For Parents
Infant Oral Hygiene
As your child's first primary tooth emerges, it is important to begin a planned dental home care program. This program should include proper oral hygiene habits. Your infant is subject to dental decay as soon as the first of the primary teeth emerges from their gums. When your child is about one year to 18 months, it is necessary to be seen by a dentist.
Nursing Your Infant & Teething
It is important for your baby’s future dental health to establish correct nursing habits. Nursing helps in the development of your infant’s facial muscles and bones. Your infant may express a variety of signs and symptoms as their primary teeth emerge. Such symptoms include discomfort, irritability and crying. To ease the discomfort you can give your child cold, hard objects, such as a wet washcloth (frozen and rolled into a cylinder).
Infant Tooth Decay… “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay”
A daily program of oral hygiene is designed to prevent cavities at an early age. Starting at birth, you should gently clean your child’s gums with a gauze pad or wash cloth. At age 2 – 3 you should introduce a toothbrush with a pea size amount of fluoridated toothpaste. Remember that most small children do not have the motor skills to brush their teeth properly, which is generally at the time when they can tie their own shoes. Therefore, assistance should be provided until your child acquires this skill. The primary teeth are of major importance to the child’s appearance, chewing ability, and eventual health of their permanent teeth.
Tooth decay is a progressive disease that often begins in very young children. Decay is the result of the interaction between bacteria that are normally on our teeth and sugars in the every day diet. The sugar content is converted to acid which causes tooth decay.
A pattern of decay can evolve from prolonged nursing. When the infant feeds actively, he/she swallows and the flow of the saliva cleans the teeth. Once the nutritional needs are met, the child continues to nurse and the sucking becomes passive. The liquid then clings to the teeth, instead of being swallowed. This is the same reason a child should not be given a bottle filled with milk or juice at bedtime. Almost any liquid except water contains sugar which can be converted to acid and leads to decay.
Preventing Dental Decay by Fluoride
Fluoride is documented to be safe and highly effective, by encouraging remineralization to strengthen weak areas of teeth. Fluoride occurs naturally in water and in many different foods, as well as in dental products such as toothpaste, and mouth rinses. At the dental office gels, varnishes and foams are applied to your child’s teeth after they have been thoroughly cleaned. Only small amounts of fluoride are necessary for maximum benefit.
Preventing Dental Decay by Sealants
Sealants protect the grooved and pitted surfaces of the teeth, especially the chewing surfaces of back teeth where most cavities in children are found. Made of clear or shaded resins, sealants are applied to the teeth to help keep them cavity-free. Sealants "seal out" food and plaque; consequently reducing the risk of decay. If your child has good oral hygiene and avoids biting hard objects, sealants will last many years if cared for properly.
Child with special needs
Many children have special needs. Some special needs children are more susceptible to tooth decay, gum disease or oral trauma. Others require medication or diet detrimental to their dental health. Still other children have physical difficulty with effective dental habits at home. The good news is, dental disease is preventable. If dental care is started early and followed conscientiously, every child can enjoy a healthy smile.
Your child will benefit from the preventive approach recommended for all children- effective brushing and flossing, moderate snacking, adequate fluoride. Home care takes just minutes a day and prevents needless dental problems. Regular professional cleanings and fluoride treatments are also very beneficial. Sealants can prevent tooth decay on the chewing surfaces of molars where four out of five cavities occur.
Pediatric dentists are prepared to treat children with special needs. They have two or more years of advanced training beyond dental school. Our pediatric dental office is designed to be physically accessible for special patients. When treating your child, Dr. Lieberman, Dr. Henry, Dr. Alenier or Dr. Siegler will always select a technique based on the specific health needs of your child, and then discuss that technique with you.
Thumb, Finger and Pacifier Habits
It is completely normal for babies and young children to suck on fingers, pacifiers, or other objects. It provides them with a sense of security. For young babies, it's a way to make contact with and learn about the world. In fact, babies begin to suck on their fingers or thumbs even before they are born. Thumb, finger and pacifier sucking all affect the teeth essentially the same way. However, a pacifier habit is often easier to break.
Most children stop sucking on thumbs, pacifiers or other objects on their own between two and four years of age. If they stop by this time, the risk of harm is minimal to their teeth or jaws. However, some children repeatedly suck on a finger, pacifier or other object over long periods of time. In these children, the upper front teeth may tip toward the lip or not come in properly.
We will carefully watch the way your child's teeth come in and jaws develop, keeping the sucking habit in mind at all times. For most children there is no reason to worry about a sucking habit until the permanent front teeth are ready to come in.
X-Ray Use and Safety
Since every child is unique, the need for dental X-ray films varies from child to child. Films are taken only after a complete review of your child's health, and only when they are likely to yield information that a visual exam cannot.
In general, children need X-rays more often than adults because their mouths grow and change rapidly. X-ray films are recommended only when necessary to protect your child's dental health. The frequency of X-ray films is determined by your child's individual needs. They are more susceptible to tooth decay than adults. X-ray films detect much more than cavities. For example, X-rays may be needed to survey erupting teeth, diagnose bone diseases, evaluate the results of an injury, or plan orthodontic treatment. X-rays allow dentists to diagnose and treat health conditions that cannot be detected during a clinical examination. If dental problems are found and treated early, dental care is more comfortable and affordable.
We are particularly careful to minimize the exposure of child patients to radiation. With contemporary safeguards, the amount of radiation received in a dental X-ray examination is extremely small. The risk is negligible. In fact, dental X-rays represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings are made from durable plastics called composite resins, similar in color and texture to natural teeth. The fillings are less noticeable, and much more attractive, than other types of fillings. Your child can smile, talk, and eat with confidence. In addition, tooth-colored fillings are compatible with dental sealants. A tooth can be filled and sealed at the same time to prevent further decay.
Your child should take care of their tooth-colored filling the same way they would take care of a silver filling: brush, floss, and visit your dentist. Any filling will last longer with good oral hygiene. Your pediatric dentist will regularly check the fillings for color change, leakage, or unusual wear and inform you of the need for repair or replacement.
Space Maintenance
A baby tooth usually stays in until a permanent tooth underneath pushes it out and takes its place. Unfortunately, some children lose a baby tooth too soon. A tooth might be knocked out accidentally or removed because of dental disease. When a tooth is lost too early, we may recommend a space maintainer to prevent future space loss and dental problems. If a baby tooth is lost too soon, the teeth beside it may tilt or drift into the empty space. Teeth in the other jaw may move up or down to fill the gap. When adjacent teeth shift into the empty space, they create a lack of space in the jaw for the permanent teeth. In this event, permanent teeth are crowded and come in crooked. If left untreated, the condition may require extensive orthodontic treatment. Space maintainers are appliances made of metal that are custom fit to your child's mouth and hold open the empty space left by a lost tooth. They are small and unobtrusive in appearance. Most children easily adjust to them after the first few days. Baby teeth save space for the permanent teeth and guide them into position. Remember: Some baby teeth are not replaced until a child is 12 or 14 years old.
Recommended Books
Open Wide! A Visit to the Dentist
The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist
