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Wellington, FL 33414
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The permanent teeth in children are starting to develop at age 3. If the child is receiving fluoride drops and is drinking fluoridated water, they may get fluorosis on the permanent teeth due to excess fluoride.
Dental Fluorosis isn't a disease and doesn't affect the health of your teeth. It is a cosmetic developmental defect of enamel that can occur when a higher than optimal amount of fluoride is ingested while the permanent teeth are developing, before they have erupted.
There are different types of fluorosis, and they have different symptoms and side effects.
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Mild: The most widespread form of fluorosis and the least detectable. They look like small white spots on the teeth. They can either be easily noticeable or can be so faint that only a pediatric dentist near me is able to detect them.
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Moderate: In some cases, the teeth develop yellowish or brown stains, giving the teeth a dull or even translucent appearance.
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Severe: The rarest and most extreme type of fluorosis not only has severe staining, but also causes several pits or small holes in the surface of the teeth. Teeth with severe fluorosis are usually structurally weak and can even be poorly formed.
In mild cases of fluorosis, no treatment is required. However, in more severe cases there are several fluorosis treatment options aimed at improving the appearance of affected teeth.
Regulars visits to a children dentist can help you to prevent dental fluorosis in your kids.
Baby teeth are important for maintaining the structure of your child’s jaw and ensuring the adult teeth emerge in the right place. When baby molars teeth that are deeply decayed a pulpotomy is necessary to be done. A pulpotomy is the most commonly needed nerve treatment for a baby tooth performed in a kid dental office. Even children as young as 2 years old could need it.
This treatment is necessary when a cavity in a primary tooth is deep enough to have affected part of the nerve. Pulpotomy procedures are like root canal but not quite the same. A root canal is a more complex procedure performed on a permanent tooth. The pulpotomy consists in the removal of a portion of the pulp, including the diseased aspect, with the intent of maintaining the vitality of the remaining pulpal tissue.
If infected pulp is untreated, an abscess in a tooth can occur. An abscessed tooth can’t be saved and must be extracted. In addition, a pulpotomy will ensure any infection does not spread to neighboring teeth or surrounding gums. Symptoms may include pain on biting, swelling, and a bump on your gum.
It’s important to brush and floss your child’s teeth regularly, visit the pediatric dentist in West Palm Beach every 6 month for regular cleaning and check-up, and have cavities filled as soon as they arise so that a pulpotomy does not become necessary.
Baby teeth are important to the development of the teeth, jaw bones and muscles and help to guide permanent teeth into position when the baby teeth are lost. If a space is not maintained, then teeth can shift into the open space and orthodontic treatment may be required.
A space maintainer is a dental device used in pediatric dentistry to preserve tooth-space for a permanent tooth when a child prematurely loses a primary or baby tooth due to trauma, decay, or slow eruption. Instead of placing artificial teeth over a tooth-gap, the space is kept open with an acrylic or metal material.
A space maintainer is an appliance that is custom-made by a dentist or orthodontist in acrylic or metal material. It can be either removable or cemented in a child's mouth. Its purpose is to keep the space open to allow the permanent tooth to erupt and come into place.
Not every child who loses a baby tooth early or to dental decay requires a space maintainer; however, a professional consultation with your Pediatric Dentist near me or orthodontist should be conducted to determine if using a space maintainer is needed.
There are two types of space maintainers for children, removable and fixed. Removable means the device is removable. Fixed maintainers are cemented in place until removed by your dentist. There are, also, bilateral and unilateral maintainers. Bilateral maintainers preserve spaces on both sides of the mouth; and unilateral maintainers preserve a space on just one side of the mouth.
The child should be seen by the kid dentist or orthodontist on a regular basis to monitor the progress of treatment with the space maintainer and continue to receive a regular six-month professional cleaning appointment with your dental professional.
Baby teeth may be small, but they're important. They act as placeholders for adult teeth. Without a healthy set of baby teeth, your child will have trouble chewing and speaking clearly. That's why caring for baby teeth and keeping them decay-free is so important.
Having healthy baby teeth will help your child grow strong permanent teeth. Baby teeth are much smaller and have thinner enamel than permanent teeth, so they are more vulnerable to bacteria and cavities. Without proper daily dental hygiene, cavities spread quickly in baby teeth. Cavities in baby teeth can develop an infected abscess at the root, causing serious damage to the gums and permanent teeth close by. When you are taking care of your child’s baby teeth, you are really taking care of their permanent teeth as well.
Avoid giving your child fruit juices, sodas, and other sugary drinks. Sweet drinks-even milk can settle on the teeth. This can lead to baby tooth decay, also known as "baby bottle tooth decay." Bacteria feed on the sugar from sweet drinks and produce acid, which attacks baby's teeth.
If you must send your baby to bed or naps with a bottle or sippy cup, fill it with water only. Also avoid putting anything sweet, such as sugar or honey, on your baby's pacifier.
Regular check-ups and cleanings in a kid friendly dentist office can help your kids to have good oral hygiene. A local pediatric dentist can help you with the important information you should know to keep your kids’ teeth healthy.
In general, children tend to do best when their life is predictable. They are more likely to tolerate a procedure when they have been told in advance what to expect. Providing information is particularly important in the case of an anxious child. It helps to describe what is about to happen and what sensations the child will experience (what type of noise he or she will hear, what type of vibrations he or she will feel, what it will taste like etc.).
For the child who is visibly anxious or reports feeling anxious to the clinician, relaxation strategies are quite useful. Many children will experience relief following a simple deep-breathing exercise, which involves deep inhalation and slow exhalation. Asking the child to blow bubbles through a wand (the type bought commercially during summer months) produces a similar effect and sometimes provides distraction as well.
If your child has a favorite stuffed animal or other small toy, suggest that they bring it along with them to the appointment provided it will not interfere with the dentist's work. Sometimes the dental office has a special collection of toys for kids to hold during appointments, which may increase your child's comfort level as well. If you choose to call the office ahead of time to alert the kid’s dentist to your child's nervousness, ask about bringing a small blanket or other comfort item from home.
Before a visit to the pediatric dentist in West Palm Beach, try reading to your child from a selection of books geared toward their age level. Many televisions show also have episodes dealing with first dentist or doctor visits. You may also want to role play using a toy dental kit.
Reinforcing good oral care habits, including routine dental appointments, at an early age will help children develop a positive attitude toward dental care. Kids should understand that the dentist wants to help keep their teeth healthy and that visiting a dental office should not be a scary experience.
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1037 S. State Road 7 Suite 215
Wellington, FL 33414