Year Round Tips for Healthy Smiles

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National Children’s Dental Health Month is coming to a close, but it’s not too late to save your children’s teeth - or your own! Establishing an oral health routine is not only important now, but for your child’s teeth year round.

So while this month was dedicated to raising awareness, continue to use the below tips to reduce your child’s risk of tooth decay:

• Limit between-meal snacks, should your child want something offer them nutritious options
• Purchase sugarless gum! Chewing sugarless gum after eating can increase saliva flow and help wash out food and decay-producing acid
• Monitor beverage consumption, offer your child water rather than soft drinks
• Encourage your children to brush and floss twice a day
• Schedule regular dental visits with us!

If you’re looking for a pediatric dentist on Long Island - look no further! We have offices in Massapequa Park, Nesconset, and West Islip with board certified pediatric dentists and orthodontists, and we provide laser dentistry, sedation dentistry, plus we also treat special needs patients.

Give us a call and visit us today!
Nesconset Office - 631.360.7337
Massapequa Park Office - 516.798.1111
West Islip Office - 631.661.7337

Shark Teeth!

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

Have you noticed your child’s permanent teeth erupting behind the baby teeth? Don’t worry - this actually isn’t abnormal! Ectopic eruption, or shark teeth, can happen at any time, but are most common during two periods in a child’s development: around age 6 when the lower front teeth come in and around age 11 when the upper back molars appear.

So what do you do once these shark teeth appear? Well, if the baby teeth are extremely loose to begin with - you can let nature take its course and allow them to fall out shortly there after. Otherwise, it’s important to remove the teeth so the permanent teeth can move into the right spot. Delaying removal of the baby teeth can create a loss of jaw space and create orthodontic (braces) problems in the future.

Don't be worried about your child having gaps in their teeth for long. It’s amazing how quickly the permanent teeth will start moving into the proper spot immediately after the obstacle has been removed. Added natural pressure from the tongue will guide the new teeth into the right position within a few weeks!

So don't worry too much if you notice these shark teeth popping up. Be sure to keep an eye on your child or schedule an appointment with us to address any concerns. 

Won’t They Fall Out Anyway?

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Many people neglect to realize that a child’s oral health can affect their overall health. There is a large misconception that cavities in primary (baby) teeth don’t need to be treated since they eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent (adult) teeth. But did you know, when a child has cavities they are actually more susceptible to infections in other parts of their bodies?

It has been noted that kids with cavities are prone to infections of the ears and sinuses as well. Overall, having unhealthy primary teeth unleashes a whole slew of possible problems for your child:

• Due to dental discomfort children have reported trouble sleeping and poor school performance due to the inability to concentrate.
• Tooth decay can cause difficulty chewing and in turn can lead to a decreased appetite.  Being that children are constantly growing they need a good appetite for both physical and mental growth.
• If the cavity becomes large and the tooth is deemed un-restorable, it may need to be extracted or removed, thus increasing the chance of speech articulation difficulties. Missing teeth can also lead to low self-esteem or social ostracism.
• When a baby tooth has a significant infection it is possible that the permanent tooth erupts out of proper position.  When this occurs there is an increased risk of gum disease and an increase chance that the child will need orthodontics (braces).

One of the reasons we are seeing an increase in dental decay is that children are not seeing the dentist early enough.  Baby teeth can develop decay from the very moment they erupt into the mouth at about 6 months old.  That is why the first exam is recommended by 12 months of age.  We hope you now realize just how important infant oral health is, and how crucial the age 1 dental visit is. 

Help your child start positive oral health from their very first tooth.  Call us to schedule your appointment 631-360-PEDS (7337)!

 

The State of Little Teeth

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As you know, at Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental and Orthodontics, we make it our business to remain up to date and knowledgeable about the current technology, research and pertinent information in pediatric dentistry. For instance, the AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) has recently released their yearly report “The State of Little Teeth” in time for National Children's Dental Health Month, discussing the challenges facing the oral health of our children - and what we can do about them.

We'd like to share some of the important facts and findings discussed in the report so you can be better informed and so your child can have a healthy smile! 

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) - What is it?

• Early childhood caries (ECC) is an aggressive form of tooth decay. ECC can result when a child’s tooth is exposed to bacteria upon contact with saliva. The saliva can come from a caregiver while kissing their child or even playmates if they share utensils.
• The earlier a child becomes exposed to this bacteria, there is a greater chance of developing caries. You might be surprised to hear that ECC is the most common chronic early childhood disease in the US; even 5x more common than asthma!

How does a child develop ECC?

• Bottles containing juice, milk or formula during the day or at night increase a child’s risk for developing ECC.
• Defects in the enamel, frequent sugary snacks/drinks, poor dental hygiene, lack of fluoride exposure, chronic illness, some medications and mouth breathing are all risk factors for developing ECC.

Good news is ECC is a condition that is preventable! How? Simply scheduling an early visit with a pediatric dentist can help minimize the threat of ECC. The AAPD along with the American Academy of Pediatricians both endorse a child’s first dental visit by age 1 or six months after the first tooth erupts.

Help your child start positive oral health from their very first tooth.  Call us to schedule your appointment 631-360-PEDS (7337)!

Explaining Oral Hygiene to Children

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Sometimes explaining the importance of good oral health to your younger children isn’t always easy. And if your child receives a box of sweets from their Valentine tomorrow, they may not understand why you won’t let them eat it all right up.

The sweetness of Valentine’s Day shouldn’t overshadow the importance of February being National Children’s Dental Health Month. So we decided to provide some tips on how to simplify explaining oral hygiene to your little ones so they can better understand why they need to take care of their teeth:

The Basics – Children probably won’t comprehend tooth decay and gum disease. So simplify the concepts to a pre-school level. Explain that when sugar sticks to teeth, tiny ‘sugar bugs’ form and eat away at the teeth leaving small holes (aka cavities). These holes are unhealthy and painful.

Brush Away the Sugar Bugs – Explain to your child that if they brush their teeth really well on both sides and on the bottom, the sugar bugs will be washed away! And that flossing really helps rid them of those sneaky bugs that try and hide. Be sure to tell them they need to brush and floss twice a day in order for it to work!

Say No to Sticky Sweets – Remind your child that sugar rich foods, like candy, cookies, and soda, attract more bugs. And that super sticky sweets like caramel or taffy make it difficult to clean off, leaving the sugar bugs to stay.

Remember, sweets are OK in moderation, just remind your kids after eating some Valentine’s Day treats tomorrow to brush and floss their teeth to rid them of sugar bugs! We hope the above explanations help in your household. Do you have a way of explaining oral health that you use in your family? Share with us on our Facebook page! 

Non-candy Valentine’s Day Classroom Treats

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

Valentine’s Day is days away! For this year’s classroom exchange, instead of adding to the sugar overload, provide your kid’s classmates with some candy-free treats! We’ve rounded up several DIY projects to complete this week, perfect for classrooms with no-candy policies:

Color Your Heart Out - Find any broken, paper-free, crayons, separate them into a heart shaped silicone pan, and bake! Perfect way to reuse all those little pieces (Full instructions here »)

Rainbow Loom Bands- If your child is a wiz at the Rainbow Loom, have them create a bunch of bracelets for their classmates. Download THIS card template, print and cut them out. Then just slip on the bracelet and they are ready to go!

Meant to BEE- With all the cold weather we’ve been having, chapped lips aren’t hard to come by. All you need is the Meant to BEE printout, Burt’s Bees Lip Balm, ribbon and hot glue. Download the template, wrap the ribbon around the lip balm, and then glue the balm to the printout and you are all ready to go! (Full instructions here »)

You RULE – Grab some rulers from the store (Target, CVS, etc), print the “You Rule” message on some red construction paper, cut slits on each end to slide the ruler through, and decorate with a glitter or sticker heart!

Are you planning to make homemade Valentines with your child this year? Share with us on our Facebook page!

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month!

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

 

DID YOU KNOW?

• Tooth decay is the number one chronic illness in children.
• 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental problems.
• Research shows that if a child’s tooth decay goes untreated, it can lead to tooth loss, speech problems and even loss of self-esteem.

Every February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. As you know, it’s important to develop good oral health habits at an early age (and scheduling regular dental visits) to help children get a jump start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums!

If you’re looking for a pediatric dentist on Long Island - look no further! We have offices in Massapequa Park, Nesconset, and West Islip with board certified pediatric dentists and orthodontists, and we provide laser dentistry, sedation dentistry, plus we also treat special needs patients.

Give us a call and visit us today!
Nesconset Office - 631.360.7337
Massapequa Park Office - 516.798.1111
West Islip Office - 631.661.7337