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What happens during a routine dental checkup?
During a dental
visit, the dental assistant or hygienist will first review your child’s
medical history with you. This is to ensure that Dr. Keels, Dr. Neal, and
our staff is updated on the general health of your child so that we may
review any factors that may concern your child’s
dental health. Then your child’s mouth will be examined for overall
oral health and then his/her teeth will be cleaned to remove plaque, which
can lead to cavities and gum disease. After the cleaning, fluoride will
be applied to the teeth to help protect and strengthen the weak areas against
decay.
How often should my child get her teeth cleaned?
For a healthy
child, the AAPD recommends a visit to the pediatric dentist at least every
six months to evaluate his/her oral health and development. However, if
your child has certain special needs or is more predisposed to dental caries,
the dentist may recommend more frequent visits so that no problems will
be left untreated for too long.
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What does fluoride do?
Cavities form when there is a weakening
in the mineral composition of the enamel of your teeth. Fluoride promotes
the remineralization of these weak spots, therefore helping prevent cavities.
Where can I find fluoride?
Fluoride occurs naturally in
water. While city water is fluoridated to a specific standard level, well
water may have varying levels of fluoride. Therefore, Dr. Keels or Dr.
Neal may have your well water tested to see the level of fluoride present.
Fluoride can also be found in many dental products such as toothpaste,
mouth rinses, gels, foams, special bottled water, and other supplements.
How do I know how much fluoride my child needs? Are there
disadvantages to having too much fluoride?
Dr. Keels or Dr. Neal will monitor
the development of your child’s
teeth in order to prescribe the specific amount of fluoride that your child
may need. In general, there is an acute balance between too little and
too much fluoride. Fluoride is like sodium in the body, because too much
is not good for you and too little is not good for you. Too little fluoride
leaves your child’s teeth vulnerable to decay; while too much fluoride
may damage developing teeth in your child leading to fluorosis. Fluorosis
affects developing teeth by causing white spots to form on permanent teeth.
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What are cavities?
Tooth decay is a progressive disease
that can start as soon as your child’s
teeth come in! Bacteria that normally live in the mouth react with sugars
from foods and drinks to create acid that slowly eats away at the enamel
of your child’s teeth and can also damage sensitive gum tissue. With
the loss of enamel, weak points in the teeth form. These weak areas become
cavities– which left alone can lead to nerve damage or the necessary
early extraction of your child’s tooth.
What can be done about cavities?
As soon as a cavity is
identified, your pediatric dentist can repair the tooth using tooth-colored
fillings. If the cavity is too deep, a stainless steel crown or extraction
of the tooth may be needed. Effective brushing and flossing, the proper
use of fluoride, and a balanced diet can help minimize the amount of decay
to help your child have a happy, cavity-free smile!
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Why does my child need x-rays?
The AAPD recommends x-ray
examinations every six months for children with a high risk of cavities.
Often x-rays can show weaknesses in the tooth structure (such as demineralization)
that may not be visible with the naked eye. Children need x-rays more
often than adults to stay current with developments in their teeth, since
children grow and develop at a much more rapid rate.
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What are sealants?
The naturally occurring pits and grooves
on the chewing surfaces of teeth can often collect plaque. These grooves
may be smaller than the width of a toothbrush bristle! While being so small,
these cracks provide ample room for bacteria to grow rampant and are common
areas for cavities to form. Sealants are applied to these surfaces to help
prevent tooth decay.
How long do sealants last?
On average, sealants last for
three years with the proper maintenance. At every dental check-up, the
dentist will check that the sealants are intact. In order to prolong the
life of your child’s sealants, avoid
crunching and chewing on ice and hard candy (i.e. Jolly Ranchers, Lifesavers,
etc.) or any similar foods.
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What are tooth colored fillings?
Tooth-colored fillings
are matched to the tint of your child’s
natural white in front or back teeth where cosmetics are important. Fillings
are used to repair decay and areas of fracture in the teeth.
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What are stainless steel crowns and when are they used?
In the case that decay has been left untreated, teeth may have extensive
damage to the enamel as well as to the nerve. In such cases, tooth-colored
fillings are not a viable option, and stainless steel crowns are fitted
onto the baby teeth to prevent further damage until these teeth are naturally
lost. It is recommended to avoid sticky candies (i.e. Skittles, Jelly Beans,
etc.) as repeated chewing on these candies may loosen the cement that holds
the crown on the tooth.
What are the different types of stainless steel crowns?
There are two different crowns: all silver crowns and crowns with a white
veneer. The crowns with the white veneer are used in the front teeth where
esthetics may be important. The white veneer is delicate and fragile, and
may fracture easily. Therefore, chewing on toys and hard candy should be
avoided to prevent chipping of the white veneer. The all silver crowns
are used on the back molars.
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What is a pulpotomy and why would my child need
one?
Many caries may be so deep that they extend to the nerve,
so the infected part of the nerve must be removed. The remaining healthy
nerve will be left intact and medicated. The purpose of the pulpotomy
is to extend the life of the baby tooth to avoid extraction of the tooth
and a space maintainer until the eruption of the permanent tooth.
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When do teeth need to be extracted?
Primary teeth are essential
in maintaining the correct spacing in your child’s jaw for the permanent
teeth. Therefore, extractions are done only as a last resort in the case
of tooth decay. In other cases, extractions may be necessary in orthodontic
care to help in the correction of crooked teeth.
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What is a space maintainer?
After a tooth is extracted,
a space maintainer is used to help prevent teeth from either side of the
extracted tooth from drifting into the space and causing a crooked smile.
The space maintainer will be removed from your child’s mouth once
his/her permanent tooth replacing the extracted tooth comes in.
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Tips on these topics and more are available on the AAPD Website:
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