Frequently Asked Questions

Baby teeth help with chewing and eating for healthy growth. They help to guide and hold the space for the permanent teeth and help to promote proper speech. Untreated problems with the baby teeth can affect the growth and development of permanent teeth and increase their risk for cavities on the grown up teeth.

While baby teeth do eventually fall out, they have a strong purpose and some of them will be in the mouth until around the age of 12. Also children start to get their permanent teeth around 5-6 years old. That means some of these baby teeth will be in the mouth with permanent teeth for 6 years. When you have a high level of the cavity causing bacteria you are more likely to get cavities on the other teeth in the mouth as well. If we just ignored cavities then we put the child at risk for infection, pain, and loss of space for the permanent teeth.

Generally the first tooth erupts around 6-8 months of age. Don’t be concerned though if your child is a few months early or delayed. There is a very wide range of normal when it comes to timing for tooth eruption. Most children experience some discomfort during this process and we recommend palliative treatments such as a cool teething toy or wet cold washcloth. Tylenol can also be given if it is ok with your Pediatrician. Please avoid any OTC teething gels as these can be dangerous for young children. By age 3 generally all 20 of the baby teeth will have erupted. Make sure that you start brushing the teeth as soon as they erupt!

We recommend that all children be seen by their first birthday, which follows the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This is so that we can focus on prevention and building good habits from the start. Establishing this at a young age will not only allow us to focus on prevention and education, but it also helps us to build trust with your child to make them comfortable. If an emergency or restorative need should arise down the line, we will have a relationship that will help make this process easy. Also, having a history with your child will allow us to time treatment and refer for other care at the appropriate time.

Before the teeth erupt it is a good idea to clean their mouths with a clean washcloth to get them used to you being in their mouth and to wipe out the food or milk that may be sitting on the tongue or gums. Once the teeth erupt you should start brushing them with a soft toothbrush with a light smear of kid’s fluorinated toothpaste. Make sure it is just a very small amount, this will have a great topical effect on the erupted teeth and the amount they will swallow is very minimal.

Ideally we start flossing when two teeth are touching. The toothbrush bristles just can’t get in between those teeth to clean it. Using the small tooth flossers can make this a much easier experience for both you and your child.

The AAPD now recommends using a small smear of kid’s fluorinated toothpaste as soon as the teeth erupt. Using this small amount will give the topical effect of fluoride and a very minimal systemic effect. When children are closer to 3 years old we suggest increasing this amount of toothpaste to a small pea sized amount. At this age you should work on spitting out excess toothpaste with your kids

We always like to encourage kids to take turns brushing. We recommend this happen without the fluoride toothpaste and just a wet toothbrush. After they take their turn an adult should “check” them and go over the brushing using the fluoride toothpaste this time. At every visit we will evaluate the oral hygiene and discuss when solo brushing can begin. Oftentimes we correlate it with when kids can tie their own shoelaces, so closer to 7-8 years old.

Fluoride in small amounts when used properly can very effective in preventing and controlling cavities. Fluoride can be found in our water sources and is naturally occurring in some foods as well. In general we tend to not recommend extra fluoride supplementation, however we do recommend using fluorinated toothpastes. This type of fluoride use is topical and is the most beneficial to your child’s erupted teeth. Make sure to use it in small amounts. For children under 3 years old a small smear or rice sized amount is more than enough. When your child is over 3 years old a pea-sized amount of toothpaste is perfect. Work on spitting out excess toothpaste around this age. We can discuss this further at each dental visit to see what might be best for you and your family.

We know this is a comforting habit for young infants, but if prolonged it can cause significant changes to the dental structures. The constant pressure from prolonged sucking can move the teeth and redirect the jaw growth. You can see kids develop an open bite or their palate may be narrow causing a cross-bite. All these changes do not only cause an esthetic concern, but can also affect chewing, breathing and swallowing as well.

We recommend to wean from pacifiers and thumb sucking as early as possible to help try and minimize the negative impact to the oral structures and function. We understand this can be difficult, but we will be happy to discuss ways to help with this at home to see what can work for your family.

Tooth grinding is a common concern we hear, but is not normal. We used to think it was just a habit that kids would grow out of, but now we know it is a sign of a bigger problem. Frequently kids who are grinding their teeth may be moving their jaw around to open the airway. This is a sign of sleep disordered breathing that may need to be looked into further.

This is a very common question we get. There are a few genetic teeth defects, but these are very rare. More often we see a similar pattern between parents' cavities risk and their children. So if parents have a history of untreated cavities or a high cavity risk there is a good possibility that high levels of cavity causing bacteria may be passed on to your child.

One of the best things you can do as a parent is make sure you are a good role model for total health. Eat and drink healthy things, brush and floss regularly and visit your dentist every six months. Your kids look up to you and will watch for good behaviors.

Dental x-rays are an essential part of understanding your child’s dental health. They let us see the big picture when it comes to your child’s growth and development. We also need to take them so that we are able to help treat things early before they become a problem or cause discomfort for your child. Every child is different so we will evaluate your child’s needs for radiographs at their 6-month visits. We utilize the most advance technique and protective measures to help minimize your child’s exposure to the minimal radiation needed.

We have an open door policy when it comes to parents at the dental office. We are proud of what we do and are happy to share it with you so you are welcome to accompany your child. We do want to create a relationship with your child and sometimes that may mean that we will need you to be a silent observer so your child can focus on the team. When your children get older we encourage them to come back by themselves so that we can have that one on one time with them and help them build their own skills. If you have any concerns or questions please let us know. We want kids and parents to be happy!