Education
Icy Tooth Accidents in Oregon
With winter coming to Oregon, it is time to think about preventing falls that damage teeth.
Icy hills are lots of fun to slide down but those smiles can quickly turn to frowns and tears with a bad fall.
If your child gets into an accident that damages teeth, follow these steps:
- Check that there are no skull, neck, or back injuries first.
Plaque in Portland
Most people have heard about dental plaque but not everyone knows what it is.
Dental plaque is a thick sticky waterproof cream-colored coating that develops on teeth over time. It is made up of bacteria and their wastes with saliva components.
Sticky mucopolysaccharides are the mortar of dental plaque. They protect the bacteria by gluing the whole colony to tooth enamel and making them resistant to washing off with normal eating and drinking.
Cavities from Breast Feeding?
Mother’s breast milk is extremely healthy for infants because it provides immunity from common diseases and is very nutritious.
Some parents tell me that they have heard that it is impossible to get cavities from mother’s breast milk.
My experience shows me that although nursing is the best way to feed your infant, it is possible to get cavities while nursing. I have seen one year old children with cavities who have only drank mother’s milk.
Gum Infections in Portland
A four year old boy from Portland came in with his mother, complaining of swelling around his baby molar.
When I looked at it, I noticed that there was an infection around the last molar, next to where the permanent tooth develops.
Since it could be either an infection of the tooth that spread to the gingiva (gums) or an infection of the gums that could affect the developing teeth, we took an x-ray.
Mouth Sores
There are many different types of sores in children’s mouths:
- scratches
- burns
- erupting teeth
- herpangina sores
- canker sores
- cold sores
- cancer and other rare stuff
Let’s go through them one by one:
Scratches:
Sharp fingernails, toothbrushes, toys or rough food can cause scratches on the gums or palate (mouth roof). These scratches may either heal within a couple of days or turn into a canker sore (see below).
Tears & Fears
As a pediatric dentist, I specialize in children and special needs patients. Nevertheless, a large part of my job is overcoming parental fears.
Parents have an incredible influence on their children; both positively and negatively.
Kids are so tuned into parental non-verbal communication that even if a mother does not say anything negative about an upcoming dental visit, their own worries and fears will cause their child to worry too.
When to Start Braces
Many parents comment on the number of kids in second or third grade who have some braces.
Treating with two phases of orthodontic care can usually be avoided. Good evidence exists that most orthodontic treatment is best provided at one time as a pre-teen.
However, there ARE times when early orthodontic treatment is useful.
Orthodontic problems that are best treated early:
- lower front teeth that bite outside of upper teeth (a cross bite)
Saving Space
Baby teeth are useful for many things:
- chewing on things (not always a good thing)
- eating
- talking
- smiling
- guiding permanent teeth into proper position
- saving space for permanent teeth
It is a rare day in my pediatric dentistry practice when I do not have to think about the space available for permanent teeth to grow in properly. Sometimes I have to extract teeth to make room then hold the space open with a metal space maintainer.
Tartar or Calculus
You know that hard stuff that seems to grow on your teeth and that sounds screechy but makes your teeth feel nice and smooth when the dental hygienist scrapes it off?
That is calculus (Greek for ‘small stone’) and also called tartar (but has nothing to do with the sauce).
Tartar forms by many days of mineral-containing saliva or spit washing over your teeth and calcifying any plaque on your teeth. Because plaque forms continuously, people who have lots of minerals in their saliva make more tartar.
Filling Materials
When a tooth gets a cavity it must be filled or it will continue to decay and get worse – even to the point of death.
What kind of materials are available to fix holes in teeth?
The most common material for about a century has been silver and copper mixed with mercury with a little tin. This mixture is called amalgam or simply silver filling.
- Dental Health Lessons For Young Children
- Kids and Teens Can Benefit From Orthodontic Treatments
- The Best Toothpaste
- Choosing the Best Dental Products for Kids
- What You Need to Know About Instant Orthodontics
- Pediatric Shark Teeth – What Are They
- Your Guide to Common Dental Terminology
- How to Teach Your Child to Look Forward to Visiting a Kids Dentist
- What You Need to Know About Dental Insurance
- Dental Hygiene Tips for Kids
- Getting Kids to Brush Properly
- Dietary Supplements for Dental Health
- Tips For Parents Who Have Kids In Braces
- Things to Know about Invisalign Braces
- Baby Juice Bottles
