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Preventative Dentistry

Preventive dentistry begins with the first tooth, which typically erupts just before your child’s first birthday. This is the time you should schedule your child's initial visit with us. We will teach you how to protect your child's dental health by providing a personalized program of brushing and flossing, thoroughly examining your child to detect any potential problem areas, diet counseling, and if necessary, fluoride recommendations. This will help ensure your child grows up as part of the cavity free generation. Remember, the earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental disease in your child.

Preventative Dentistry Includes:
• Hygiene visits
• Evaluation of Oral and Dental development
• Brushing and flossing instructions
• Fluoride applications

Q. How does fluoride work?

When the element fluoride is used in small amounts on a routine basis it helps to prevent tooth decay. It encourages "remineralization," a strengthening of weak areas on the teeth. These spots are the beginning of cavity formation. Fluoride occurs naturally in water and in many different foods, as well as in dental products such as toothpaste, mouth rinses, gels, varnish and supplements. Fluoride is effective at preventing decay when combined with a healthy diet and good oral hygiene.

Q. Will my child need fluoride supplements?

Children between the ages of six months and 16 years may require fluoride supplements. The pediatric dentist considers many different factors before recommending a fluoride supplement. Your child's age, risk of developing dental decay and the different liquids your child drinks are important considerations. Bottled, filtered and well waters vary in their fluoride amount, we will take everything into account to make sure your child is receiving the proper amount.

Q. What type of toothpaste should my child use?

The type of toothpaste your child uses depends on a few factors. For children under three years old, we will evaluate your child's decay risk, diet and home care before the correct recommendation can be made. Children older than three, who can consistently spit out their toothpaste should use toothpaste with fluoride and the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance. Careful supervision and only a small pea-sized amount on the brush are recommended. If not monitored, children may easily swallow over four times the recommended daily amount of fluoride in toothpaste.

Q. How safe is fluoride?

Fluoride is documented to be safe and highly effective. Research indicates water fluoridation, the most cost effective method, has decreased the decay rate by over 50 percent in communities that have implemented its use. Only small amounts of fluoride are necessary for the maximum benefit. Proper toothpaste amount must be supervised, and other forms of fluoride supplementations must be carefully monitored in order to prevent a potential overdose and unsightly spots on the developing permanent teeth. Do not leave toothpaste tubes where young children can reach them. The flavors that help encourage them to brush may also encourage them to eat toothpaste.

Q. What is topical fluoride?

Topical fluoride comes in a number of different forms. Gels and pastes are applied at our office after your child's teeth have been thoroughly cleaned. Fluoride varnish is one of the newer forms of topical fluoride applied at our office. It has been documented to be safe and effective to fight dental decay through a long history of use in Europe. • The advantages of varnish are: • Easily and quickly applied to the teeth. • Decreases the potential amount of fluoride digested. • Continues to "soak" fluoride into the enamel for approximately 24 hours after the original application. • This method is especially useful in young patients with signs of decay that are non-cooperative for care. The Varnish can help strengthen teeth and slow the rate of decay. • Children who benefit the most from fluoride are those at highest risk for dental decay. Risk factors include a history of decay, high sucrose carbohydrate diet, orthodontic appliances and certain medical conditions such as dry mouth.

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Oral habit evaluation, cessation and correction
 

Q. What are Oral Habits?

• As a pediatric dentist, we are trained to observe and look for any "oral" habits that may be occurring with your child, and to suggest any steps necessary to prevent the oral habit from causing any long term ill effects with your child's dental health or development. • What are "oral" habits? When we speak of oral habits, we are typically speaking of any thumb, finger, or pacifier habits that may be causing unwanted effects to the normal growth and development due to sucking or biting habits of the child. This type of sucking is completely normal for babies and young children. Babies begin to suck on thumbs and fingers before they are born. It provides security for them. • Most children stop sucking on thumbs, pacifiers, or fingers on their own close to the time of their third birthday. However, some children continue these habits much longer, and this is where problems can occur. • Habits can be responsible for a number of problems. Thumb and finger habits can cause an anterior open bite, facial movement of the upper incisors, lingual movement of the lower incisors, and constriction of the maxillary arch. • Lip sucking and lip biting can procline the maxillary incisors, retrocline the mandibular incisors and increase the amount of overjet. • Tongue thrusting and mouth-breathing may also play a part in the creation of a malocclusion. An anterior open bite is the most common dental problem associated with these anomalies. • As pediatric dentists, we observe these habits in children, and stand ready to make recommendations should we feel the child is displaying these habits for too long a period of time. The recommendations we make will be based on the maturity of your child, as well as the severity of the habit and what else is going on in your child's life (just starting preschool, potty training…etc.)

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Parental involvement in home care
Children need their parent’s help to keep their teeth clean. In the youngest children, parents will need to do everything for the child (brush twice daily and floss). Children have been shown not to have the necessary dexterity to brush their own teeth until they are about six years old. A good dexterity rule of thumb is that if your child can tie his/her own shoes, they are ready to start brushing their own teeth with your supervision. Most children will want to brush their own teeth far before this milestone is reached. You can allow them to brush first, but a parent must “touch-up” the brushing before the child’s teeth can be considered clean. Flossing is even more difficult for a child to do on their own. Even with the help of floss holders, we feel a child should have their teeth flossed by an adult until they are about eight or nine years old. Again, a dexterity rule of thumb is that when a child has mastered cursive writing, they have the dexterity necessary to floss their teeth well.

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Proper Diet
A proper diet is equally important to your child’s dental health as proper hygiene and visiting the dentist. The most important thing to remember is that it is not how much sugar or carbohydrates your child consumes, but how long those substances are in your child’s mouth. Therefore, sticky sweet substances, or long term sucking on sugary or sweet liquids, are most likely to cause decay.

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Sealants
• We feel strongly about prevention of tooth decay. Tooth decay is the most widespread disease among children, but also the most preventable. One of the methods we employ as an inhibitor of tooth decay is a "sealant". A sealant is a plastic-like material which is painted on the tooth surface and cured with a special light.

• Because the back teeth have depressions (pits) and grooves (fissures) on their chewing surfaces, which tend to trap food, they can be difficult or impossible to clean and can eventually develop decay. Studies have shown the roughly 85% of decay, in people with low cavity rates, occurs on the chewing surfaces of their teeth. Sealants fill in these grooves and prevent this decay. Usually, sealants are applied on permanent molars as soon as possible after eruption.

• As you can see from the following diagram, the sealant forms a coating or barrier to protect the tooth from bacteria and bits of food. By protecting the depressions and grooves with a coating of sealant, we can dramatically reduce the risk of decay for children and teens.

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The following will answer many of your questions about tooth decay and the use of sealants.

How do sealants work?

Q. What causes decay?

• Germs(bacteria) in the mouth change the sugar in food to acid. The acid can eat a cavity in the tooth. The decay has to be cleaned out by drilling and then the tooth has to be filled. Of course a healthy tooth is the best tooth. So it is important to prevent decay. That's why sealants are so important. • Even if your child brushes and flosses carefully, it is difficult - sometimes impossible - to clean the tiny grooves and pits on certain teeth. Food and bacteria build up in these depressions, placing you child in danger of tooth decay. Sealants "seal out" food and plaque, reducing the risk of decay.

Q. How long do sealants last?

Research shows that sealants can last for many years. So, your child will be protected throughout their most cavity prone years. If your child has good oral hygiene and avoids biting hard objects, sealants will last longer. Your pediatric dentist can easily replace or repair a lost or damaged sealant.

Q. What is the treatment like?

The application of a sealant is quick and comfortable. It takes only one visit. We condition and dry the tooth, apply the sealant, then light cure it to harden it instantly.

Q. How much does it cost?

The treatment is very affordable, especially in view of the valuable decay protection it offers your child. Sealants may be covered by your dental insurance.

Q. Which teeth should be sealed?

The natural flow of saliva usually keeps the smooth surfaces of teeth clean but does not wash out the grooves and fissures. So, the teeth most at risk of decay—and therefore most in need of sealants - are the six-year and twelve-year molars. In specific cases, the permanent premolars and primary molars will also benefit from sealant coverage. Talk to your pediatric dentist, as each child’s situation is unique.

Q. If my child has sealants, are brushing and flossing still important?

Absolutely! Sealants are only one step in the plan to keep your child cavity-free for a lifetime. Brushing, flossing and regular dental visits are still essential to a bright, healthy smile.

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Sports Safety
The proper protective equipment is vital in preventing sports and
recreation related injuries. A large percentage of the traumas we
see are children falling off of bikes and “razor” scooters without
helmets on. This is of course not only a risk to your child’s teeth,
but to their overall health as well.

Q: What are athletic mouth protectors?

Athletic mouth protectors, or mouth guards, are made of soft plastic. They are adapted to fit comfortably to the shape of the upper teeth.

Q: Why are mouth guards important

They protect not just the teeth, but the lips, cheeks, and tongue. They help protect children from such head and neck injuries as concussions and jaw fractures. Increasingly, organized sports are requiring mouth guards to prevent injury to their athletes. Research shows that most oral injuries occur when athletes are not wearing mouth protection.

Q: When should my child wear a mouth guard?

Whenever he or she is in an activity with a risk of falls or of head contact with other players or equipment. This includes football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, skateboarding, even gymnastics. We usually think of football and hockey as the most dangerous to the teeth, but nearly half of sports- related mouth injuries occur in basketball and baseball.

Q: How do I choose a mouth guard for my child?

Any mouth guard works better than no mouth guard. So, choose a mouth guard that your child can wear comfortably. If a mouth guard feels bulky or interferes with speech, it will be left in the locker room. You can select from several options in mouth guards. First, preformed or "boil-to-fit" mouth guards are found in sports stores. Different types and brands vary in terms of comfort, protection, and cost. Second, customized mouth guards are provided through your pediatric dentist. They cost a bit more, but are more comfortable and more effective in preventing injuries. Your pediatric dentist can advise you on what type of mouth guard is best for your child.

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