All YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FAMILY DENTALCARE -- page 2

Tooth-colored Composite Fillings

While silver amalgam fillings are extremely durable and serve well for a long time, their appearance leaves a lot to be desired. Tooth-colored resins are growing in popularity because they are natural looking and go unnoticed. This newer material works best only in smaller cavities which do not withstand heavy chewing pressures. Also this resin material usually lasts between three and five years before requiring touch-up or replacement due to wear or discoloration.

 

Tooth-colored resin can also be used cosmeticly to repair chipped front tooth or tooth that is cracked or discolored. It can be used to improve the appearance of misaligned teeth.

Your Child's First Dental Visit

Your child's first dental visit should be positive and enjoyable. You can help guarantee this by discussing dental care and dental visits with your child in a positive manner. Explain the importance of good dental hygiene and the role we play in safeguarding dental health. Be sure to bring attention to those times when you (or another family member) have a dental appointment. Let your child know that the first visit signifies an important step in growing up. Also, consider visiting the library in order to check out books aimed at acquainting youngsters with dental visits.

 

By laying the groundwork for a successful first visit, you'll be doing much to ensure that your young one will look forward to subsequent visits.

Nursing-bottle Syndrome

It's been a long, busy day and now it's time to put your baby to bed. She always gives in to the sandman so quickly, especially since you began giving her a bottle to fall asleep with. If it helps her sleep through the night, why not?

 

If this scenario is one you follow, here's a word of advice: Don't! Harmless as it may seem, this habit often leads to severe decay in baby's teeth. When a nursing bottle remains in her mouth for a long time, the milk or juice can "pool". This accumulation allows plaque acids to increase and leads to the formation of cavities. The same holds true during daytime hours when a bottle is left in your child's mouth for a few hours. (Plain water in the bottle does not cause this problem.) It is also a good idea to wean your baby from the bottle as soon as possible, at about one year of age.

Your Child's Primary Teeth

Because a childís primary teeth (milk teeth) are temporary, they are sometimes regards as unimportant in comparison to the child'í permanent teeth. Unfortunately, this line of thinking can lead to poor hygiene for the primary teeth which can lead to problems with the permanent dentition.

 

Premature loss of some of the first teeth can play a role in the development of a malocclusion. As a result of early tooth loss, the remaining teeth may drift and space, thus creating the possibility of a misalignment when the permanent teeth come in. Safeguarding your babyís dental health through good oral hygiene is important. Babyís dental hygiene should begin before his or her first teeth begin to erupt. An infantís gums harbor the same bacteria that can form on its teeth. Therefore, cleaning of the gums will provide a healthy oral environment for the first teeth. Simply rub a piece of gauze over your babyís gum pads after the breakfast meal and last meal of the day. Following the eruption of the first teeth, be sure to clean them in the same manner and continue to clean the gums. Also, introduce a toothbrush to your child before he or she can effectively use it. This will result in familiarity with it and facilitate the routine of brushing.

Your Child's Secondary Teeth

At about five years of age, the spaces between a child's front teeth will increase a bit due to the growth of the jaws. These additional spaces will allow room for the permanent (secondary) front teeth which are larger than the primary teeth.

Around the age of six or seven the first teeth start to be shed. Usually, the first to go are the ones which came in first: the lower central incisors. The two upper canines are among the last to be shed, sometimes as late as the age of twelve. Generally, the lower teeth are shed first, followed by the uppers.

 

A long held belief was that the primary teeth were pushed out by the incoming secondary teeth. Research has discovered that a certain group of cells known as "odontoclasts" is responsible for the loss of primary teeth. These special cells form around the root tips of primary teeth and dissolve the roots. When enough of the tooth's root is gone, most of its anchorage is lost and it is ready to be shed.

 

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