How to Care for Your Infant's Teeth

That sweet, gummy, baby smile is enough to melt your heart!  But how and when does a parent start practicing oral hygiene at home?

For starters, even before teeth come in, gently clean your baby's gums.  I find it best to do this during bath time.  Wrap a wet washcloth around your finger and gently glide along baby's gums.

Once teeth appear, you can continue to use the washcloth during bath time.  If it's not bath night, there are several baby tooth brushes that you can use.  This is my favorite to use until molars come in.

Once that happens a tooth brush, like the one below, works best (and saves your finger from a bite!)

Avoid using large amounts of toothpaste with fluoride in it.  A tiny smear of toothpaste is plenty.  It's not the end of the world if a bit of toothpaste is swallowed, but keep the tube out of reach.  If you are worried, there are fluoride free toothpastes available.  Incorporating the right amount of fluoride in your baby's teeth and developing adult teeth is important.

Flossing of course is recommended as soon as multiple teeth come in, easier said than done.  Check to see how tight your baby's teeth are.  Does floss easily slip into a large space between the teeth or does the floss 'snap' into place?  If that floss 'snaps' into place, your kiddo is more at risk for decay, making flossing all the more important.  That tight space traps bacteria and the tongue and saliva have a harder time cleaning out that area. I find it easiest to use flossers, with my child's head in my lap to clean out bacteria and food between the teeth.

8 Tips to Calm a Sensitive Gag Reflex

The gag reflex is there to prevent us from a foreign object obstructing our airway.  This reflex is triggered by an object touching the roof of mouth, back of tongue and/or tonsils.  While no one is entirely sure why someone's gag reflex is more sensitive than others, there are some tips on how to deal with a sensitive reflex.

1. Use a numbing spray or gel in your mouth
2. Squeeze your thumb.  Reflexology state that applying pressure in your hand by squeezing your thumb can help ease a gag reflex (see photo)
3. Desensitize your tongue, by brushing your tongue every day
4. Apply table salt to the center of your tongue
5. Hum
6. Wiggle your toes; raise your leg.  This will keep your mind on something else
7. Listen to music
8. Focus on breathing through your nose.

How a Crown is Prepared

Part 2 of our crown series is how a crown is actually done.  A crown is custom fit for each tooth.  Dr. Scott will reduce each side of the tooth, to allow for the new crown to fit in your mouth.  Without that reduction from every side of the tooth, that crown would be the only tooth your teeth hit when they come together.

After the tooth is reduced, a crown is placed over the top.  The color and type of crown is done to fit and blend perfectly with the neighboring teeth.

Having a crown does not mean you now have a fake tooth.  It is your natural tooth underneath.  You will still feel hot and cold.  You can chew normally; you will be able to floss normally.  It is still your tooth.

A crown does not mean you have to have a root canal.  However, the reverse is true:  if a tooth has a root canal, a crown is now recommended.  A root canalled tooth is hallow and thus fragile to breaking.  A crown strengthens a fragile tooth.  But just because a tooth has a crown does not mean it will need a root canal.

Why Do I Need a Crown?

Having a crown done is a very common practice in a dental office.  If it's your first you may have some questions.

The following are the most common reasons to crown a tooth:

• Cracked Tooth.  If a tooth is cracked, in order to keep that tooth together and keep that crack from spreading, a crown is placed over the top of the tooth.  The crack is still present but the tooth will no longer flex with chewing and temperature changes.  Keeping that crack right where it is, away from the nerve.
• If the Tooth has a Root Canal.  When you have a root canal, the nerve is removed and the tooth is now 'hallowed out'.  A hallow tooth is more at risk for cracking and breaking.  Since you no longer have a nerve in the tooth you can't feel if this is happening.  A crown, covering that tooth, protects it from breaking.
• Discolored or Misshapen Teeth.  For stains that won't whiten away or teeth that are a funny shape, a crown can make teeth more uniform in color and shape.
• A Lot of Decay.  A tooth with a lot of decay cannot support a filling.  You need a certain portion of natural tooth to support, not only a filling, but to withstand chewing forces.  If there isn't much healthy tooth left then your only option is to crown it, to avoid an extraction.
• Broken Tooth.  Same as a tooth with a lot of decay; if a large portion of the tooth is gone, it can't be filled.  Crowning is the only option to ensure longevity of that tooth.
• Wear.  Depending on how severe the wear is, in order to build it back up to where it was a crown is needed.

When doing a crown we can contour the tooth to fit ideally in your mouth.  We take into account what area is broken/decayed/worn to fit in with the surrounding teeth.  This can repair food catches, idealize contour of the tooth and reduce sensitivity to name a few.  Crowns are custom made to only fit that one tooth and provide you with a more predictable, attractive result.  Before crowns, a damaged tooth would have been pulled, now a crown allows you to keep a damaged tooth for a long time, often the rest of your life.  

A crown is nothing to be ashamed of.  In fact, you may not ever even notice them; they look and feel like a natural tooth.

Should I Cancel My Appointment if I'm Sick?

Cold and flu season is upon us.  We often get this question and there are things to consider.

• How sick are you?

We are working in your mouth.  Cold and flu germs are in your mouth.  We don't like getting sick either.  So if you are contagious: please stay home.  Not only is this a courtesy to us and our families, we also do not want our patients, some of whom are very young or elderly, getting sick either.

• Will you be able to lay back?

Often when congested or dealing with a sinus issue, laying back may make it hard to breathe.  Combined with us working in your mouth, may make breathing through your nose difficult.

• Do you have a bad cough?

When we do dental work, we need the tooth to be super dry.  In some cases, one drop of saliva could compromise the filling or crown.  If you need to cough or sneeze during a procedure, when we need things to dry, it could result in that crown or filling failing.

Generally, if you are calling to ask if you should cancel your appointment due to an illness, the answer is most likely, yes.  We understand! 

Do I Need My Wisdom Teeth Out?

It's a common misconception that all wisdom teeth need to be removed.  In fact, Dr. Scott still has all 4 of his wisdom teeth.  So we certainly do not remove wisdom teeth, unless there is a need.

Here are some of the things we consider when making the recommendation to remove wisdom teeth.

• On x-ray we can see that they are not coming in vertically.  Typically these types of wisdom teeth do not right themselves.
  
  
  
  
  
• Wisdom teeth are 1/2 way in.  This creates a gum flap.  This flap traps bacteria and food, which makes it impossible for you or your hygienist to remove that bacteria.  A cavity or gum disease in that area is likely.  This could also lead to pain and swelling.
  
  
• There is no room for them.  Wisdom teeth with no room to come in may cause damage to neighboring teeth.
  
• The wisdom teeth are in a tough place for you to clean.  This makes it more challenging to prevent decay, gum disease and bone loss.  This may impact the health of the tooth in front of it.

It is our job to explain to you the reasons for recommended treatment.  Through education, x-rays and photos, we can help you make the best decision for you in regards to your wisdom teeth.

Tips for Those with Braces

You just got your braces on.  Congratulations, you are on your way to creating a better aligned bite, easier to clean and straighter smile!  Now, having braces creates a new challenge in terms of keeping them clean and avoiding the dreaded post braces white spots.

Here are some of our best tips on how to keep your smile healthy.

1. Tooth Brush Two Stepper

I've seen A LOT of kids with braces and let's face it, kids have a tough time brushing without brackets.  Adding them throws them even more of a challenge.  The best brushing technique I've come across is a two-stepper.

Step 1:  Have them wet their brush and WITHOUT toothpaste brush the fronts of their gums and the backs of their gums.

Step 2: Put toothpaste on their brush and brush their teeth.

They'll brush longer and thus stimulate the gum tissue and remove more plaque.

      2.  Flossing

No way around it, flossing your braces is not the most fun thing to do.  Practice does make perfect, but be sure to check out the flossers designed for brackets to make it easier.

      3.  Christmas Trees or Proxy Brushes

These little tiny brushes, when used under the wire, can help fill the gap if you're not flossing.  They will not replace flossing.  But, they can remove stubborn food, plaque and surface stain that brushing misses.

       4.  Avoid Chewy and Sticky Food

Cavity bacteria thrive on sticky sugar.  Gummy bears, taffy and sugary gum are some of the worst offenders.  These types of food can also lead to brackets coming off.

       5.  Maintain Regular Dental Visits

This is the best way to prevent decay and/or find a cavity early, preventing larger problems.  It's also important to get that fluoride on the strengthen teeth and prevent cavities.  We can also review brushing and flossing.  Sometimes a friendly reminder from someone other than Mom and Dad can help motive a kiddo with braces.