JUNIOR SMILES 

The ages between 5 and 12 are a very active period in a child’s mouth.    Baby teeth are being lost, adult teeth are erupting, hygiene practices are being established, evaluation of a child’s bite and choices related to the need for braces are being made.

Regular dental checkups are essential in order to give timely guidance to your child and make recommendations and decisions for parents.  At Children’s Dentistry our goal is to be an active partner and resource as you navigate through this exciting and sometimes challenging time in your child’s oral development.

MIXED DENTITION

The mixed dentition stage is the time in a child’s life when both baby teeth and adult teeth are in the mouth.  It is a transition period involving tooth loss and eruption, one of the busiest and most interesting times in a child’s oral development.    

SHARK TEETH

During the mixed dentition stage a frequent "emergency" is when a parent notices an adult tooth erupting in behind a baby tooth. This double row of teeth is most commonly seen in the lower anterior area. It can looks strange and often causes parents concern. While not really a technical emergency, it needs to be addressed.

In the normal course of events, the permanent tooth slowly dissolves the root of the primary tooth as it comes in up underneath. Eventually, there is not much root left, and the baby tooth gets loose and falls out. The permanent tooth then comes in where the baby tooth used to be.

There are several reasons why a child may have “shark teeth”.  One is crowding.  If your child’s teeth are crowded, then the permanent tooth may not come in exactly under the baby tooth. However, even in cases where there is lots of space, the new tooth may not be able to resorb the baby tooth root fast enough. The adult tooth then takes the path of least resistance, which is to come in behind the baby tooth.

The good news is the permanent tooth will tend to move forward into the correct position on it's own IF there is nothing in the way and there is enough room – meaning the baby tooth is out.   Parents often hold out hope the baby tooth will fall out on it's own. Some children are very aggressive in wiggling their teeth and that is great! Some just let them hang there, which is not so great.  This can create a nice plaque trap which leads to red and irritated gum tissue and potential cavities on the newly erupting adult tooth.

In these cases where the retained baby tooth just won’t come out, it may be best to have the tooth removed.   With the baby tooth out, the new adult tooth will slowly move forward. This may take a few weeks or months.  The tongue is a strong muscle and with the pressure it applies you may be surprised how quickly the adult teeth move into a better position!

JUNIOR BRUSHING

Brushing at this stage of life poses a challenge.  Children appear to be very capable of brushing independently.  They want to do it, so why not let them?  Actually it is ok to do so with one stipulation – parents do a follow up check.  At age six most children have ample dexterity to start developing responsibility for his or her own oral hygiene.  However, most children don’t have the skills to do a thorough job without parent involvement.  During regular checkups we find that often children miss the hard to reach back areas adjacent to the teeth.  A once a day follow-up brush by mom or dad is a good investment in cavity prevention!  Download a copy of our fun and colorful brushing chart to help motivate your child.  As an added incentive, drop by or mail the completed chart and your child will be entered into our quarterly gift certificate giveaway!

BEST TOOTH BRUSH FOR KIDS

We are often asked for “the best” toothbrush recommendation.  I have only one toothbrush that I strongly believe will make a difference in the oral health of your child and that is the Sonicare toothbrush.  Sonicare For Kids is specifically designed to help parents teach their child (ages 4-10) to brush, then to help them transition their child to independent brushing. Click here to see our Sonicare For Kids video.

Parents often ask if the “spin” type brushes that are available in the stores at a lower price will do the same thing.  The answer is NO. The carefully researched and patented sonic combination of approximately 31,000 brush strokes per minute and the specific reach of the brush head as it sweeps back and forth are what create Sonicare’s unique “beyond the bristles” cleaning action. Most power toothbrushes have either a different stroke frequency or bristle amplitude and do not have the same powerful, yet remarkably gentle fluid activity as the Sonicare.

When children come into our practice 99% of the time we are able to identify by simply looking at their gum tissue and overall dental health whether or not they are Sonicare users.  That is a powerful message and solidified for Dr Cara as a mother and a dentist that the Sonicare toothbrush IS the best in her opinion. Click on the link to read more about this product. Compliance for Kids Brushing:

http://www.sonicare.com/professional/dp/pdf/Compliance_SFK_2009_Defenbaugh.pdf

Preventing Dental Emergencies with Mouth Guards

The best way to prevent a dental emergency is to properly protect your child.  Children who are engaged in sports need to wear mouth guards!   

We recommend mouth guards for all children who participate in organized and recreational sports. A properly fitting mouth guard will help prevent broken teeth, knocked out teeth, and injuries to the lip, tongue, face and jaw. A properly fitting mouth guard will stay in place when your child wears it, making it easy to talk and breathe while wearing the mouth protector. Many statistics are presented to the public related to sports-related injuries. One of these statistics is that 5 million teeth will be knocked out of U.S. Youth while they play sports. These teeth can be either primary baby or adult teeth. The most commonly affected age range is 8 to 12 years of age.

When you come in to our office please ask about custom mouth guards as well as store bought mouth protectors.  Also, download our business card sized emergency tooth card (english) (spanish) to keep in your wallet.  You never know when it will come in handy!

BRACES

Malocclusions (bad bites) often become noticeable between the ages of 6 and 12, as the child's permanent (adult) teeth erupt. Children may experience crowding of teeth, too much space between teeth, protruding teeth, extra or missing teeth and sometimes jaw growth problems. Other malocclusions are acquired — such as those caused by thumb or finger-sucking, mouth breathing, dental disease, abnormal swallowing, poor dental hygiene, the early or late loss of baby teeth — and develop over time.

Orthodontic treatment often begins between the ages of 7 and 14. Treatment that begins while a child is growing, often referred to as “interceptive orthodontics,” helps produce optimal results. To achieve optimal treatment, children should have an orthodontic evaluation no later than age 7. By then, they have a mix of primary (baby) teeth and permanent (adult) teeth. Dr Cara is trained to spot problems with emerging teeth and jaw growth early on, while the primary teeth are present. That's why regular dental examinations are important.