At Mt Airy Children’s Dental Associates, we pride ourselves on patient education. Our office welcomes you to ask questions about your child’s oral health when you visit. We also aim to provide resources online about common pediatric concerns. Here, we will cover dental topics and questions about the pediatric dentistry services we provide to the public in Mt. Airy, MD.
Why are the Primary Teeth Important?
It is very important to maintain the health of the primary teeth. Neglected cavities can and frequently do lead to problems that affect the development of permanent teeth. Primary teeth or baby teeth are important for (1) proper chewing and eating, (2) providing space for the permanent teeth and guiding them into the correct position, and (3) permitting normal development of the jaw bones and muscles.
Primary teeth also affect speech development and add to an attractive appearance. While the front four teeth last until 6-7 years of age, the back teeth (cuspids and molars) aren’t replaced until age 10-13.
Eruption of Your Child’s Teeth
Children’s teeth begin forming before birth. Around 6 months, the first primary (or baby) teeth to erupt through the gums are the lower central incisors, followed closely by the upper central incisors. Although all 20 primary teeth usually appear by age 3, the pace and order of their eruption vary.
Permanent teeth appear around age 6, starting with the first molars and lower central incisors. This process continues until approximately age 21.
Adults have 28 permanent teeth or up to 32, including the third molars (or wisdom teeth). Please click on the timeline below to see the teeth erupt and to learn more.
How Safe are Dental X-Rays?
Radiographs (X-Rays) are a vital and necessary part of your child’s dental diagnostic process. Without them, certain dental conditions can and will be missed.
Radiographs detect much more than cavities. For example, radiographs may be needed to survey erupting teeth, diagnose bone diseases, evaluate the results of an injury, or plan orthodontic treatment. Radiographs allow dentists to diagnose and treat health conditions that cannot be detected during a clinical examination. If dental problems are found and treated early, dental care is more comfortable for your child and more affordable for you.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends radiographs and examinations every six months for children with a high risk of tooth decay. On average, most pediatric dentists request radiographs approximately once a year. Approximately every 3 years, obtaining a complete set of radiographs is a good idea, either a panoramic and bitewings or periapical and bitewings.
Our pediatric dentists are particularly careful to minimize their patients’ exposure to radiation. With contemporary safeguards, the amount of radiation received in a dental X-ray examination is extremely small. The risk is negligible since we use only digital radiography, which reduces radiation levels.
Dental radiographs represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem. Lead body aprons and shields will protect your child. Today’s equipment filters out unnecessary x-rays and restricts the X-ray beam to the area of interest. High-speed film and proper shielding ensure that your child receives minimal radiation exposure.
What’s the Best Toothpaste for My Child?
Tooth brushing is one of the most important tasks for good oral health. However, many kinds of toothpaste and/or tooth polishes can damage young smiles. They contain harsh abrasives, which can wear away young tooth enamel. When looking for a toothpaste for your child, pick one recommended by the American Dental Association, as shown on the box and tube. These kinds of toothpaste have undergone testing to ensure they are safe to use.
Remember, children should spit out toothpaste after brushing to avoid ingesting too much fluoride. If they ingest too much fluoride, a condition known as fluorosis can occur. If your child is too young or unable to spit out toothpaste, consider providing them with fluoride-free toothpaste, using no toothpaste, or using only a “pea-size” amount of toothpaste.
Does Your Child Grind His Teeth at Night? (Bruxism)
Parents are often concerned about the nocturnal grinding of teeth (bruxism). Often, the first indication is the noise created by the child grinding on their teeth during sleep. Or, the parent may notice wear (teeth getting shorter) to the dentition. One theory as to the cause involves a psychological component.
Stress due to a new environment, divorce, changes at school, etc., can influence a child to grind their teeth. Another theory relates to pressure in the inner ear at night. If pressure changes (like in an airplane during take-off and landing, when people are chewing gum, etc., to equalize pressure), the child will grind by moving his jaw to relieve this pressure.
The majority of cases of pediatric bruxism do not require any treatment. If excessive wear of the teeth (attrition) is present, then a mouth guard (night guard) may be indicated. The negatives to a mouth guard are the possibility of choking if the appliance becomes dislodged during sleep, and it may interfere with the growth of the jaws. The positive effect is obvious in preventing wear to the primary dentition.
The good news is that most children outgrow bruxism. The grinding decreases between the ages of 6 and 9, and children tend to stop between ages 9 and 12. If you suspect bruxism, discuss it with your pediatrician or pediatric dentist.
Can Thumb Sucking be Harmful to My Child’s Teeth?
Sucking is a natural reflex, and infants and young children may use thumbs, fingers, pacifiers, and other objects on which to suck. It may make them feel secure and happy or provide a sense of security during difficult periods. Since thumb sucking is relaxing, it may induce sleep.
Thumb sucking that persists beyond the eruption of the permanent teeth can cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and tooth alignment. How intensely a child sucks on fingers or thumbs will determine whether or not dental problems may result. Children who rest their thumbs passively in their mouths are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs.
Children should cease thumb-sucking when their permanent front teeth are ready to erupt. Usually, children stop between the ages of two and four. Peer pressure causes many school-aged children to stop. Pacifiers are no substitute for thumb-sucking. They can affect the teeth essentially the same way as sucking fingers and thumbs.
However, pacifier use can be controlled and modified more easily than the thumb or finger habit. If you have concerns about thumb sucking or the use of a pacifier, consult your pediatric dentist.
Here are a few suggestions to help your child get through thumb-sucking:
- Instead of scolding children for thumb-sucking, praise them when they are not.
- Children often suck their thumbs when feeling insecure. Focus on correcting the cause of anxiety instead of thumb-sucking.
- Children who are sucking for comfort will feel less of a need when their parents provide comfort.
- Reward children when they refrain from sucking during difficult periods, such as when they’re separate from their parents.
- Your pediatric dentist can encourage children to stop sucking and explain what could happen if they continue.
- If these approaches don’t work, remind the children of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night. Your pediatric dentist may recommend the use of a mouth appliance.
What is Pulp Therapy?
The pulp is a tooth’s inner, central core. It contains nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue, and reparative cells. Pulp therapy in Pediatric Dentistry maintains the vitality of the affected tooth (so the tooth is not lost).
Dental caries (cavities) and traumatic injury are the main reasons teeth require pulp therapy. Pulp therapy is often referred to as a “nerve treatment,” “children’s root canal,” “pulpectomy,” or “pulpotomy.” The two common forms of pulp therapy in children’s teeth are pulpotomy and pulpectomy.
A pulpotomy removes the diseased pulp tissue within the crown portion of the tooth. Next, we place an agent to prevent bacterial growth and calm the remaining nerve tissue. Then, we place a final restoration (usually a stainless steel crown).
A child requires a pulpectomy when infection impacts the entire pulp (into the tooth’s root canal(s)). We completely remove the diseased pulp tissue from the crown and root during this treatment. We cleanse, disinfect, and fill the tooth with a resorbable material in the case of primary teeth. Then, we place a final restoration.
What is the Best Time for Orthodontic Treatment?
Developing malocclusions, or bad bites, can be recognized as early as 2-3 years of age. Early steps can often reduce the need for major orthodontic treatment at a later age.
Stage I – Early Treatment: This treatment period encompasses ages 2 to 6 years. At this young age, we are concerned with underdeveloped dental arches, the premature loss of primary teeth, and harmful habits such as finger or thumb sucking. Treatment initiated in this stage of development is often very successful, and many times, though not always, can eliminate the need for future orthodontic/orthopedic treatment.
Stage II – Mixed Dentition: This period covers the ages of 6 to 12, with the eruption of the permanent incisor (front) teeth and 6-year molars. Treatment concerns deal with jaw mal-relationships and dental realignment problems. This is an excellent stage to start treatment when indicated, as your child’s hard and soft tissues are usually very responsive to orthodontic or orthopedic forces.
Stage III – Adolescent Dentition: This stage deals with the permanent teeth and the development of the final bite relationship.
Why Does My Child Have Adult Teeth Coming in Behind Baby Teeth?
This is a very common occurrence with children, usually because a lower, primary (baby) tooth does not fall out when the permanent tooth is coming in. In most cases, if the child starts wiggling the baby tooth, it usually falls out within two months. If it doesn’t, contact your pediatric dentist, who can easily remove the tooth. The permanent tooth should then slide into the proper place.