Wiggling Teeth, Do I need to Worry?

For parents, waiting for your child to start sprouting teeth can be an exciting time, especially as you start to see them break through your infant’s gums and begin to fill their mouth. This is why it’s unfortunate, however, to watch the reverse happen after so many years.

As your child gets older, they’ll start to lose their baby tooth. This is a sad realization and you’ll suddenly start to feel your child’s teeth start to wiggle. While many may find some panic in this, there are a few reasons to stay calm.

Baby Teeth Aren’t Permanent

If your child’s tooth is wiggling and it is still their baby teeth, know that this is normal! It’s a part of the process and a wiggling tooth just means it’s almost time for that tooth to go and the adult tooth to come in.

Take a Trip to the Dentist

Many people feel that a wiggling permanent tooth is a sign of a serious problem and requires a lot of dental work. This isn’t necessarily true. Always speak with your dentist to determine the next steps in how to make it better.

Avoid Hard Foods

Until you get to see the dentist, ensure that you are only eating soft foods that won’t cause your tooth to move excessively and eventually force it to fall out. Biting into hard foods can mean that tooth is coming out at that very moment.

If you have any questions about your child’s wiggling tooth, speak with our team at Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental. We’ll answer your questions and provide you with a plan to help improve your child’s overall oral health. We’re here for you from start to finish. Call today and schedule your appointment with our skilled and friendly pediatric dental team.

Do I need to Worry About Thumb Sucking?

Let’s face it, there are going to be plenty of things to be concerned about when it relates to our children and their health. Unfortunately, we have more control over some things than we do others. One of the things we probably wish we had more control over is thumb sucking.

For many kids, thumb sucking is all about comfort and keeping themselves in a comfortable place. However, not many parents are sure of how this action affects their child. First, know that it is perfectly acceptable for infants. There are some problems that can be presented.

Thumb Sucking After the Age of Five

Typically, the longer the habit continues, the more changes there will be in the mouth and the more potential problems may arise. According to the American Dental Association, as kids get older, the sucking motion will begin to build pressure and cause changes in the mouth.

For instance, there may be the opening of the child’s bite that keeps the upper front teeth from touching the bottom front teeth. This is because of skeletal changes caused by the pressure, realigning the secondary teeth. It’s best to stop the habit as quickly as possible.

How to Stop Thumb Sucking

There are numerous ways that you can encourage your child to stop the thumb sucking habit. Here are some of the top ways to help break the habit and allow your child’s bite to correct before they get too old.

· Give the child a pacifier — they’re easier to take away · Reward your child for quitting · Praise your child when they try to stop the thumb sucking · Speak with a dentist to get advice At Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental, we look forward to helping our patients as they pursue the smile they desire. Let us help you and your child. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

Can Kids get Tooth Decay?

Often times, we assume kids get cavities because they aren’t brushing well and are eating a lot of sweets. Sometimes it’s more than that and can actually be genetic! Below are some of the most common habits that can result in tooth decay in your child.

Sugary Foods

Foods with lots of sugar are extremely hard on the enamel of the tooth. If the bacteria builds, it can break through causing a cavity

Lack Of Brushing

Kids have a difficult time reaching the back areas of the mouth, which is where chewing takes place. As food builds up, bacteria grows, and plaque gathers leading to decay.

Bed With a Bottle

When putting your child to bed, it’s important to give them water instead of milk. Milk can sit in your child’s mouth and create bacteria growth.

Genetics

Sometimes, individuals teeth need to be taken care of more than others. Thin enamel and cavity sensitivity can run in your family. At the end of the day, roughly 4 million pre-schoolers suffer from tooth decay. Over the past decade, that’s an increase of more than 600,000 kids. This emphasizes the importance of ensuring children have good oral health habits and are working to protect their teeth as much as possible. Even if the lack of healthy teeth and gums stems from genetics, brushing and flossing is important to help improve the health of your child’s mouth as much as possible. At Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental, we can help with a check-up and analysis of your child’s oral health, provide cleanings, and work hard to ensure your child shines as bright as possible.

How Frequent Should My Child Brush

Teaching your child good dental hygiene can be difficult. Until they are older, it’s hard to understand why you should brush and floss your teeth. This is where you step in as the parent to help them understand the importance and how often they need to brush! At Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dentistry, we recommend your child brushes his/her teeth for two minutes or more per session at least twice a day. Over brushing can lead to enamel damage, so make sure they are not going at it for too long. Try some of these techniques to help your child get excited about oral health:

Toddlers

Kids loves to watch their parents and copy what they do. If you make it look fun, they will think it’s fun. Considering you are monitoring and assisting with this process, make sure to get the back teeth and gums to ensure healthy growth. Try a song to ease the process and bring the fun!

Adolescents

This is when kids want to start doing everything on their own. Try recommending a timer or a way for him/her to monitor their teeth brushing alone. Fun, colorful electric toothbrushes are also available!

Teenagers

By now, your child should have a pretty solid routine down. If you notice dental problems, come in for an evaluation. We can help with new techniques to reach difficult places, help bad breath, and check for cavities.

For more information on brushing teeth, contact us! 

When Should I Change My Child's Toothbrush?

Sterilizing your toothbrush routinely and changing it when it is necessary is crucial to practicing a good oral hygiene. Our children may not realize the harmful effects of poorly kept toothbrushes, so it is necessary for us parents to manage their hygiene equipment ourselves.

Know When to Change Toothbrushes

As parents, we must educate ourselves regarding professional dental recommendations for oral care and toothbrush replacement. According to the American Dental Association, a toothbrush’s maximum use should not extend beyond three months, i.e., it should be replaced every 3 months. However, this recommendation is mostly concerned with the toothbrush’s brushing quality reducing with time than the building up of bacteria in the toothbrush. Toothbrush bristles wear out over a period of 3 months, which reduces its strength to properly remove plaque from our teeth. With children, our concern shouldn’t only be about a toothbrush’s wear and tear but also about its proper cleaning over shorter periods of time. One of the reasons why children’s toothbrushes require replacement more often is because their brushing practice may be more rough and improper than ours, which can cause the toothbrush bristles to spout out. The quality of our brushing is, therefore, one of the main factors that determines the right time to replace our toothbrushes.

With children, bacteria and germs can collect on the head of their toothbrush, accumulating to harmful levels, due to an improper or a lack of cleaning. This can be prevented in the following ways:

- Rinse the toothbrush vehemently under the hot water after brushing.

- Store it in a position that is upright so that it easily dries out before being used again.

- Store toothbrushes at a distance from one another, so that they don’t come into contact.

- For meticulous germ protection soak toothbrushes in mouthwash or in a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide (using a 50:50 ratio of water and antiseptic).

- Sterilize the toothbrushes in boiling water.

- Ditch the toothbrush after the child has been sick with flu or any illnesses.

Essentially, bacteria can remain thriving in the bristles and can potentially re-infect children. If replacement isn’t possible at the time, we should make sure the toothbrush is thoroughly cleaned and sterilized before being used again. We should get into the habit of changing toothbrushes for everyone in the family several times. The frequency of changing depends on the factors discussed above, but a general recommendation for adults doesn’t extend beyond 3 months.

You can schedule routine dental checkups to ensure there isn’t any decay occurring in your children’s oral health. Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental is a pediatric care provider for children. We take pride in our highly trained and experienced services. Contact us today!

What's The Best Child Toothpaste?

In order for children to have good oral health, they must regularly visit the dentist. Choosing the right toothpaste is also important. Many companies try to reach parents by promoting their different features. With so many companies on the market, choosing the right toothpaste for their children can be a stressful experience for parents at times. Here is a look at the top children's toothpaste options available on the market.

Weleda Mint Children's Toothpaste

Founded in Switzerland during the 1920s, Weleda uses only natural and organic ingredients. The ingredients are often grown in different gardens, or they are purchased from biodynamic and organic farms. The ingredients help provide a soothing touch to the teeth and gums.

Colgate Children's 2 In 1 Toothpaste

Colgate provides popular flavors that children enjoy, such as strawberry and watermelon. Colgate uses a liquid gel formula, and provides multiple benefits as a toothpaste as well as a mouthwash that helps prevent children from getting cavities. In addition to the toothpaste, Colgate normally provides a toothbrush, which creates an appealing package for families.

Tom's Of Maine

Tom's of Maine is an anticavity toothpaste that helps defend against acids and bacteria. Children are enamored with the taste, as Tom's of Maine contains real fruit juice. Tom's of Maine does not use any dyes or preservatives.

Crest Pro Health

Crest Pro Health provides cavity protection as children start to develop their permanent teeth. Crest Pro Health also uses a mild gel formula to defend against cavities. Crest Pro Health also strengthens enamel, and comes with a timer app so that children are brushing for the appropriate amount of minutes.

AloeDent

AloeDent uses aloe vera to help soothe the gums and tea tree oil to help fight bacteria. The silica helps children develop naturally strong, white teeth.

Green People

Green People uses organic products to make their toothpaste. The ingredients help create a nice taste that will appeal to children. Green People regularly test their toothpaste to make sure that it's safe.

Aquafresh

Aquafresh has a mild flavor that helps children strengthen their teeth. Any damaged teeth are cleaned, and Aquafresh has fluoride to ensure that children will not develop cavities.

For more information about the top toothpaste options currently available for children, contact Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental.

Why Primary Teeth Are Important

Primary teeth play a number of roles, thus they affect many major developments in a child’s life. Primary teeth, also known as baby teeth, are necessary for the purpose of proper chewing, and eating. They help in the proper development of jawbones and muscles. In addition, they serve as space holders for permanent teeth – this is crucial for the proper alignment of permanent teeth. Crooked or crowded teeth can make it difficult for some children to smile properly, therefore, maintaining proper oral hygiene in toddlers is very important.

Anatomy of Baby Teeth

Not many parents are aware of the fact that a good dental hygiene is necessary for children because a baby’s 20 primary teeth are present within the gums at birth. It is normal for tooth eruption (teething process) to begin as early as 3 months of age. However, there’s a misconception held by many people that primary teeth aren’t as important as permanent teeth since they’re bound to fall out soon. This is an erroneous belief because primary teeth act as guides for the adult teeth to erupt into right places. Not only do they ensure proper alignment by holding space for the mature teeth but they also allow children to smile comfortably.

When baby teeth are lost through tooth decay or any other health issue due to a poor hygiene, there are chances that adult teeth will come in crooked or appear very misaligned. When a baby tooth is lost prematurely, the permanent teeth can move or drift into the empty space, affecting the teeth arrangement of the incoming teeth. This is why we must make sure we work on our children’s oral health from infancy.

It’s crucial for us to monitor the health of our children. You can learn more about how to adequately provide a proper dental hygiene to your children by contacting the professionals at Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental. Schedule an appointment with our highly-trained, board-certified care providers today!