2017
Going to the dentist for regular routine checkups might be second nature to you, but what about your infant? When should they start going to the dentist? What should you be doing to care for your baby’s teeth and gums? These are probably questions that you have asked yourself at one point or another. Luckily, we here at Dr. Maggie Davis’ pediatric dental office are here to help.
We understand that oral care for infants is often a new and unknown territory for most parents. That is why we have created a guide that will help you learn when you should be taking your child to the dentist and what you should be doing in terms of oral care.
When Should Your Infant Make His or Her First Visit to the Dentist?
So many parents believe that their child doesn’t need to visit the dentist until almost all of their baby teeth grow in. This line of thinking can create a number of problems as your child isn’t getting the preventative oral care they need.
To prevent potential problems, it is recommended that you take your infant to the dentist around the time their teeth start to break through the gums. This usually happens around six months, but every child is different and it may happen sooner or later.
Scheduling an appointment with a pediatric dentist when your child’s teeth start to break through the gums can help detect any problem early on. A pediatric dentist will be able to not only monitor the growth and alignment of your child’s teeth, but he or she can look for any cavities or tooth decay that may occur on these baby teeth.
If your child’s teeth have not started growing by the time he or she turns one, you should schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist. He or she can conduct an examination to determine if there is any particular reason why the teeth have not started to grow.
Oral Care Tips for Infants
Caring for your infant’s teeth isn’t difficult as long as you know what to do.
The following are some tips on how to care for your infant’s teeth and gums:
- Clean your infant’s gums even before the first tooth erupts. This can be done with a damp piece of gauze or washcloth. Just get it wet and run it all along your child’s lower and upper gums. Do this after every feeding and it will help remove any bacteria that is left behind from the formula, juice, or milk.
- Brush your child’s teeth at least three times a day the minute they start breaking through the gum. Brush their teeth with a child’s soft-bristled brush and some water. If you wish to use toothpaste, only use a tiny smear. You don’t want to give them more than the recommended amount.
- Avoid giving your child a bottle at naptime or while they are sleeping. The juice or milk in the bottle can slowly start to eat away at your child’s teeth.
- Watch your child for signs of discomfort while his or her teeth grow in. If your child is uncomfortable, use a teething ring or wipe the gums down with cool water. This will provide some pain relief for your child.
- Schedule regular appointments with a pediatric dentist from the moment your child’s first tooth start to erupt through the gums. A pediatric dentist can monitor tooth growth and provide early treatment for any dental problems your infant may encounter.
This oral care for infants guide should give you a better understanding of when your infant should see a dentist and how you, as parents, should be caring for your child’s teeth. However, you may still have questions that are left unanswered. If you have any questions, feel free to call our office to schedule an appointment.
During your appointment, our friendly dental staff will be willing to answer any questions you may have. We will even conduct a comprehensive oral exam for your child as well as provide you with advice on how to keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy.
Call our office today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to seeing you and your child.
Brushing your Baby’s Teeth: How to Start a Healthy Habit
November 10, 2017
Brushing your child’s teeth may be just another daunting task that is added to your daily parenting “to do” list, but it is more than just a daily task. It is the beginning of your child’s journey to establishing good oral hygiene habits that will last a lifetime.
Establishing a good oral hygiene routine starts the day your child is born. It starts with daily wiping of the gums after feedings and extends all the way to brushing those first baby teeth buds that painfully start to erupt when your child is approximately four months. It eventually ends with full brushing of your child’s teeth until they are capable of proper brushing on their own.
We want to help you as you work to establish healthy habits for your child. To help you, we have created a complete guide that will walk you through everything you need to know about brushing your child’s teeth and creating healthy habits.
Healthy Habits Start the Day Your Child is Born
It is hard to imagine, but healthy oral habits start the day your child is born. Of course, you won’t be using a toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash just yet, but you will be taking precautions to make sure your child’s gums are healthy.
The healthier your child’s gums are the better chance your child has of developing healthy, strong baby teeth. Keeping your child’s gums healthy is relatively easy. It just takes a little bit of water and some gauze or washcloth.
When caring and cleaning your baby’s gums, do the following things:
- Use a very soft washcloth or section of gauze. A soft gauze or washcloth is needed so you do not irritate your child’s gums. Irritating your child’s gums can cause your child pain or bleeding gums.
- Moisten the gauze or washcloth with a little bit of water. Do not over saturate the washcloth or gauze, just get it slightly damp.
- Use the washcloth or gauze to wipe down your child’s gums
- Wipe down your child’s gums after every feeding and right before bed. If you are unable to do this at least make sure you wipe your child’s gums at least twice a day.
Wiping your child’s gums is important because it helps get rid of bacteria. Bacteria enter the mouth from formula and milk that your child consumes. If bacteria are not removed, it will stick to the gums and create plaque. That plaque can, and will, destroy baby teeth as they start to grow in.
Brushing Your Child’s Baby Teeth
Once your child’s baby teeth start growing, it is time to pull out the toothbrush. You may have to use a combination of washcloth/gauze and toothbrush for a while until all your child’s teeth grow in. However, the minute you see a baby tooth growing, it is time to use a toothbrush.
To brush your child’s baby teeth, do the following things:
- Use only water for the first few teeth. Water should be until your child’s baby teeth fully erupt through the gums.
- Use a child’s toothbrush that has a large handle, small bristle head, and soft bristles.
- Use an appropriate amount of toothpaste for your child’s age. Children under the age of three should use toothpaste that is approximately the size of a grain of rice. After the age of three, increase the amount of toothpaste used and use approximately a pea-sized amount.
- Brush your child’s teeth at least three times a day. Try to brush after every meal, but make sure you brush at least three times a day.
- Brush all sides of your child’s teeth – front, back, and tops.
- Gently brush your child’s teeth to prevent your child from experiencing pain or bleeding gums
- Use a toothpaste that contains a small amount of fluoride in it
- Supervise your child’s teeth brushing until they are six years old
While brushing your child’s teeth, look for any visible signs of tooth decay. Even though your child’s baby teeth are new, they are not invincible to tooth decay. Visible signs of tooth decay include pits or cracks, white spots, or brown staining. If you notice any of these signs, make an appointment with a pediatric dentist.
Even if you don’t notice any signs of tooth decay, once your child’s teeth start to grow in it is important that you start visiting a pediatric dentist on a regular basis. A pediatric dentist will monitor your child’s oral health and make sure their teeth are cavity-free.
Dr. Maggie Davis is an amazing experienced pediatric dentist located in Palm Harbor, Florida. Our dental staff will gladly answer any questions you may have about tooth and gum care or infant tooth decay. Call our dental office today to schedule an appointment with our kind, caring staff.
Understanding Tongue and Lip Ties
October 18, 2017
Tongue and lip ties can affect a baby’s ability to move their lips and tongue and feed, especially if the baby is breastfed. Our pediatric dentist, Dr. Maggie Davis, can examine your baby’s mouth to determine if he or she is tongue or lip tied and perform a frenectomy to release the tissue and promote normal lip and tongue movement.
Understanding Lip Ties
Lip tie occurs when the frenum connecting the upper or lower tip is too short or too tight. The frenums that connect the upper and lower lips to the gums are called labial frenums. When they are tight or short, they can cause difficulty moving the lips, speaking and eating.
Symptoms of Lip Tie
- You have to breastfeed for an abnormally long period of time.
- You hear popping or clicking noises while your infant breastfeeds.
- Your infant is having trouble latching.
- Your nipples are abnormally painful or discolored after breastfeeding.
Signs You Should See a Pediatric Dentist
- Your baby can’t feed properly.
- Your baby is abnormally fussy even after feeding.
- You can visually confirm the frenum is connected to the lower portion of the gum.
- Your older child has a gap between the top two teeth or bottom two teeth that could be caused by the frenum.
Understanding Tongue Tie
Tongue tie occurs when the frenum, which is a tough band of tissue that connects two other tissues to limit movement. The frenum that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is called the lingual frenum. Almost everyone has some degree of lingual frenum, and it most individuals it causes no problems. However, when the lingual frenum is excessively tight or short, it can limit the movement of the tongue. In babies, this can cause difficulty latching onto the breast or a bottle. In older children, it can affect speech development.
Symptoms of Tongue Tie
- Your baby or child has difficulty moving their tongue, especially from side to side.
- Your baby or child cannot extend his or her tongue farther than the edges of the front teeth.
- Your baby or child’s tongue appears abnormally short, notched or heart-shaped.
Signs You Should See a Pediatric Dentist
- Your infant isn’t latching correctly or is having problems with feeding.
- Your child is having trouble with his or her speech development due to being unable to properly move their tongue.
- Your child complains of problems related to tongue tie.
Frenectomies for Tongue and Lip Ties with our Pediatric Dentist in Palm Harbor
If you suspect your child has lip or tongue tie, our pediatric dentist had created an online checklist of baby/mother signs and symptoms that you can use to help determine if your child needs to see our dentist for an examination and possible frenectomy.
Our pediatric dentist in Palm Harbor, Dr. Maggie Davis, performs soft tissue laser frenectomies, which offer improved benefits over frenectomies that are performed with a scalpel or pair of medical scissors. Laser frenectomies result in better precision, less bleeding and improved recovery times.
This procedure only takes about 30 seconds and involves removing the tight frenum. Just prior to the procedure, our dentist will numb your infant’s or child’s mouth to ensure no pain is felt. Then, the laser will be used to remove the tight or short frenum, which helps improve the movement of the tongue and/or affected lip.
After the procedure, you and your baby or child can rest and recover in a private room until you feel comfortable enough return home. Our dentist will also provide you with detailed aftercare instructions that will include certain lip and tongue stretches. Performing lip and/or tongue stretches after the frenectomy helps ensure proper healing and reattachment of the frenum. Dr. Maggie Davis can give you tips and tricks for helping your baby or child perform these movements naturally.
Babies and children tend to experience some discomfort for 24 to 48 hours after the procedure. Breastfeeding or skin to skin contact with your baby’s mouth can help alleviate the discomfort. However, if these tips fail to provide adequate relief, you can use infant or children’s Tylenol. Our dentist can help you determine the proper dosages and answer your questions.
To schedule a pediatric dental exam for your infant or child, call us at 727-786-7551.
Understanding Interceptive Orthodontics
September 21, 2017
While it is common to see braces and other orthodontic treatments on middle schoolers and teenagers, the use of braces and other types of interceptive orthodontics can be beneficial for children as young as five years old. Interceptive orthodontics, or phase one orthodontics is an exciting tool for pediatric dentists because it enables us to guide the development of a child’s jaw. This intervention can greatly improve the outcome of any orthodontic treatment the child may need in the future.
How Can You Tell If Interceptive Orthodontics Will Be Necessary
Detecting if orthodontic treatment is right for your child is never easy. Often it is recommended to only start treatment after permanent teeth have erupted. This way the your child’s orthodontist can move teeth without worrying if another will grow in and stymie the success of the treatment. However if we discover that your child’s jaw is growing abnormally, we can attempt to correct this with interceptive orthodontics. Things your Palm Harbor Pediatric Dentist looks for when determining if phase one may be beneficial are: evidence that the newly emerging teeth may be positioned in a way that may cause them to make contact with other teeth resulting in chipping, cracking, or other damage and small, potentially crowded jaw development. If Dr. Maggie is worried that your child’s teeth may be at risk of one another or if the use of interceptive orthodontics may lessen the amount of comprehensive orthodontics they will need in the future, she will explain to you your options.
Explaining Interceptive Orthodontics
Interceptive orthodontics were created to help dentists and orthodontists better serve their adolescent patients. As children mature, their bones grow. This is not surprising, however the jaw development that takes place as primary teeth fall out and permanent teeth erupt is extremely fascinating. While as teeangers mature to adults their jaws a still growing which enables dentists and orthodontist to shift teeth and correct any natural malocclusions that may have developed. When children still have a mix of primary and permanent teeth, they can often determine the path jaw development will take. By treating a child early with spacers, expanders and even sets of braces, they have found that they can effectively guide the jaw into a healthy occlusion. This guidance can lessen the amount of time an orthodontist will need to adjust the permanent teeth in a traditional orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontists have found that early treatment of jaw abnormalities can produce stable and better results, greatly influence the amount of work that needs to be done as the child enters adolescence, and reduced the amount of potential damage done to teeth in comparison to traditional orthodontic treatment. Further having this work done gave the dentist great control of treatment and yielded greater patient involvement and satisfaction.
If you are curious if your child could benefit from interceptive orthodontics, give our Palm Harbor pediatric dentist a call today. Dr. Maggie can give you an accurate diagnosis and let you know if your child could benefit from phase one orthodontics.
Chewing Gum is Great For Oral Health
August 15, 2017
Candy is arguably bad for your oral health. Sugars that are in sweets can lead to serious cases of dental decay that can call for fillings, root canals and various degrees of dental work. However, there is one type of candy that can provide oral health benefits, and that is sugar-free chewing gum. While it is not uncommon for parents to forbid their children from chewing gum, gum of the sugar-free variety has a lot of benefits for oral health – if your children are old enough. Sugar-free chewing gum can simultaneously stimulate saliva production, spur the immune system, and freshen breath. If you want to help your pre-teens, teenagers, and your oral health between all day, learn more about the benefits of chewing gum.
Why Chewing Gum is Beneficial
The main reason why chewing gum is beneficial for your oral health is because it stimulates the salivary glands in your mouth. Saliva is our body’s first defense against harmful bacteria. It flushes food particles and much remaining sugar from the mouth. By moving food and sugars into the digestive system it can not sit in the mouth and begin forming biofilms that cause plaque and eventually lead to cavities. Saliva is very important for our oral health, and by chewing a piece of sugar-free gum after you eat you can help to clear your mouth of any stray food particles. If your child is old enough to be chewing gum, it won’t be a bad idea to send a stick in their lunch box or a pack as they head to high school. Chewing after lunch can help to keep their teeth clean until they get home and brush.
Gum is also beneficial because the simple act of chewing helps to stimulate the immune system which can help to effectively protect the mouth from infection. Researchers found that the act of chewing induces the protective response of the immune system and spurs the creation of Th17 cells. These cells are well known to help fight oral infections. Normally, other “barrier sites,” the skin, mouth, and gut, need a specific bacteria to breach the barrier before creating these T-cells to fight off the infection. This is not the case for the mouth, the irritation caused by chewing provides the immune system all the information it needs to prepare the mouth for certain kinds of common oral infections. They also found, by studying juvenile and adult mice, that the immune system is able to learn these patterns of bacterial infection and work to more effectively fight infection as the body ages. This is fascinating knowledge because now we understand a bit more about how the immune system works, and how things like chewing gum can help to keep the mouth healthy throughout your life.
ADA approved Sugar-free gums are easily found in grocery and convenience stores across the United States. These sugar-free options commonly use xylitol to sweeten the product to feign a sweet, sugar-like taste. Xylitol is a compound derived from the bark of birch trees and the husks of corn. It tastes like sugar, but its chemical structure is very different. Because of this difference the harmful bacteria in the mouth cannot digest it and begin to form the glycoproteins that spur the development of biofilms and plaque. The sweetness is safe, and spurs the production of saliva which, as we discussed above, helps to move food particles and harmful bacteria through the digestive system and away from the mouth. Bubble gums and gums with sugar in them can be harmful for the teeth. Make sure before you purchase gum for your children that it has the ADA seal of approval and contains no sugar.
If you are looking for a great way to help keep your children’s teeth healthy during the day without brushing your teeth, open a pack of ADA approved, sugar-free gum. It will not only freshen your breath, but can help remove decay-causing food particles with saliva flow and spur the production of Th17 cells which aid your immune system. If you have any questions about what types of xylitol-based chewing gums are best for your teens and preteens, just ask your Palm Harbor, Florida pediatric dentist for a recommendation.
- Young children should not chew gum at the risk of choking. It is up to you to determine if your child is mature enough to chew gum safely, and responsible enough to discard it properly.
- Adolescents with braces, or phase 1 orthodontics are discouraged from chewing gum. Gum can break and damage braces.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Losing Teeth
July 27, 2017
One of the most exciting milestones your child reaches between the ages of six and eight is the loss of their baby teeth. This is one of the only times they’ll actually see their bodies change and grow. Children often have many questions about why and how their teeth fall out, and parents don’t often have all the answers. Losing teeth is just something that happens right? Thankfully your Palm Harbor pediatric dentist is here to answer these pressing questions to help you discuss this exciting time with your child.
Why Do We Lose Teeth?
Teeth are amazing tissues that change throughout our whole lives. Babies are born without teeth because they are still developing in their tiny mouths. Around the age of six months children begin the arduous process of teething, which begins the exciting process of eating real food and developing speech. These teeth are sharp and largely designed to teach children how to eat and form sounds that will become language. There are 20 baby teeth that take around two years to fully emerge. As toddlers grow into children, their jaws expand and their needs in food consumption changes. To accommodate this baby teeth fall out and are replaced with permanent teeth including a few extra. Once all your child’s permanent teeth emerge, they will have 32 dazzling teeth. The short answer four you’re curious kindergartner: When you grow you need more teeth, and because teeth can’t get any bigger, they have to fall out and are replaced with new ones.
How do Teeth Fall Out?
Losing teeth is extremely interesting because we all know that teeth fit into the jawbone with their roots. But when baby teeth fall out, they don’t have roots. Where did they go? Roots of baby teeth are very small and thin. Along with keeping the tooth in the jaw they also serve the important function of guiding the development and placement of the permanent teeth. As the permanent teeth begin to develop the roots of the baby teeth begin to reabsorb back into the body and eventually disappear. This releases the baby tooth and makes room for the permanent tooth to begin to emerge above the gumline – which normally takes just a few weeks. The short answer for your curious kindergartner: When your permanent teeth are ready to come out your body absorbs the part that keeps the baby tooth in place, which makes it lose. Once it falls out there is room for your big teeth to make their appearance.
Caring for Wiggly Teeth
The body is extremely good at growing and moving to the next step. When your child’s tooth begins to wiggle you may not know what to do to keep your child’s teeth safe. Wiggly teeth can take up to a month to fall out depending on the both the development of the underlying tooth and how much your child wiggles the tooth. It’s not a bad thing to wiggle the tooth, in fact it can be quite fun. If your child notices that their tooth is loose, let them know what is happening. When the tooth is ready to come out, it will. Yanking it out won’t do you any good, let them wiggle it and have fun while they can. With regular brushing and their oral health routine the tooth should pop out in no time with minimal bleeding.
Oral Care After Losing Teeth
Immediately after your child loses their tooth, you are often dealing with quite a bit of fear. Not only have they lost something that has been a part of their smile for many years, there is often blood. Assuring them that this is normal can help calm them down, but a thorough rinse with water should clear up all the blood. Remember that your child’s body has been working on pushing this tooth out for some time, there should not be very much blood. If there is make sure to call your Palm Harbor pediatric dentist for advice. Once your child has accepted the fact that their tooth has fallen out, it’s important to brush them up on their brushing skills. It’s important to be gentle around the area of the lost tooth until the gums have healed and the new tooth emerges. Practice gentle, daily care and your child will be sharing that mis-matched grin in no time
If you have any questions about your child’s oral development, don’t hesitate to ask your pediatric dentist. She can help you determine if your child is losing teeth at a normal rate, or if something needs to be checked out.
Feed Your Kid’s Teeth with Vitamins
June 15, 2017
As a parent you’re often worried about every aspect of your child’s life. From their diet and activity level to their overall and oral health. It may not come as a surprise that what you choose to feed your kids can have an impact on all of those things. If you want to keep your kid’s teeth healthy, one of the most important things you can do is feed them a healthy diet full of vitamins and minerals. By keeping their bodies healthy, you can help to keep their teeth strong too!
Healthy Diet Healthy Teeth
Because our teeth are a part of our bodies it makes sense that by eating a healthy diet we can keep them healthy along with the rest of our bodies. We all know that the calcium found in dairy products is great for our teeth and often tell our kids that by drinking their milk or eating yogurt they can have strong bones that will grow big and strong. The same can be said for many other food groups. Explaining our bodies as if they were a machine is a great way to get this point across to your children. Our bodies have many different systems that work to keep us healthy. We fuel our machines by eating food. Our stomachs break up this food and send the vitamins and minerals where they are most needed. When your child eats a cheese stick, their tummies get to work and break that cheese up into the vitamins, fats, and minerals that keep it together. It sends the calcium in the cheese straight to the teeth where the teeth can absorb it and keep them strong and healthy. Other foods are full of other vitamins and minerals that can keep different oral tissues healthy as well.
Foods and Vitamins that Fuel
Most parents are aware the good that fresh fruits, veggies, and dairy do for their children’s’ – and their own – bodies. What you might not know is that the healthy, balanced diet you feed your child also keeps their oral tissues healthy. Here are a few vitamins and the foods they’re found in that are famous for their tooth-loving properties.
Vitamin A – Vitamin A helps to make white blood cells that can help your child’s body fight off infections which can include canker sores, gum inflammation, and bitten tongues. Vitamin A is found in carrots, sweet potato, and spinach!
Vitamin C – Vitamin C helps your body build collagen which is an important ingredient in teeth. Vitamin C can be found in oranges, red peppers, broccoli, and strawberries.
Vitamin D – Vitamin D is extremely important for our teeth because it is the vitamin that allows our bodies to absorb the calcium and phosphorous that our teeth need to stay strong and healthy. Vitamin D can be found in Almonds, spinach, avocado, squash, and is often fortified into milk and dairy products because of how helpful it is.
Feeding your child a diet full of vitamins and minerals is no-doubt important, but we all know that getting kids to eat vitamin-rich foods is difficult. Many food companies have done a great job at helping us “trick” our kids into eating healthy food, but it does come at a cost. Fruit juices and snacks are often laden with sugar to make them “more palatable” to the little ones, but this can cause serious problems for children’s teeth. A recent recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights this issue. Based on mounting evidence of tooth decay and increasing rates of childhood obesity, they recommend that children under the age of one drink absolutely no fruit juice whatsoever. The evidence presented to them finds that there is no nutritional benefit for babies. While the content of vitamins may be high, the amount of sugar – natural or otherwise – found in fruit juices contributes significantly to the erosion of newly emerging teeth.
It is extremely important for parents to make sure they are not feeding their children too much sugar. Read labels and make sure that if your child does consume a fair amount of it that you teach them to brush their teeth. It is never too young to teach your children how to take care of their most important set of bones! This Palm Harbor Pediatric Dentist does her best to teach children how to remove sugar from their teeth with proper brushing. If you have a question about how you can keep your kid’s teeth as healthy as they are, don’t hesitate to ask at your next appointment.
Benefits of Braces
May 15, 2017
As a pediatric dentist, Dr. Maggie sees a lot of kids that would benefit from orthodontic treatment. Braces are an extremely common recommendation for children both young and entering adolescence. It is common knowledge that braces can help to straighten your child’s smile, but what you may not know is that braces can be a great tool in improving the overall oral health of your child. If braces have been recommended in your family, here are a few more benefits you may not be aware of.
Determining a Need for Braces
Determining a need for dental braces can be simple or complex depending on each child. Most often braces are recommended when a child is 12 or older after all or most of their permanent teeth have come in. If your preteen or teenager has an underbite, overbite, crossbite, open bite, over crowding or spacing your Palm Harbor pediatric dentist may recommend braces as an orthodontic treatment. However, it may be recommended for younger children if the use of braces can help to shape their jaw and prevent severe orthodontic work when they are older. This is called interceptive orthodontics. Braces can be used to maintain space in between teeth when a primary tooth, also known as a baby tooth, falls out long before a permanent tooth is due to emerge. This can ensure that there is ample space for the new tooth and crowding will likely not be an issue. Other reasons why children as young as six or seven my be recommended orthodontic treatments is due to abnormal jaw development or tooth position that may compromise their function and integrity. Dr. Maggie may see that the jaw is not developing normally and remedy this with braces before many of the permanent teeth emerge. Similarly if permanent teeth are emerging quickly and crooked, she may see braces as an option to help guide the teeth and ultimately reduce the amount of orthodontic work that will be necessary as your child grows into a teenager.
Benefits of Braces
Braces do much more than just create a flash-worthy smile, they provide serious dental health benefits as well. Braces are designed to move and straighten teeth, and achieve this end in many different ways. As the teeth shift into their desired spots you can expect some changes to your oral health routine. Braces are notorious for trapping food particles between brackets and behind archwires. This can result in the buildup of bacteria, erosion of enamel, and inflammation of the gums. Removing this food after every meal is of the utmost importance. Taking care of your teeth during this time is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your oral health, and as a happy side effect this consistent care can carry over to life after braces. It often seems like if you can maintain your oral health while you have braces, you can maintain your oral health for your entire life. We work hard to convey this point to our young patients. The light at the end of the tunnel is that after braces not only will your child have the tools to prevent tooth decay and gum inflammation, but their teeth will also be much easier to clean and take care of.
The most rejoiced benefit of braces is that it shifts our teeth into a handsome line. When the teeth are aligned this way it is much easier to brush the surfaces of each tooth and to floss in between. Also, braces can alleviate crowding which exposes the gums and enables you to clean them better as well. By shifting your teeth into the most desirable positions you not only achieve a spectacular smile, but also a one that’s easier to take care of!
Many teens desire a straight smile for their senior pictures, and sometimes cosmetic reasons drive the decision to choose braces. We don’t think that’s a problem at all. Straight teeth make it easier for children to chew and speak. However the best benefit braces provide is the tools and understanding it takes to be responsible for something as important as your smile. If you have any questions about how you can support your child while they are undergoing orthodontic treatment, ask your Palm Harbor pediatric dentist at your next appointment.
Your Pressing Questions About Baby Teeth Answered
April 11, 2017
Teething. It’s one of the most exciting stages of a baby’s life, and one of the more confusing and sometimes frustrating for a new parent. As these little teeth emerge our babies grow into toddlers excited to see what those new baby teeth can do. While we may be excited for our kids to try new foods, we can all commiserate over the fussy, sometimes feverish ones who keep us up at night while they cut teeth. Dental health is extremely important at all stages of life, so it’s normal for parents to have questions about their baby’s teeth, and it’s very normal to ask their pediatric dentist.
What To Expect When You’re Expecting Teeth
A baby’s first tooth will normally emerge around four and seven months of age. Baby teeth, or primary teeth often scare nursing mothers because now that cute little gummy smile is capable of biting. Have no fear nursing moms. Babies who latch well will have no trouble nursing with teeth, although you may experience a bite here and there when baby starts to doze while feeding. However for many babies “cutting teeth” can be uncomfortable and will cause a few sleepless, cranky nights until the teeth emerge.
Baby teeth emerge in a very predictable manner, yet it is interesting and important to know that a primary set of teeth only consists of twenty teeth compared to the 32 we end up with. The first teeth to emerge are always the central incisors – or the bottom and top front teeth. This usually happens between four and seven months of age. From ten to 15 months, a child’s lateral incisors make their debut. Normally at one year of age your child will have eight teeth, four on top and four on the bottom. Next between ten and 16 months of age the first molars begin to push their way through the gums. After the first molars, the canines and second molars emerge. Between 16 and 24 months of age most children have a full set of primary teeth.
The thing about teething that makes it so hard for both parent and baby is that this change in the body can be painful. Teething babies are often fussy, and can run a mild fever. In a study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, researchers noted that most babies exhibited the following symptoms while they were teething: irritability, drooling, a desire to suck, curiosity in biting, sleeplessness, gum rubbing, grabbing at their ears, mild fever, rash, and decreased appetite. Not all babies experience these symptoms however, it is nice to know what you may be up against.
Helping A Teether
It’s in our nature to want to help our children get through teething pain free. Depending on your child’s symptoms there are many things you can do to sooth your baby during this time. To help with pain and a fever age/weight appropriate doses of infant pain medications can be helpful. Discuss usage of infant pain medications with your dentist or doctor before administering to ensure safety. Teething toys also provide a child with something safe and soothing to chew on while they test out their new teeth. There are many teething toys designed to be put in the freezer or refrigerator that help ease pain in little teething mouths. If a liquid is inside of these toys it is very important to keep tabs on these toys so they do not become damaged and leak. As your child grows new teeth feel free to test out new foods. Frozen pancakes or waffles are great ways for them to reduce pain, learn to chew, and enjoy new foods all at the same time.
Are Baby Teeth Supposed To Be So Sharp?
One of the most surprising things parents quickly learn about baby teeth is how sharp they are. We can assure you that this is normal, and helps them learn how to bite and chew. They normally dull over time and pose no threat to your child. If you are concerned about the sharpness of these teeth however, don’t hesitate to bring your baby in for an evaluation.
At our Palm Harbor, Florida pediatric dental practice our goal is to help your child learn to love and take care of their teeth. If you need help during the teething stage, never hesitate to enlist the help of Dr. Maggie Davis. We would love to answer your questions and to meet your little one to provide them comfort in their new dental home.
Why Do We Brush Twice a Day?
March 16, 2017
You have probably heard your dentist say—on more than one occasion– that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day. However, you may not know why brushing two times daily is important. Here are a few reasons for this popular dental recommendation:
Plaque is continually produced.
When you eat, leftover bits of food mix with the bacteria inside your mouth to form plaque. The filmy, sticky substance coats your tooth enamel and gums. Although the development of plaque is a continual natural occurrence, the substance can cause a great bit of damage to your teeth.
Because plaque adheres to your teeth and gums, it places bacterial acid in direct contact with them. The bacteria within the plaque feast on the food particles in the mixture. As the microbes feed, they digest the food and release acid as a by-product. Since the acid is released adjacent to the tooth enamel, plaque can be highly damaging.
Just as acid is corrosive to most other substances, it also eats away at your enamel. This results in tooth decay. The longer the acid remains in place, the greater your chance of needing a dental appointment to fill a cavity. Twice-daily brushing removes the plaque before it can damage your pearly whites.
Brushing twice daily helps prevent tartar buildup.
Tartar is actually plaque that has calcified on the teeth. The hardening process that converts plaque into tartar takes about a day to complete. However, the conversion only takes place if plaque remains undisturbed. When you brush twice a day, plaque can be removed before it hardens into position.
While plaque is still soft, it can easily be brushed and flossed away. However, once it hardens, it remains in place until it is scraped away at your next dental cleaning. Why does this matter? Tartar not only makes your teeth look less attractive due to its yellow hue, but it also harbors additional plaque and oral bacteria to further compromise your oral health.
Although tartar may look completely solid, it is actually quite porous. It becomes a great hiding place for the substances that wreak havoc on your teeth.
Brushing twice a day helps prevent bad breath.
Bad breath that is not associated with the spicy taco or well-seasoned lasagna you had for dinner is often caused by volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). Anaerobic bacteria that reside on your tongue release these compounds regularly, giving morning breath its characteristics stale, sulfur-y smell.
When you brush your teeth, your tongue should also get a thorough cleaning. As the oral microbes are removed, your breath becomes fresher. In addition, the sweet aroma of your toothpaste will further enhance your breath, making embarrassing moments during social encounters a little less likely.
Brushing twice daily helps ensure that the microbes that may be contributing to your bad breath are removed before they build up to the point of causing your breath to be offensive. It also removes particles of food that may be stuck between your teeth. As the food remains in place, it can rot or deteriorate in your mouth, further exacerbating halitosis.
Brushing twice a day can keep your teeth whiter.
As you eat and drink, pigments are absorbed into the pores of your tooth enamel and can build up over time. The accumulation of pigments can discolor your teeth, necessitating a teeth-bleaching session. When you brush twice a day, you can help remove some of the pigments that have not been fully absorbed by your teeth.
If you brush with a whitening toothpaste, you can give your teeth an even greater chance of avoiding discoloration. Whitening toothpaste often includes ingredients, such as hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, to keep your teeth looking their best. Peroxide uses oxygenating power to help bleach away stains. Baking soda is alkaline and mildly abrasive, so it helps polish your teeth for a whitening boost.
Gum Health
Brushing twice daily also improves the health of your gums so that you can avoid gum disease. The acid that causes tooth decay irritates sensitive soft tissues in your mouth. The resulting inflammation can lead to gum disease.
If you are in the beginning stages of gum disease, you may only notice a bit of blood in the sink after you brush your teeth. However, periodontal issues can progress to the point of bone and tooth loss.
When you brush your teeth, you dilute the inflammatory acid and help rid your mouth of the bacteria that produce it.
For tips on proper brushing techniques or to learn ways to encourage your kids to brush twice daily, consult with our office.