If there’s drool constantly dripping from your baby’s mouth and chin and she wants to put everything in her mouth all of a sudden, then congratulations! Your baby’s tooth is probably on its way.
While you might be concentrating on relieving her gum pain and providing her with the most comfort possible while she is teething, it’s also critical to start considering how to take care of those tiny pearls.
This is why: Babies who have teeth are susceptible to tooth decay and cavities. Additionally, children are more likely to develop cavities in their adult teeth if they have cavities in their baby teeth. Therefore, it’s crucial to establish a dental care routine early. Also, healthy baby teeth are super important because they form the shape of your child’s face, they make it easier for your child to talk more clearly, and they make eating and chewing easier.
How might you go about doing this? We have some pointers just for you.
Infant Oral Care
It’s crucial to understand that a bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans is one of the factors contributing to some kids’ increased risk of developing cavities. Because it consumes sugar and produces acid that dissolves the teeth’s protective enamel, it is the primary cause of tooth decay.
Although this bacteria is not present at birth, studies have shown that babies can pick it up very early on through the saliva of a parent or caregiver. Streptococcus mutans can be contracted by kissing a baby on the lips, sharing a spoon, or cleaning her pacifier in your mouth. The more cavity-causing bacteria an adult has in their mouth, the more cavity-causing bacteria the baby will get. We advise parents or any other adults not to share a toothbrush or eating utensil with a child, or to clean off a pacifier with their mouth.
The way a baby is fed can also affect the condition of their teeth. Babies who go to sleep with a bottle of milk, juice, or a pacifier coated in honey or sugar run the risk of developing baby bottle tooth decay. When sugar builds up around their teeth while they are sleeping, it feeds the Streptococcus mutans bacterium, causing decay.
At this age, oral hygiene also plays a huge role. When a baby’s first tooth erupts, you should begin brushing it. The American Dental Association advises using a dollop of toothpaste the size of a grain of rice up until the age of three and a small, soft toothbrush to gently brush all the way around the teeth. The fluoride in toothpaste will help fortify tooth enamel, making it more resistant to decay. When using fluoride-containing toothpaste on babies and young toddlers who are unable to spit, you should use a piece of damp gauze to remove any excess toothpaste. Although the fluoride is not hazardous to their health, when developing teeth are exposed to excessive amounts of the substance, they can begin to appear chalky and white (dental fluorosis) so just be wary of this.
By their first birthday or six months following the eruption of their first tooth, children should begin visiting the dentist.
Brushing Your Toddler’s Teeth
You’ll have to take the lead until your child is old enough to brush his/her own teeth, and we advise sitting cross-legged while holding your small toddler in your lap so they can gaze up at you. You get easy access to the rear teeth thanks to this.
Giving your toddler something to play with or watch can be a great distraction if they aren’t being cooperative.
Until your child learns to spit, you should be brushing twice a day and wiping away excess toothpaste with a piece of gauze.
Kindergarten and Up
You can start using a little larger, pea-sized dollop of toothpaste on the toothbrush once a child is able to spit. Children should clean their teeth twice daily for two minutes each.
And let’s not forget about flossing! The parent should be actively flossing their child’s teeth as soon as they come into contact with one another. This is typically the case when the child’s molars, which typically erupt between the ages of 3 and 4, come in.
Up until the age of 8, you should continue to supervise your child’s dental routine, as they might not have the manual dexterity required to reach every part of the mouth before that age.
Additionally, the American Dental Association advises seeing the dentist regularly and changing their toothbrush every three to four months.
Other Things to Prevent Tooth Decay And Promote Infant Oral Care
Make sure your toddler doesn’t consume food or liquids regularly during the day. Within 20 minutes of ingesting or drinking something, the sugar turns into an acid.
Only use a bottle at feeding time. Never breastfeed or use a bottle as a pacifier.
Avoid putting your baby to bed with a bottle of formula or breastmilk.
Take the breast out of your baby’s mouth if they nod off while you are breastfeeding.
Avoid night feedings and frequent, on-demand feedings once the first tooth erupts.
By the age of 12 months, transition your child from a bottle to a cup.
Once your child turns one, they are allowed to drink water whenever they are thirsty during the day. Give them only water at meals; do not give them other beverages.
Fluoride makes teeth strong and less prone to decay, so having your dentist put a cap of fluoride on their teeth may be beneficial
As soon as your child’s first tooth erupts, you should start teaching them proper oral hygiene practices to prevent cavities and provide the foundation for a lifetime of good oral health. Please give us a call today at 801-948-8880 to book an appointment for your infant/toddler and let us ensure that their tiny teeth are well taken care of.
Ever wondered how to get your young child to start flossing? Many questions arise, like, what’s the best age to start flossing? Do they start with traditional floss or floss sticks? How frequently should they floss? What’s the best technique to teach them to floss so they don’t become fearful or turned off by this new habit? If so, you’ve come to the right place. This article will cover the dos and don’ts of flossing for young children, all the right tips to get you started on teaching your young one how to do it, and what the right tools are to get started. Let’s dive right in!
What’s the Right Age to Start Flossing?
Like brushing, flossing at a young age is crucial to maintaining your child’s oral health and preventing unwarranted tooth discomfort brought on by plaque and cavities.
As soon as a child has many baby teeth, parents and kids can begin the habit of brushing their teeth. However, it is not necessary to start flossing until their teeth begin to fit closely together. Most kids can begin flossing between the ages of two and six, but as more teeth erupt, keep a close check on your child’s mouth to determine when you should start doing it frequently. You will need to floss for your child if they are younger than this age range until they are old enough to learn how to do it on their own with your assistance. You should continue to observe and assist your child until they are about 10 years old, even after they are physically able to floss their own teeth. This way, you can make sure they are always flossing fully and getting the spaces between each tooth.
Bleeding Gums When Flossing?
If you’re a first-time parent, you could become alarmed if you see your child’s gums bleeding during the flossing process. It’s completely common to experience some bleeding when starting a flossing practice, so don’t be alarmed! Adults who begin flossing their teeth on a regular basis for the first time may also experience this. After you’ve been flossing for your child every day for a few days, your child’s gums should stop bleeding as their gums become stronger and healthier.
Turn It Into a Family Affair and Make It Fun!
Making flossing a nightly ritual will improve your family’s overall hygiene practices. By incorporating this into daily routines, parents may set a positive example for their children by practicing good oral hygiene. Tonight, start by getting everyone together, humming a song, and flossing. You could play a fun video for your kids on flossing, or use reward systems like prize boards with fun stickers to motivate your child. There are a ton of great games and ideas online to find ways to motivate your child and get them excited about flossing.
Don’t Be Reluctant to Let Children Choose Their Own Floss
Just like we appreciate having options as adults, so do children. Not every person is the same or likes the same things, and the same goes for children. Some kids may prefer starting with dental floss, while others may prefer floss sticks. Children who feel like they have some control over their regular flossing routine are more likely to like it. Children’s favorite themes are now used to create kid-friendly dental flossers, so don’t be hesitant to choose one of the entertaining options that are sold in stores.
Making the purchase of their first floss part of a memorable day will help your children connect flossing with fun. For young children, choosing the floss they want to use the most can be an empowering option. Make sure to commend your children for making the right choice.
Avoid Getting Caught Up With the Timing of Children’s Flossing
Setting certain criteria for flossing is a wonderful idea, but don’t go overboard. For instance, it doesn’t really matter if your children floss their teeth before or after brushing their teeth. Whether it’s ideal to floss at the beginning, middle, or end of your daily dental care regimen is a question that experts are still debating. Therefore, listen to your children and allow them to make decisions.
It doesn’t really matter if your kids floss in the morning or right before bed, either. They only need to floss once each day, and consistency in the time of day is the best approach. No matter if your children prefer to floss in the morning or in the evening, flossing is still helpful.
What’s the Best Technique?
If your child chooses to floss by hand, cut off a piece of floss that is about 18 inches long and have them wrap the majority of it around one finger, usually the pointer on the left or right hand. The remaining floss will be wound around one finger on the opposite hand by the person (but be careful not to wind it too tightly!). The finger with the most floss will release the most between each tooth, and the other finger will pick up the floss that has been utilized. You could also consider tying tiny circles at each end to make it easier for children to grasp the floss. Give them flexible, soft floss that will be gentle on their gums and teeth.
Have your youngster move the floss along the gum line of both the top and bottom teeth, going up one side of the tooth and down the other (show them how to softly slide the floss between their teeth rather than snapping it against their gums). Repeat this between each set of teeth.
Many kids (and even many adults) prefer floss sticks. Although they are simpler, conventional floss still outperforms them in terms of effectiveness. While picks are still an excellent alternative for children who struggle with traditional floss, we would advise using traditional floss for adults.
Floss picks come in harp or Y shapes. Like with regular floss, just move the floss up and down the teeth. When the floss appears worn, rinse it off between the teeth and replace the pick.
We hope this article was informative in helping you decide when and how to introduce your child to flossing!
While the majority of our population is in fact, not dental experts, society actually as a whole has a few very firm (and correct) understandings and expectations when it comes to the topic of healthy teeth.
We expect our babies to grow the first few adorable little whites within the first year. Most homes generally have a routine to brush teeth in the mornings and again at night before bed. We teach our children to put their lost teeth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, and we associate healthy smiles to the general color category of white. So, what does it mean then, when one of your kids’ pearlies is actually a grey color?
A grey tooth is what we call a necrotic tooth or pulp necrosis. This means that the pulp of the tooth has suffered damage to its blood supply. Without proper blood supply, the tissue begins to die, thereby changing the color of the tooth from white to grey.
Why is My Child’s Tooth Grey?
The potential causes of a grey tooth include the following:
Dental trauma – this is the most likely cause of a necrotic tooth in children. One of the reasons we strongly advise parents to invest in mouth guards for kids who play sports of any kind is because the use of mouth guards can actually reduce the chances of a dental trauma injury by 73%-83%. Nevertheless, even with the use of mouth guards while engaged in sports activities dental trauma injuries can occur. An accidental elbow to the face, or a head first tumble for your walking toddler. These injuries can occur even with the best of safe guards in place. If your child has suffered a dental injury such as a chipped tooth or a tooth has been knocked loose or all the way out, follow these steps and give us a call immediately. Quick reactions can save the tooth.
Severe and untreated tooth decay – this cause is less likely if you’re keeping your kids to the recommended biannual cleaning and checkup schedule in addition to encouraging healthy dental hygiene routines at home.
Gum disease – another cause avoidable with healthy dental hygiene at home and routine checkups and cleanings at your local pediatric dentist.
Can a Grey Tooth Be Saved?
Actually, a grey tooth can be saved if action is taken quickly enough. When the whole of the tooth is mostly intact in spite of the dead or dying pulp tissue within, measures can be taken to save the tooth itself. For this we may perform a pediatric pulpotomy or a root canal.
This means we must first create a hole within the enamel to get inside the tooth to remove the infected or decaying pulp from the inside of the tooth. Next a healing medicine is applied to soothe the nerves and treat any bacteria attempting to grow (which can spread to the root and cause an abscess if untreated). Once that part of the treatment is completed, we reseal the entry and create a cap to cover the tooth. If the tooth in question is a baby tooth (primary tooth) we may opt to cover the entry with a composite filling instead of a cap. A composite filling is a more economic route, and only appropriate in the case of a primary tooth because the tooth’s lifespan is only a few years as opposed to if it were a permanent tooth in question.
Does a Dead Baby Tooth Need to Be Pulled?
In general, we avoid tooth extractions whenever possible. The primary teeth, serve as place holders for their permanent teeth and our bodies generally allow primary teeth to loosen and fall out naturally in accordance for the timing of the eruption of the permanent teeth. Additionally, primary teeth serve to help our children chew and eat foods properly and develop proper speech patterns.
Nevertheless, if your child has a necrotic tooth that is causing severe pain, an infection in the gums or spreading to other teeth, a pediatric pulpotomy may not be appropriate. In these rare circumstances, we may need to simply extract the tooth. For this to be necessary your child would likely be experiencing severe tooth pain, therefore we urge parents to listen to their children when they complain of tooth pain. Don’t wait for it to become severe before scheduling an appointment for a consult.
What if the Teeth Have Grey Spots?
If the tooth or teeth are not wholly grey but instead have grey or black spots or streaks, that doesn’t necessarily mean necrosis is to blame.
These grey colored spots may be indicative of too much iron in their diet. Iron supplements, fortified cereals, or iron-rich water may be to blame. When iron is the culprit, assist your child with tooth brushing for a time and they will disappear.
Grey spots could also be an indication of over exposure to fluoride. Is your child using an appropriate amount of toothpaste when they brush? Are they spitting out the toothpaste or swallowing it instead?
If grey lines or spots are visible near the gum line, they could be indicative of decay, because that area of the tooth can be the hardest for kids to brush properly. Are you taking a turn to help them brush at night before bed?
Call Utah Pediatric Dentists and Schedule a Consult
In any of the aforementioned cases, it is important to seek advice and assistance from your pediatric dentist. We can determine the cause, and appropriate treatment while providing you and your child with reassurance and choices about the best way to move forward with a healthy smile.
“They’re just going to fall out eventually, so why do we need to treat or restore the baby teeth?” This question comes up more often than you might think, and in a way, it has logic to it. After all, we don’t fix broken or chipped fingernails, we let them fall off or clip them the rest of the way off. So why is it different when we talk about baby teeth?
Here’s a handful of reasons for you to understand why not only the routine daily dental care of your kids’ baby teeth is important but the value of filling cavities in baby teeth as opposed to leaving them alone or simply extracting the tooth.
1. Chewing Skills and Speech
Baby teeth serve to help the development of eating habits, and speech patterns. Consider that the front teeth primarily function to bite off foods, but the grinding process occurs with the molars. We prefer to extract teeth only in certain circumstances: when the tooth is so severely decayed that proper restoration is not possible, or if a primary tooth is preventing a permanent tooth from erupting.
Speech is the outcome of a blend of tongue, teeth, and lips working together as they control sound and airflow coming out of your mouth. Not every single sound requires the tongue to strike the teeth, but the majority do. Just for fun try saying the following sentence without allowing your tongue to touch your teeth or lips:
“Thank you for this delicious meal.” Doesn’t come out sounding correct at all, does it?
2. Keep the Space
Moreover, they are excellent placeholders. The formation of their bite and the drawn-out eruption of the permanent teeth is a delicate balance maintained by the primary teeth which generally have all erupted between the ages of three and four years old. Typically, healthy primary teeth won’t begin to fall out until your child is six to seven years old. Permanent teeth start erupting around the same time, but the eruption timeline for them stretches out until their late teens. Some wisdom teeth erupt even as late as 21 years of age. When a primary tooth is extracted, the rest of the teeth in the jaw can drift a bit, consequently crowding can be an issue later on.
3. Pain and Infection
Untreated cavities in primary teeth can spread, worsen, and lead to severe decay which in turn can be quite painful and negatively impact their quality of life. Abscesses, infections, dental sepsis are all painful complications that can develop and require serious interventions. While less painful perhaps, the untreated cavities in baby teeth can be visible and depending on their age impact their confidence and raise unnecessary insecurities.
4. Hypodontia / Oligodontia / Anodontia
This reason is often surprising to people, but it actually affects a markedly large percentage of the population. Moreover, it addresses the original question pretty precisely. Hypodontia is when one to six permanent tooth or teeth fail/s to even form. This means the baby tooth that erupts will never get a replacement and therefore its importance jumps to the front of the line, immediately. Taking care of the baby teeth should be important anyway, but if that baby tooth is the only one they will have in that position for the rest of their life? That certainly puts a new perspective on it, doesn’t it?
Oligodontia is when more than six permanent teeth fail to form and occurs significantly less often than hypodontia, while anodontia is a total absence of permanent teeth and is even rarer. The most common permanent teeth to be missing in a case of hypodontia are actually the wisdom teeth which often are extracted anyway so people don’t get concerned about a missing one or two. Next in line are the premolars that are located on the sides between the canines and the molars, followed by the upper lateral incisors, and then the lower central incisors.
An estimated 20% of adults have hypodontia, and while it’s been linked to genetics, research suggests environmental factors may influence its occurrence as well. The condition presents more often in women, with identical twins displaying a higher than average rate as well.
If you’re a parent reading this who has a baby tooth that was never replaced by a permanent tooth, then it is possible this trait could present in your child(ren) but should not be an automatic conclusion. Tell your child’s pediatric dentist if hypodontia applies to you, so they can be aware to look for it. If your child currently has a gap due to a lost baby tooth and the permanent tooth has yet to erupt, no need to panic. This does not automatically mean there is no permanent tooth, it is more than likely only a delayed eruption of the permanent tooth.
Restorations for Baby Teeth
If we discover a cavity in a baby tooth, we’ll discuss with you the options available for restoration so you can make an informed decision. Generally, we recommend resin composite fillings because they match the color of the teeth, and dry quickly allowing for a shorter period of time in the dentist chair.
Dental Checkups Matter
Even if your kids don’t have complaints, it’s important that they have routine dental office checkups. Some insurances only cover visits once a year, but we normally recommend bi-annual visits (every six months). When was the last time your kids came in to see us? We have four offices spread over the Bountiful area, all conveniently located and designed to put your child at ease. We’re here for you, so give us a call and put us to work!!
When you’ve got a little one in your home, that first year of their life is full of exciting new moments and milestones; first smiles, sitting up, crawling, first full night of sleep, walking, first words, and among others, the first tooth! As your local pediatric dentists, we are committed to the happy and healthy smiles of all children and proper dental care for those first teeth is therefore a topic near and dear to our hearts. Accordingly, today’s article topic is about why your one year old should visit the pediatric dentist.
While eruption of the first baby tooth varies quite widely, anywhere from three months of age to 12 months old, experts agree (the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Dental Association for starters) that a child’s first dental office visit should occur before or at the age of one year old. Some of you might feel that one or two sweet little baby teeth shouldn’t require a dental visit, and while we can understand why you might believe that, there are two powerful reasons why. Let’s dive into those reasons.
2 Crucial Reasons Why Your One Year Old Needs to Go to the Pediatric Dentist
Lay the Foundation – Lamentably, many adults and children have a fear of the dentist. Often adults who have had a negative experience with a dentist can unknowingly pass on general feelings of distrust, suspicion, and fear to their children. Like the field of medicine, dentistry is not a stagnant industry. Our knowledge and understanding has grown exponentially alongside the development of better technologies and techniques to make the experience more comfortable and virtually pain free. In addition to improvements in knowledge and practice, major emphasis has been placed in the field of pediatric dentistry on how to create, develop, and foster positive associations and relationships for children with dentistry. We begin by laying the foundation, early in life. A trip to the dentist becomes a normal part of life, much in the way going to the pediatrician as a child is.
Prevention – In addition to laying the foundation, a dentist visit by one year of age allows the first dentist trip to not have an association with pain. Consider, if you wait to go to the dentist for the first time until your child is having pain in a tooth, then that place becomes associated with pain. Moreover, while at six to 12 months of age your little one might not have many teeth, we can discuss and review proper ways of feeding, brushing, massaging gums, and other important hygiene practices that work to prevent cavities. Even if your child only has one or two teeth, it is still possible to get cavities, and bottle rot is unfortunately more common than we’d likely and almost entirely due to lack of information for parents.
How to Prepare for the First Trip to the Pediatric Dentist
Be sure the time is right! Each child is unique and has their own rhythms that their bodies and minds cycle throughout the day. Watch closely for a few days (or ask your childcare provider) to look for the time of day when your child is most alert and merry. This time of day for your child will vary however typically occurs sometime before midday.
Let them eat their meal or snack before the appointment. Hungry littles are less tolerant (understandably so) and more likely to cry and refuse any requests.
Talk to your little one about the impending trip to the dentist. Regardless of how verbal your child is at this age, telling them about a new activity incorporated to their day is helpful, as they understand more than we think! Be cautious not to impart any words of anxiety or negativity about the visit. For this age, a simple “we’re going to the dentist today, and they’re going to look at your tooth and show us how to clean it properly” is enough.
Bring the favored snuggle animal. A comfort item is absolutely appropriate for your toddler to bring to the dentist. Our offices are specifically designed to be warm and welcoming for children, yet a cuddly stuffed animal or doll is invited along. Furthermore, we can even incorporate said cuddly stuffed animal into a demonstration.
Come alone with your child. If possible, leave their siblings with another family member, school, or childcare setting. Allow yourself to focus entirely on your child during the dental visit attentive to their cues without distractions from another sibling.
What to Expect for the First Trip to the Pediatric Dentist
You’re probably wondering what exactly a dentist visit entails when only one or two teeth (or less or more) have erupted. Here’s what you can expect that first time:
We’ll let you and your child have a look around the office, and let them choose if they want to sit alone in the dentist chair or on your lap. If appropriate, we may use their accompanying snuggle animal to give a demonstration of what we’ll do. We’ll take a look inside their mouth, assessing their gums and teeth for any injuries, cavities, or plaque. Following that inspection, we’ll clean the teeth. Before you leave, we’ll review your dental hygiene routine at home and offer advice or information for any questions you have.
Utah Pediatric Dentists Believe in Prevention
In closing, we leave you with this video created by two of our own pediatric dentists where they encourage parents to start early with visits to the pediatric dentist as a preventative measure. Take just the one minute to watch it and hear the voices of Dr. Jason, and Dr. Chuck.
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