Pediatric Dentist Portland & Oregon City » Oregon

Things to Know about Invisalign Braces

Bill E. Kidd — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:42:41 +0000

Invisalign is a popular and innovative teeth straightening system created to straighten teeth over time. The process doesn’t use the traditional metal brackets associated with braces but instead uses clear aligners that search much like removable mouthpieces. The new Invisalign for Teens is appropriate for kids and teens and offers the same benefits as the [...]

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Things to Know about Invisalign Braces

Baby Juice Bottles

Mark Mutschler — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:11:55 +0000

Parents who come into my Portland, Oregon pediatric dental practice often tell me, “My baby loves juice and I just cannot take it away, so I water it down.” These parents love their babies and want them to have all the good things in life. Juice is sweet and delicious and healthy too. Right? Fruit [...]

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Baby Juice Bottles

When to Start Kids Braces?

Mark Mutschler — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:59:42 +0000

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 [...]

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When to Start Kids Braces?

Tears & Fears

Mark Mutschler — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:59:34 +0000

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 [...]

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Tears & Fears

Molar Sealants

Mark Mutschler — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:49:03 +0000

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 [...]

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Molar Sealants

Cavity Infections

Mark Mutschler — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:45:20 +0000

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 [...]

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Cavity Infections

Spotty Teeth

Mark Mutschler — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:06:08 +0000

Many kids or their parents ask me about spots they see on teeth. There are several different types of spots found on teeth: white spots chalky yellow spots chalky brown spots dark brown spots black spots Each of these have different causes but most have similar treatment: Treatment is either leaving it, polishing off the surface of the [...]

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Spotty Teeth

Brushing Braces

Mark Mutschler — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:25:20 +0000

One of the hardest things to do as an adolescent is to brush your teeth. We give brushing instructions but when you have braces, it becomes much, much, much harder to do a good job. Brushing teeth and especially brushing around braces requires attention to detail and taking enough time to do it well. These are [...]

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Brushing Braces

Oral Conscious Sedation

Mark Mutschler — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:58:04 +0000

Some children need help coping with the fear of the unknown or anxiety of the known. A five year old boy from Milwaukie, Oregon recently needed oral sedation for his dental care. This child had several decayed molars and the cavity on one tooth was especially deep. Since his older sister had told him that [...]

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Oral Conscious Sedation