When to Start Kids Braces?
Most of my Portland patients ask me when to start braces for their kids. I have been practicing orthodontics in Portland since 1995 and so I have seen many of my pediatric dental patients grow up from infancy through their teens.
Some orthodontists recommend treating crooked teeth or teeth that do not occlude (bite together properly) in two phases or treatment steps. The first phase usually starts around second or third grade and a second phase around sixth grade.
Super Orthodontic Wires
Moving teeth is a relatively simple matter. Just push on a tooth with gentle force for a long time and the tooth will move. Kids that suck their thumbs will move their teeth forward with their thumbs.
We move teeth with brackets glued to teeth and wires between them. The trick to moving teeth orthodontically is to have the gentle forces continue for a long enough time.
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.
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!
Invisible Braces for Teens
Invisalign allows teens to straighten their teeth without having to show any metal. These are particularly good for spaced teeth.
This week, a patient from Gresham asked me what would be best for closing his spaced front teeth.
I told him that the Invisalign trays would cover up the spaces as soon as he put them in and make them look much smaller.
Advantages of Invisalign treatment:
- nearly invisible
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.
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