“Should You Pull Those Baby Teeth?”

Posted by drgracesun on July 8, 2009 under Children | Be the First to Comment

It’s hard to associate troublesome cavities with adorable babies, but babies are far more vulnerable to dental disease than adults are due to the softer and thinner enamel on baby teeth (deciduous dentition). Baby bottle syndrome and poor cleaning habits are common factors that often lead to cavities in your child’s brand new teeth – the real question is since baby teeth are supposed to fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth, is it necessary to go through lots of work and spend money maintaining those deciduous teeth?

Baby teeth can easily become compromised by bacteria lingering in a young child’s mouth – and if not treated quickly, can decay away in matter of weeks. In many cases, the poor child not only suffers from toothaches, but during the first dental visit an unpleasant memory association of the dentist’s office can develop subconsciously. If your dental professional notes that a severely decayed baby tooth needs a root canal (followed with baby tooth crown ), don’t panic – this routine procedure is vital if the tooth is fully compromised! In this situation, the frustrations, the lengthy processes and the expenses might lead to the thinking “why bother with all the work, why not just pull the unhealthy baby teeth?” If the infected baby tooth is left untreated, not only will it lead to a unhappy child, it can also affect the permanent tooth lying below the unhealthy baby tooth.

By the time your child reaches age 2, he or she should have 20 deciduous teeth, as permanent teeth start to grow in around age 5 1/2 to 6. The lower front baby teeth are the first to exfoliate, replaced by permanent teeth. At the same time, permanent molars also emerge behind the baby molars. This process continues as baby teeth fall out, visits are paid from the tooth fairy and new teeth erupt through the gum, a memory in every child! The last set of baby teeth eventually exfoliate around age 12, to be replaced by permanent bicuspids. Even if your child’s baby teeth are not be in the best condition, they serve an important role in addition to chewing and speech function – baby teeth maintain necessary space in the jaw bone for permanent teeth to grow in.

If a child looses a baby tooth too early, the jaw bone misses out on functional stimulation by not holding up by the baby tooth. The consecutive permanent tooth will be affected and will not develop nor align properly. It is for this reason that baby teeth cannot be simply pulled in the event of a cavity . If a baby tooth is lost early, placing a space maintainer will hold the jaw dimension at its original measure, ensuring the proper development of permanent teeth. Take proper care in maintaining baby teeth – they may be short lived, but the effect and influence of deciduous teeth are life long and shouldn’t be overlooked.

“New Mother and Baby Teeth!”

Posted by drgracesun on May 17, 2009 under Healthy Smile, Information | Be the First to Comment

It’s a privilege to be a mother – just ask Angelina Jolie! The joys of being a new mother also come with lots of new responsibilities. We must learn about how to care for our babies properly – besides love and cuddling! Safety, nutrition, physical and intellectual development and dental care are often overlooked. Even two of my nephews had suffered from rotten baby teeth (from baby bottle syndrome)!

Once the exciting jouney of pregnancy begins, your doctor will start you on prenatal vitamins. Essentially, these supplements help curb any vitamin or mineral deficiencies you may have as to properly foster the development of your fetus. Folic acid, calcium and iron are among the most important contents of these vitamins, and they are important in building your child’s first set of teeth! Although an infant’s teeth don’t start emerging until the age of approximately 5-6 months, proper development of those teeth are necessary from womb development so that when the teeth do emerge, they are strong and healthy!

Once your child’s primary teeth have begun to emerge, it is important to take good care of them. Clean new baby teeth with a damp wash cloth to wipe them free of food after feeding, and have the child drink some water to further wash down the mouth. Not only do primary teeth help a child eat and speak, but they hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth to develop.

As previously mentioned, it is extremely important to prevent baby bottle syndrome – rotten baby teeth which occurs when the baby falls sleep with a bottle of milk or juice in his or her mouth. Fermentable liquids can pool around a child’s teeth, leading to acidity and bacteria buildup in the mouth which can rot baby teeth quickly. These teeth are too soft to resist erosion and tooth decay. Once the decay process stars, it can soon progress to the pulp tissues and your poor baby would suffer from toothaches and infections – it might even affect the tooth buds of permanent teeth. So, once your child’s teeth emerge into the mouth, do not let your baby fall asleep with a bottle in its mouth (unless it is only water)!

Finally, it is great idea to start good oral hygiene and diet habits early!  Never ever give your baby soda or soft drinks! The sugar and acid content in these drinks will erode your child’s teeth and start bad habits that can be difficult to break. Also try to avoid sugary carbohydrates and candies! Once there are several baby teeth present, wiping teeth with a damp cloth should be replaced with actual brushing with a soft-bristled brush. By the time your child is potty trained, it’s about time to start learning about brushing their teeth.  Allowing your child to brush their own teeth holding a child friendly toothbrush (while you direct the handle) is a great way to start good oral hygiene habits! It will be parent’s responsibility to assist in brushing of the teeth until they enter elementary school, which is when they should have the maturity and manual dexterity to handle it themselves. If you rely on a nanny or caretaker, make sure to instill this information to them.

Regarding further information on dental home care, please refer to our other postings or submit your questions, I will address your specific issue or ask your dental professional!

“How Do Teeth Grow?”

Posted by drgracesun on February 1, 2009 under Information, Smart Smile | Be the First to Comment

Sure, we develop two sets of teeth (baby and permanent) over the course of our lives, and they are made of enamel and dentin . But what do you really know about tooth development?

Tooth development is a complex process by which form from embryonic cells, grow and emerge into the mouth. The key to a healthy oral environment in which teeth can thrive, enamel, dentin, cementum and periodontium must all develop properly at the right time during fetal development. Baby (primary) teeth begin to develop at the 6 – 8 week mark in the womb. Adult (permanent) teeth develop at the 20 week mark in the womb. Formation of tissues within the branchial arch is the process that actually initiates tooth development. During pregnancy, proper prenatal care is essential for the future smile of the young life.

There are four stages your teeth develop into before becoming fully fledged teeth. The first stage, the bud stage, is characterized by the appearance of a tooth bud with no clear cell arrangement. This stage occurs when the fetus is approximately 6 weeks old. The second stage, the cap stage, is when cell arrangement becomes evident. Extracellular substances are produced resulting in an aggregation of these cells, as the tooth bud takes on the appearance of a cap, and becomes the enamel (dental organ). This is also the stage when supporting structures of the tooth are developed. The third stage, the bell stage, is characterized by a bell-shaped dental organ. The bulk of the tooth’s biological development and maturation take place during this stage. The final stage, the crown stage, is when tissues (like enamel and dentin) are hardened and important cellular changes occur, including adding new material to the outer developing surface of the  tooth. Dentin formation, called dentinogenesis, is the first discernable sign of the crown stage, and occurs before enamel can be formed. Enamel formation, called amelogenesis, occurs after dentinogenesis. Environmental influences (like if the child suffers from fever, or is taking tetracycline antibiotics) can cause discoloration of permanent teeth.

Tooth eruption, which occurs between 6 months and two years of age, is the process of tooth development when teeth break the gum layer and become visible. Primary teeth stay in the mouth until around 6 years of age, at which point they are gradually replaced by permanent teeth. The first set of permanent teeth come in behind the twenty primary teeth at age 6. Sealant can be placed on to these teeth to prevent tooth decay. The last primary teeth will exfoliate around age 12 to be replaced by second bicuspids. This is called the mixed stage, when both primary and permanent teeth are present. Orthodontic treatment can be performed at the mixed stage; the most common age to receive braces is between 9 and 12.

The 3rd molars erupt around age 16 to 18. This is the stage when people are supposed to be wiser, so they are called wisdom teeth! Due to evolution, only one out of every 25 people have a jaw size that can accommodate all 32 teeth, so most of us need to have our wisdom teeth removed (lest problems be created with crowding or crooked teeth, which can lead to tooth decay and gum problems). Most of us have 28 teeth; with proper care, all 28 teeth can be kept throughout our life!

If you end up missing one or more permanent teeth, proper restorations should be made to assure the adequate support of your facialmuscular system to maintain its health. Such restorations will also help to prevent oral conditions from deteriorating due to shifting or tilted teeth (causing difficulty in maintaining healthy oral conditions). There are options for missing tooth problems; be sure to consult with your dental professional!