As a new parent, you want to do everything you can to provide your baby with a happy and healthy future. One thing many parents of infants feel uncertain about is how to care for your child’s newly emerging teeth. Your baby’s oral health requires care and dedication, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult or tedious. Once you understand the basics, you can provide better care and catch developing issues quickly, making things better for you and your baby.

How Much Do Baby Teeth Matter?

Baby teeth may be temporary, but they establish a template for your child’s future oral health development. Taking care of your baby’s dental health begins in the womb. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry officially advises all pregnant women to receive consistent cleanings and exams during their pregnancy to prevent against periodontal diseases such as gingivitis which can increase the risk of premature birth and low birth weight.  

Good dental care for mom shouldn’t end once your baby is born, either — moms with poor oral health who are breastfeeding risk transferring harmful bacteria to their babies. Mothers need to be extra diligent about their teeth and gums by following these simple guidelines.

• Avoid sharing eating utensils, drinking cups, or food
• Brush twice a day, and floss at least once a day  
• Use a good mouthwash  
• Use a sugar-free chewing gum  
• Use a fluoride toothpaste  
• Eat a healthy diet with less sugar  
• Keep up with your regular dental cleanings and  

Establish a Healthy Relationship with the Dentist Early On

The American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend establishing a family dentist for your child sometime during their first year. Preventive dental care and regular checkups lower the risk of developing dental problems when they are older, plus they get used to the routine and have better oral health habits. 

Try to make your child’s first visit to the dentist a positive and enjoyable experience. If your child can understand what is going on, explain everything you can, so they understand what’s going on reduce the chances of developing dental anxiety.

Be careful about the words you use when talking about the dentist, and try avoiding words like “scary,” “needle,” “drill,” “pain,” “hurt,” or other words that your child will associate with negative emotions. It’s important to create positive memories and associations early on in your child’s life.

Pediatric dental offices treat a lot of small children and infants, and so they understand how important a good first impression is for young children. They establish trusting relationships with their young patients and provide education and encouragement. 

When Does Teething Usually Start?

Dental development is different for each child. Some babies are very late teethers, and others are very early. You can usually expect the front teeth to appear first at some point between the ages of 6 to 8 months.

What You Should Know About Nighttime Bottle Feeding

One of the biggest causes of cavities in infants is the use of a baby bottle with sugary drinks when putting them down to sleep. Fruit juice and other sweetened drinks are well-known promoters of tooth decay, but even milk (including breast milk) contains enough sugar to allow the development of excess bacteria and cavities. Use an empty bottle or pacifier, rather than milk or some other sweetened drink.

How to Clean Your Baby’s Teeth at Home

Use a damp washcloth or pad of gauze to carefully remove plaque from the baby’s gums and teeth after feeding. This is usually done by sitting down with the baby’s head in your lap or with the baby lying comfortably on a secure, flat surface. Make sure that you can see into your baby’s mouth to remove all of the plaque.

Are Sippy Cups Safe?

After the bottle, they will transition to a sippy cup until they’re ready to drink from normal cups. Keep in mind that a sippy cup is only a temporary training tool and not a long-term solution. Sippy cups should be discontinued by the time your child reaches their first birthday. What goes in the sippy cup is what’s important. If you give your child sugary liquids throughout the day, coating the mouth with a sticky, syrupy substance, which provides a rich breeding ground for the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease. Instead, take the time to transition your child to drink water as often as possible. Offer milk and juice as an occasional treat given in small amounts

Overall, good dental health is essential at any age. By paying close attention to your child’s oral health and setting a good example with your dental care, you’ll ensure you and your baby can share healthy smiles and laughs for years to come.

Laser dentistry is a fairly new dental field that offers more comfortable treatment options for many dental procedures. LASER stands for “light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation” and uses a narrow-focused beam of light energy. Lasers make many treatments less invasive, more efficient, and more economical. Issues that are treatable with laser dentistry include:

• Cavity detection
• Fillings and other restoration prep
• Tooth sensitivity
• Teeth Whitening
• Canker sores and cold sores
• Removing infected gum tissue
• Excising a benign (non-cancerous) oral tumor
• Sleep apnea-related throat tissue removal to fix breathing or snoring issues
• Nerve regeneration
• Treating tongue frenulum attachment

Dentists use lasers in myriad different procedures that take place on the inside of the mouth, whether to eliminate some slightly excessive gum tissue, to reshape gums, or to brighten teeth that have become yellowed or stained by food, drink, or tobacco habits.

In some cases, laser dentistry can be helpful for kids who get anxious or scared when having dental procedures completed. Lasers are not loud like a traditional drill, and they promote blood clotting, which can minimize bleeding and speed up healing.

Types of Lasers

There are different types of lasers, each of which interacts with the tissue in the mouth differently. For this reason, dentists must use a couple of different types of laser beams to perform a laser dentistry procedure. Laser beams operate at different wavelengths, and these wavelengths affect the gum tissue in different ways. The two main categories are soft tissue lasers and hard tissue lasers. By changing the wavelengths of light used, dentists can be very precise with treatment.

Soft Tissue Lasers

Soft tissue lasers are designed to be absorbed by hemoglobin (blood cells) and water. The gums are filled with blood, which contains a lot of hemoglobin molecules. This makes soft tissue laser beams the tool of choice for operations where the gums are involved rather than the teeth or bones. A nice side benefit of this type of laser is that when they cut through a blood vessel, they also seal it up right away to prevent bleeding or infection.

Hard Tissue Lasers

Hard tissue lasers are used when a dentist is working with the teeth rather than with the gums. These lasers are optimized to slice through bone or more specifically through the calcium phosphate that is the main ingredient in bones and teeth.

Regardless of which type of laser dentistry procedure you are thinking of having performed, you can expect less pain, reduced risk of infection, and faster recovery times from this advancement in dental procedure technology. Be sure to ask your dentist about laser dentistry options the next time you have an exam or cleaning. 

Gum disease is a common problem that can occur very gradually. Aging, brushing too hard, genetics, and any lapse in hygiene habits can get the ball rolling in the wrong direction. It starts with oral bacteria that feed on particles of carbohydrate-rich foods left behind after a meal. The bacteria metabolize carbohydrates and produce plaque acids, which they deposit on the surface of teeth. The top layer of bacteria and the plaque responds to brushing, but the overlooked plaque can harden into tartar in just a few days.

The tartar, along with the presence of bacteria, irritates the gums and causes inflammation, also known as gingivitis. The gums look red and swollen and may bleed when brushing the teeth. Without proper treatment, gingivitis can advance to a stage called periodontal disease, or periodontitis. As the disease advances, it damages gum tissue and starts to damage the jaw bone underlying the teeth.  

Can Gums Grow Back?

Unfortunately, gum tissue does not regenerate like other types of tissues, like skin cells, for example. This fact makes it even more important to prevent gum disease early and treat it aggressively when you do have problems. Start by making an appointment with your dentist so you can get an accurate and complete diagnosis.

If you have receding gums that have pulled away from the tooth, it will create small spaces where bacteria can collect and grow. Without treatment, the condition will get worse and can eventually lead to bone and tooth loss.

The first treatment most dentists will recommend will be a professional cleaning called scaling and root planing. This is an aggressive cleaning to remove plaque and tartar build up using specialized tools or an ultrasonic device. Removing these bacteria can slow down or even stop the gums from receding. Antibacterial gel placed under the gumline and prescription mouthwash can also help keep harmful bacteria from coming back and doing more damage. When the tooth surfaces and roots have been cleaned and treated, gum tissue can re-attach to stabilize and encourage better gum health.

How to Make Your Gums Healthier

• Thoroughly brush your teeth at least twice a day
• Use an electric toothbrush
• Floss daily
• Scrape your tongue when brushing
• Massage your gums
• Use mouthwash and toothpaste with fluoride
• Try natural remedies like oil pulling and drinking green tea

For More Serious Periodontal Issues

Stopping the spread of disease is so important that more invasive treatments are recommended to get out ahead of the problem. Surgery can definitively remove bacteria deep under the gums, and grafting procedures can replace missing tissue.

Flap surgery is used to lift up and surgically remove plaque that unreachable with scaling and root planning, then secured back in place to prevent more gum loss. Gum grafting uses tissue from another part of the mouth and transplants it to the deeply receded areas. Bonding is the application of tooth-colored resin placed over the roots. All of these procedures can protect your teeth and bone from further damage and improve the appearance of your smile.

Maintain Your Oral Health

Gum disease is a common condition that needs your diligent attention. You wouldn’t keep driving your car around with a flat tire because eventually, you won’t be going anywhere. Paying attention to your gums can keep your body functioning better and keep you smiling with confidence, which will keep you safely on the road to optimal oral health!

Pacifier use and thumb sucking are heavily ingrained in our culture, and in most cultures around the world throughout history. As a result, most of us don’t think much about it. However, a lot of people have recently started taking a closer look at this common practice and wondered just how healthy it actually is.

Is that pacifier your baby loves so much setting them up for dental problems down the line? Find out everything you need to know about this innocent – or perhaps not-so-innocent – nurturing habit.

Pacifiers and Thumb-sucking are Healthy, But Only to a Point

All babies tend to have a natural thumb sucking reflex, and it has been shown that even unborn babies have been known to suck their thumb in the womb, visible on an ultrasound. Because thumb sucking is a naturally-occurring phenomenon, most experts agree that at least some thumb sucking is completely harmless and is nothing to worry about.

Pacifiers do seem to help keep babies happy and quiet, but there is some chance that pacifier use, especially beyond the age of two, could affect your baby’s dental growth. Here’s what some experts have to say about the potential pitfalls of pacifier use in infants beyond the age of two.

Why You Should Wean Your Toddler Off that Pacifier

Whether or not your baby’s pacifier use affects their tooth growth will depend largely on whether or not they stop by the age of two. Although a younger infant can easily use a pacifier or suck their thumb without any issues, an older infant or toddler could inadvertently alter their dental formation by overusing this comforting habit.

Sucking on a pacifier or thumb for too long can result in an overbite, misaligned teeth, and other issues.

Malocclusion of the Teeth

Malocclusion refers to the misalignment of a baby’s teeth as they grow in. This problem that can occur when a toddler is still sucking their thumb and regularly using a pacifier through their preschool years. The teeth and jawbone are trained to grow around an object that is held in the mouth regularly and frequently. This can cause a posterior crossbite (where the back molars don’t meet correctly) or an anterior open bite as a result.

An anterior open bite is also known as a negative overbite. This is an obvious gap in between the lower and upper teeth that occurs while the jaw is closed. The rear molars touch when the jaw is closed, but the front incisors will not touch.

If you have this problem, it’s possible you may have used a pacifier or sucked your thumb for too long as a toddler, something you may wish to prevent your child from developing. This can affect your child’s smile and could even lead to speech impediments in severe cases if not abated.

Sugar or Bacteria Contamination on Teeth and Gums

Some parents may be tempted to dip their baby’s pacifiers in honey, syrup, sugar, or other sweet substances to help the baby accept the pacifier. However, this coats the baby’s teeth with sugar and provides food for acid-forming bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Other parents may stick the baby’s pacifier in their own mouth in order to clean it. This introduces the bacteria in your own mouth to the baby’s mouth, which is potentially harmful. For this reason, it’s best to clean the baby’s pacifier with water instead.

How Can You Protect Your Child’s Healthy Dental Development?

In an ideal world, thumb-sucking and pacifier use could be easily capped at a certain age. However, it is quite likely your child will do one or both for some time, which makes it wise to have a strategy for dealing with this circumstance.

Consider the following tips regarding your baby’s thumb-sucking and pacifier use:

• Plan to end thumb-sucking and pacifier use by the time your child turns two.
• Only allow your child to use a pacifier at bedtime.
• Clean the pacifier your baby uses with warm soapy water.
• Do not dip your child’s pacifier in anything sweet.

What Makes Baby Teeth So Important?

A great deal of development and growth happens during the early years, and this growth has the potential to last for many years and influence adulthood. By paying attention to your child’s pacifier use and thumb-sucking behavior, you can help to ensure your child has a healthy smile for years to come.

If your child is under two years old, don’t worry. Pacifier use and thumb-sucking aren’t inherently bad, and can even help reduce the risk of SIDS and help them sleep. Just try and wean them off of the pacifier by their second birthday to ensure their teeth are able to grow in smoothly and properly.

While visiting the dentist to have a cavity properly treated is effective, there are a few additional steps you can take to help slow the growth of cavities to prevent them from becoming deep or painful. A cavity that is left without proper treatment can get worse and eventually grow deeper into the tooth, reach the nerve and causing great pain and even more significant damage. These remedies can help to provide some relief and support your oral health.

Oil of Oregano to Stop Decay

Some people have achieved good results by using Oil of Oregano as a natural antiseptic to prevent tooth decay. A study in 2008 discovered that one of the naturally occurring compounds found in Oregano had strong antimicrobial properties. You can brush with Oil of Oregano daily to help slow the growth of cavities and prevent further tooth decay from forming.

Establish a Healthy pH Level with Xylitol

Xylitol is a natural sweetener which can help to prevent the spread of bacteria and prevent tooth decay. For these reasons, it is often used as an ingredient in toothpaste. Xylitol is derived from plant fibers and can break down sugar to keep the pH levels in your mouth neutral. It also helps to stop bacteria in the mouth from emitting the acid that causes tooth decay and cavities, while also making it more difficult for these bacteria to stick to the teeth, gums, and other areas inside the mouth.

Clove Oil for Pain Relief and Prevention

Cloves are an established natural remedy to treat toothache. Use a cotton swab to apply one or two drops of the oil directly on the spot of the tooth cavity and allow it to soak in. Clove oil has been used often before the modern advances of dental methods to treat both the pain of a cavity and to restore enamel. The oil produces a numbing effect to combat pain and can help your tooth retain minerals. You can apply it every two to three hours as needed or add a few drops to a teaspoon of coconut oil and swirl it around in your mouth.

Neem Bark to Fight Infection

You can brush with Neem sticks or chew on the leaves or seeds to destroy cavity-causing bacteria. The powerful oil in this plant has a long history as a remedy for oral infections, tooth decay, and for preventing bleeding and sore gums. All over India Neem twigs are used as chewing sticks to reduce oral bacteria and naturally clean and whiten teeth and even fight bad breath.

Green Tea as a Natural Fluoride Treatment

Drinking (unsweetened, or at least sugar-free) Green Tea daily can help to eliminate harmful bacteria buildup in your mouth. Green Tea contains a decent amount of naturally occurring fluorine which acts as a decay preventative. You can even use Green Tea to gargle or swish with it to use it as a mouthwash. Just be sure not to replace your actual mouthwash with Green Tea, and only use it as a supplemental mouthwash in addition to your primary mouthwash.

Keep Teeth Healthy with Licorice Root

Chewing on licorice root can help slow tooth decay. Licorice Root is a natural antimicrobial which inhibits the bacteria that cause cavities to form and grow. Keep in mind that Licorice Root is not the same as Licorice candy! Rather, this is the actual root of the herb itself from which the candy is flavored. You can often find Chinese licorice root at your local health food store combined with other ingredients to enhance its toxicity fighting properties, treat tooth decay, and gum disease.

Diet Changes to Reduce Bacteria

In addition to remedies, general dietary changes can also help to slow the advance of tooth decay. If you are regularly consuming sweet, sugary snacks and sweetened drinks such as fruit juices or sodas, you are helping the tooth decay to spread by feeding the harmful bacteria. Consider reducing your consumption of sugary snacks and beverages and use a straw when you do consume things like soda and fruit juice, so the sticky sugars bypass your teeth. It is a good idea to brush and floss immediately afterward, perhaps followed up by a good antibacterial mouthwash. The idea here is to prevent sugar residue from remaining in your mouth and feeding the bacteria, which will allow them to multiply and spread.

Nothing Beats Good Dental Hygiene Habits

All of the above are remedies can help to treat a problem which has already developed, but the best defense is a good offense. Proper dental hygiene habits, including daily brushing and flossing and regular dental checkups, are the best ways to prevent problems from starting.

Make sure to brush at least twice each day, floss carefully, and use a good mouthwash product regularly. Ideally, you should brush and floss each day before bed and after getting up in the morning, as well as after each meal. Use a mouthwash at least two times per day to help slow the development of tooth decay.

Tooth decay is easily one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the U.S. Using all the remedies at your disposal will help you maintain optimal oral health and a confident smile you will want to share.

Most orthodontic treatment starts in the teen years when all permanent teeth have come in, and the results are more predictable. However, some young children need early intervention or Phase One treatment. This evaluation doesn’t necessarily mean orthodontics are needed right away. However, monitoring growth patterns can indicate the best opportunity to start treatment to get the best results. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that your child has an initial screening at the age of seven, with formal orthodontics beginning around age nine.

What Causes Orthodontic Problems?

Some cases may be a matter of genetics or inherited orthodontic issues such as crowded teeth, excessive spacing, bad bites, or protruding teeth. Other cases may be due to injury, early or late loss of baby teeth, or habits like thumb sucking.

Evaluating the Need for Early Treatment

Some issues are easy to diagnose, and some developmental issues can correct themselves as children grow into their preteen years. It is important to have a professional determine if your child’s oral development is on track or if they need intervention. Some of the issues a dentist may evaluate include:

• Difficulty chewing or biting
• Thumb sucking after age five
• Mouth breathing
• Speech impediments
• Early or late loss of baby teeth  
• Protruding teeth
• Shifting of the jaw when opening or closing (cross-bite)
• Crowded front teeth  

What is Phase One Treatment?

The goal of early treatment is to help your child’s jaw to develop correctly, so there is plenty of room for their permanent. Partial braces, palatal expansion, space maintainers, or retainers can all be used to create more space and improve bone growth. These early intervention methods can help eliminate the need for corrective surgery later on and make regular orthodontic procedures shorter and more effective.  

Phase one treatment typically lasts about 10-14 months. Once it is complete, your child will be fitted with a retainer to keep everything in place until it is time to move on to phase two, then the next phase will begin around age 11 or older, after all, permanent teeth have erupted.

Phase Two Orthodontic Treatment

Once most of your child’s permanent teeth have erupted (around age 11 or older), phase two can begin. Most cases that require phase one treatment will also require a phase two. The second phase usually requires full braces or clear aligners and can begin once the 12-year molars are close to erupting. The braces or aligners will need to be carefully monitored for about 18-24 months. After this treatment is complete, a retainer will still need to be worn every night to prevent teeth from moving back to their original position.

Simplify Orthodontics with Early Intervention

Orthodontics, like most other dental and medical services are best used as a preventive measure. Beginning orthodontic treatment early can prevent the development of problems for your child in later years and can stave off costly restorative and reconstructive procedures.

Early treatment may not apply to all orthodontic problems, but it can help in certain cases. Braces have improved dramatically over the past couple of decades, making them more comfortable and more effective. With proper planning, a child who has early orthodontics may enjoy better self-confidence, optimal tooth and bite function, improved tooth and jaw alignment, and more stable results.

A healthy, uniform smile is a noticeable asset in many ways. It leaves memorable impressions, is easier to take care of, and, when paired with a diligent oral health routine, can function properly for many years to come. Even so, having naturally straight teeth is a common rarity.

Since first introduced over 20 years ago, Clear Aligners® clear braces have been a favored alternative to traditional orthodontic treatment. For many years, Clear Aligners was designed to address mild to moderate bite and misalignment issues. Treatment with Clear Aligners is ever-evolving to address numerous orthodontic issues, ranging from minor to complex.

Continue reading to discover how this approach to straightening your smile can benefit you!

 

Correcting Different Orthodontic Conditions with Different Types of Clear Aligners

Clear Aligners 17® – This option is particularly ideal for small cosmetic improvements.  Clear Aligners 17 is often offered to address minor relapse cases.

Clear Aligners Lite® – This treatment is typically recommended for Class 1 cases, where the bite is considered normal and the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth. Treatment with Clear Aligners  Lite may need up to 14 aligners total to complete.

Clear Aligners Full® – Often the most favored form of Clear Aligners treatment, this option is used for most smile types and has the highest degree of flexibility regarding the treatment process.

Clear Aligners Teen ®- A form of clear aligner treatment designed to address the orthodontic needs of young teens, adolescents, and young adults.

 

What Sets Clear Aligners Apart from Traditional Orthodontics

Conventional braces use metal brackets that are permanently affixed to the surfaces of teeth for anywhere from one to three years.  This system is not removable until the desired alignment is achieved. Metal archwires and rubber bands guide the jaw and teeth into proper position with pressure. Although traditional braces are reliable, they are not discreet.

With Clear Aligners, treatment consists of a series of virtually invisible plastic trays, each designed to fit your evolving smile perfectly while correcting mild to more complex orthodontic issues. Clear Aligners’s treatment gently shifts teeth into ideal positioning, discreetly straightening your smile as you change your aligner trays every two weeks.

Because your clear braces are removable, you have many benefits. Eating and drinking can be enjoyed in full as no dietary restrictions are required. Natural appearances go unaltered, allowing you to look and feel your best for an important upcoming event.

At Newport Beach Dental Center, we offer many forms of Clear Aligners treatment to correct the orthodontic needs of your smile. Contact our team today to schedule your Clear Aligners consultation!