Summer is over and it’s time for school and we wanted to remind you of the importance of packaging healthily meals for your child’s lunch. As you may know, many schools sell sugary snacks or beverages in the school cafeteria or vending machines. This easy access to sugar can lead to tooth decay. A healthy diet is important for good oral health. A combination of a balanced diet and regular dental visits will help keep your child’s smile for a lifetime.
Help your child start good eating habits. Try to limit between-meal snacks. If your child is thirsty or needs a snack, stay clear of cookies, candy and other sweets or sticky foods. Instead, offer water or healthy foods, such as fruit, carrot sticks or wheat crackers. Save sweets for mealtime, when the mouth makes more saliva to help rinse out food particles.
Sealants are an easy and affordable way to help prevent tooth decay on your children’s teeth.
A sealant is a material that is applied to the teeth where decay occurs most often- the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. These teeth have the pits and grooves that are hard to clean, because toothbrush bristles cannot reach into them. The sealant then bonds to the tooth.
The sealant acts as a barrier to keep bacteria and food out of the pits and grooves on a tooth. Sealants are easy to apply and only a few minutes per tooth are required.
Applying sealants can save time and money but more importantly, but your child may avoid the discomfort and anxiety associated with repairing a decayed tooth. Sealing a tooth is fast and painless. Sealants can last several years before they need to be re-applied.
Dr. Rojas will be happy to discuss with you this topic in additional details during your next visit.
Eating habits and food choices can lead to tooth decay , or cavities. A steady supply of sugary foods and drinks, including sports and energy drinks, can damage teeth. But snacking or “grazing” all day long can also lead to tooth decay.
When you have sugary foods or drinks many times a day or sip the same sugary drink for a long time, acid attacks the enamel again and again. Repeated acid attacks can cause tooth decay, which must be treated by a dentist.
One way of making smarter food and drink choices is to read their labels to make sure they are low in added sugar.
Although timing varies widely, babies often begin teething by about age 6 months. The two bottom front teeth (lower central incisors) are usually the first to appear, followed by the two top front teeth (upper central incisors).
Classic signs and symptoms of teething include:
– Drooling
– Chewing on solid objects
– Irritability or crankiness
– Sore or tender gums
Dr. Rojas recommends rubbing your child’s gums with a clean wet gauze or finger. A clean. chilled teething ring (do not dip it in sugar, syrup, honey or other foods) or a metal spoon may also ease tender gums.. If the child id still comfortable while teething you can always try some pain reliever and, if this does not work, give us a call or come see Dr. Rojas.
Putting off dental treatment is never a good idea.
Problems may start out small, but could get much bigger and fast. Possible effects of waiting too long for the treatment may include:
– More pain,
– More complex and lengthier treatment,
– Increased treatment costs due to more harm to mouth and teeth,
– Higher risk of infection or complication,
– Longer recovery time,
– Having to take more time off from school for treatment and recovery.
To put it simply, an investment in dentistry now may save your child discomfort, you money and time in the long run.
Pacifiers are the key to contentment for many babies and the key to sanity for their families. Normal pacifier use during the first few years of life doesn’t cause long-term dental problems. However, prolonged pacifier use might cause a child’s teeth to be misaligned or not come in properly.
The risks of pacifier use begin to outweigh the benefits as your baby gets older. While most kids stop using pacifiers on their own between ages 2 and 4, others need help breaking the habit. As children get older it becomes more difficult to break this habit.
Some of the techniques that our patients have utilized with certain success include:
– Hold a special ceremony to bury or otherwise discard the pacifier
– Allow their child to trade in his or her pacifier for a special book or toy.
– Other parents have taken the drastic step of cutting a small hole in the pacifier so that it “stops” working.
– An interesting approach is to leave the pacifier for Santa to take instead of cookies.
– Sometimes Dr. Rojas has been successful at explaining the potential impact of prolonged pacifier use on his or her teeth and they have surrended it to her.
Proper toothbrush care is important to your oral health. A worn toothbrush is less effective in cleaning, the American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months or sooner if the bristles become frayed. Children’s toothbrushes often need to be replaced more frequently.
Some common-sense things that the American Dental Association recommends to ensure your child’s toothbrush remains effective:
Children may find that brushing with a powered toothbrush is fun which will ensure they use it twice a day to thoroughly clean all the surfaces of your teeth. Dr. Rojas does not have a preference, both manual and powered toothbrushes can effectively and thoroughly clean your teeth as long as they are used.
We wanted to expand on the topic of fluoride that we discussed two weeks ago.
The photo to the left shows white spots caused by demineralization due too poor oral hygiene, primarily poor brushing. What actually happens is that the acid produced by bacteria removes the minerals from the enamel, weakens the teeth thus allowing the process of tooth decay to begin. Notice the cavity already forming in one of the front teeth.
The solution is to get ahead of this damaging process by properly brushing and adding topical fluoride such as that available in children mouthwash products. Please read previous blogs on the use of toothpaste and mouthwashes or contact Enchanted Forest to get additional guidance.
“When do I get my braces off?” This is a great question and one that you should ask your orthodontist often, specially during the final or “bite phase” of the treatment. At this point in time, the crowded, crooked teeth should be gone. It is during this final phase that the bite is corrected so that the results will be healthy and stable.
The following questions will help you understand how close you are to being done:
– Are the teeth straight?
– Are the spaces between the teeth closed completely?
– Do the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth appropriately?
– Are the upper teeth resting on the corresponding ones in the lower?
– Is the overbite or underbite corrected?
Patience is critical as you don’t want to pressure the orthodontist to take them off until the treatment plan has been totally completed. You will be throwing money away as the teeth will tend to return to their original position over time if the treatment is not fully complete.
There are times when the the braces are removed because the teeth “appear” to look good but they are really not and unlikely to stay straight after the braces are removed. If you feel that is your case, ask the orthodontist to review the improvements that have been achieved by showing you a panoramic X-Ray before and after treatment. If you notice crooked roots or the mid line not straight in the most recent one: you are not done. If you have questions or want additional guidance, consult your pediatric dentist or call Dr. Rojas.
This blog for informational purposes. If you have any questions please contact Dr. Rojas.