Prevention
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.
Flossing Braces
Keeping braces clean is so important to moving teeth that it bears repeating. Keeping braces clean is so important to moving teeth.
Why is it important you ask? To completely correct a badly positioned tooth, the tooth must slide the brace along the wire in the brace only a few millimeters.
That is NOT very far! Two years to move something the thickness of a pencil!
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).
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.
Molar Sealants
Permanent molars usually have very deep pits, grooves, and fissures on the biting surface. These holes can be very difficult to keep clean so they are the most common place to get cavities.
In the 1970′s dentists started cleaning out these pits and fissures then squirting runny plastic into the cleaned out grooves to keep bacteria from growing there. This procedure is called a dental pit and fissure sealant.
First Dental Visit
Many parents are rightfully confused about when is the right time to start their children’s dental visits. Some Pediatricians say the first dentist visit should be about age two or three.
Many general dentists have difficulty managing young children so they ask parents to bring them in after age three.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommends that the first dental visit be soon after the first tooth erupts or by age one.
Cavity Infections
Some people tell me that “weak teeth” run in the family. I respond that everyone in the family most likely have an aggressive type of plaque on their teeth. Because cavities are caused by bacteria, they are the result of infection.
Infection with a specific type of bacteria is more likely to lead to a cavity than other types of bacteria. One of the most aggressive bacteria is called Streptococcus mutans. It is related to Strep throat bacteria but grows especially well on teeth.
First Dental Visit
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommends the first dental visit to be whenever the first tooth erupts or by the child’s first birthday.
I agree that this works for first children but I think than once parents have been through the practice of taking their infant off the bottle by age one, brushing and flossing daily, watching sweets, and using fluoride suplements appropriately, the following kids can wait until two or even three for their first dental appointment.
- 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
