PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, OR CHILD DENTIST...
dentist for kids
(To clarify, a pediatric dentist is a dentist for kids)
WHEN DOES MY CHILD NEED TO GO TO THE DENTIST?
Some say “as soon as they get teeth!” Parents may wonder why, since it's not likely that much can be done on a 6 month old baby; but it is more for the parents. This can be very informative and can go a long way to preventing problems in the future. Remember, while your child may not have many teeth now, they are developing, so what you do now can impact your child's future dental health.
DOES MY CHILD NEED TO SEE A SPECIALIST (PEDIATRIC DENTIST)??
Some general dentists are VERY GOOD with children. Some are not. It is usually at the discretion of the general dentist to refer the child or treat personally. Many factors come into play, such as the age and maturity of the child, the amount of work needed, and the general dentist’s own comfort level. Some 3 year olds are FINE seeing general dentists, some 12 year olds ARE NOT. It really depends.
NURSING/BABY BOTTLE CARIES:
Do NOT let your child go to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice in his/her mouth. This is like soaking your child's teeth in sugar, and your child will get a mouth full of cavities. Water however is ok.
BRUSHING AND FLOSSING:
You should BRUSH your child’s teeth AS SOON as they appear, and should FLOSS your child’s teeth AS SOON as they contact each other.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to brush and floss your child's teeth until s/he has the manual coordiation to do so him or herself. This may not happen until about age 7 or later, so please do not tell your 4 year old to "go brush your teeth!", because they are not going to be able to do a good enough job at that age.
FLUORIDE SUPPLEMENTS:
Fluoride has been shown in many studies to reduce the incidence of cavities in teeth. It is very helpful both when teeth are developing and after they have erupted into the mouth. It gets incorporated into the enamel during tooth development to help strengthen the tooth, and has a topical effect after eruption.
Fluoride is present in many water systems in the ideal amount, so if your drinking water is fluoridated, you likely do not need to take additional fluoride supplements. But if you do not have fluoride in your drinking water or drink only bottled water, you should consult your dentist about if your child needs to take fluoride supplements.
All children go through a phase called the mixed dentition phase. This is when they are LOSING their primary teeth, and their permanent teeth are ERUPTING. The first permanent tooth comes in around age 6, and they are all usually in by around age 12-13 (except for the wisdom teeth, which come in around age 18). During this mixed dentition phase, there WILL BE a lot of crowding, and your child’s teeth WILL LOOK FUNNY. In some instances it will correct itself through GROWTH, in some instances
ORTHODONTICS
will be needed to correct the alignment.
Below is an approximate table of when the permanent teeth should erupt. This is just a guide and there is a normal variation of a couple of years, therefore, one should not be alarmed if your child does not follow this table exactly. Whether a child is ahead or behind schedule is not an indication of mental or other development.
APPROXIMATE ERUPTION PATTERN
AGE
TOOTH
6
1st Molar
7
Central Incisor
8
Lateral Incisor
9
Canine
10
1st Premolar*
11
2nd Premolar*
12
2nd Molar
18
3rd Molar**
*- These teeth come in underneath the PRIMARY molars
**- WISDOM TEETH
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IN GENERAL, you do NOT need to see your dentist to ask if your child’s teeth will eventually STRAIGHTEN out, because your dentist IS NOT sure, anymore than your favorite PSYCHIC FRIEND is.
SPACE MAINTAINERS: If a child loses a primary tooth prematurely, it is often recommended to place a SPACE MAINTAINTER in order to allow the succeeding permanent tooth to have room to erupt. These are cemented into the mouth, and are removed when the permanent tooth starts to erupt.
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Unless your child’s teeth are going to be on the cover of a magazine, PLEASE DO NOT ask your dentist to BLEACH your child’s teeth!
The teeth may lighten up as they mature, so at least wait until your child has stopped growing before considering it. Also, all children look a little bit awkward when they are going through that mixed dentition phase, so please be patient.
Usually yes to both. If it is on a primary tooth, the tooth will fall out eventually. The problem is, by leaving a decayed tooth in the child’s mouth, the cavity causing BACTERIA are allowed to stay in the mouth as well! Thus, increasing the chance of getting CAVITIES on the PERMANENT teeth. On the other hand, if the primary tooth is FLAPPING IN THE BREEZE, often times you can ask if it is beneficial to EXTRACT it rather than fill it.
SPEAKING OF TEETH FALLING OUT…
Children often come in complaining about DISCOMFORT WHEN THEY CHEW. The most common ages are around 9-11. If your child is complaining about DISCOMFORT when they CHEW, before you go rushing off to your dentist, LOOK at the tooth.
IS IT LOOSE?
Or is there a BIG HOLE in it??
If it is VERY LOOSE, there is a good chance it is causing the DISCOMFORT because of it moving back and forth on the gum. The child has 2 options… PULL IT out him/herself, or let the DENTIST do it (they usually opt for the first option!) BTW… if there IS A BIG HOLE in the tooth, you DEFINITELY should see the dentist!!
PULPOTOMIES are like root canals for children. Instead of removing the nerve, the nerve is “mummified”, but it serves the same purpose. REMOVE the pain, and allow FUNCTION again. Often times after a tooth has had a pulpotomy, it will need a stainless steel crown. In children, the pulpotomy and crown are placed at the same appointment, unlike in an adult (where the root canal and crown will take several appointments).
After baby teeth have had pulpotomies, they normally will need stainless steel crowns (SSCs). Unlike crowns on permanent teeth which are made at a lab, these are prefabricated crowns that are cemented onto the tooth in one visit.
These are also used when a tooth has substantial tooth structure missing due to decay, fracture, or other cause.
These are silver in color, but for the front teeth, they also make ones that are tooth colored; but not all dentists have/use them.
dentist for kids, childs dentist, kids dentist, pediatric dentist
dentist for kids, childs dentist, kids dentist, pediatric dentist
dentist for kids, childs dentist, kids dentist, pediatric dentist
