Tooth Talk: Healthy Smiles for a Lifetime

Children

The Tooth about Your Child’s First Dental Visit
Parents Can Help Prepare Children for a Successful, Stress-Free Exam

Williamsburg Dental wants to make your child’s initial trip to the dentist a positive experience, not a memory they (and you) would rather forget.

The practice reminds parents of youngsters to start planning for their child’s first exam. While some offices recommend bringing toddlers for check-ups, Williamsburg thinks age three is the point when children are best able to comprehend what’s going on and less likely to be frightened.

“Your child’s first visit shouldn’t become the big unknown, “says Dr. Joseph J. Capista, a Senior Partner at Williamsburg Dental. “Parents play a big role in preparing children for this new step in their lives.”

Williamsburg Dental offers several tips to parents anticipating bringing their child in for their first dental exam:

• Set a good example for your child by displaying an open attitude prior to your regular adult check-up, explaining how important it is to take care of our teeth
• Avoid bribes or negative connotations like “Don’t be afraid”  
• Purchase or rent a situational book or video and watch it with your child to help open up dialogue and answer any questions 
• Supervise your early brushers after breakfast and before bed, limiting toothpaste to a pea-sized or smaller dollop since many children don’t spit out properly
• Help your child start developing good eating habits with nutritious snacks
• Ask the practice if you can bring your child in for a familiarization peak at the facility in advance

During your child’s scheduled visit, one of Williamsburg’s hygienists will greet them with a big smile. Cartoons can be shown on television monitors in the examination room.

Ida D’Ignazio has been a hygienist with Williamsburg for 12 years. She brushes little teeth with “Mr. Tickle” and ‘Mr. Thirsty’ in order to make the teeth “shine like pearls” and will let children touch the equipment to further reassure them. After the cleaning, D’Ignazio calls in one of the practice’s dentists, like ‘Dr. Bob’ (Robert Spennato) or ‘Dr. Joe’ (Capista or Joseph Lamb) to, as she tells her young patients, “make sure I did a good job brushing your teeth.” 

The dentist takes over, conducting a comprehensive, but non-invasive, exam, looking for potential future problems with gums and jaws and checking for decay. Oral habits like excessive juice drinking or thumb sucking might be discussed with the parent. Unlike many other dental practices, Williamsburg Dental encourages parents to come into the exam room with their children the first time and even for subsequent visits if it helps the child relax.

“We don’t like to re-schedule, but if there’s a lot of hesitation we’d rather see your child return at a later date than be frightened,” says D’Ignazio. “We want your children to be comfortable with us not only during their first visit but for many years to come.”

Make Way for the Tooth Fairy

Developmental milestones include your baby’s first steps, first words and, before you know it, at around age five or six, the loss of that first baby tooth. It may take a few months from the time you first notice a loose tooth until it actually falls - or gets wiggled - out. But losing a baby or “primary” tooth normally means the permanent tooth is eagerly waiting to emerge. Your child is beginning the path toward adulthood, and we at Williamsburg hope, a lifetime of good dental hygiene.

Is there a particular loss pattern?
Many children will lose their baby or “milk” teeth the same way they initially came through – the first two, bottom middle teeth first followed by the top two teeth, then the sharper canines and back molars. Double rows of teeth, referred to as “shark teeth,” aren’t usually a problem – the permanent teeth will naturally push out the baby teeth. By age 11 to 13, all baby teeth will normally have fallen out.

Do I have to monitor my child’s baby teeth?
Absolutely.  Baby teeth are necessary for chewing and speaking. They also serve as place holders for future permanent teeth. Premature loss of a baby tooth from an accident, for instance, can create orthodontic troubles when the neighboring teeth try to fill in the gap, causing irregular tooth development.

Do we need to treat cavities in baby teeth?
It’s usually a good idea. Left untreated, cavities in baby teeth can cause bad breath or worse, infection. A primary tooth infection can lead to damage of the permanent tooth beneath. Baby teeth should, overall, be cared for like adult teeth – with regular brushing, flossing and dental check-ups.

What if my child’s permanent tooth comes through with ridges on the top?
That uneven appearance is due to a lack of biting – once your child uses the tooth it will wear down to a more even appearance.

How much money should the tooth fairy bring?
Now that’s a question even Williamsburg Dental can’t – or at least won’t - answer!

Dental Sealants
Shield Your Children’s Teeth Today from Tomorrow’s Decay

“Get into the Groove’ might make for a lively Madonna song. But it’s not the path you want dental decay to take in your child’s mouth. Indeed, those hard to reach crevices on your child’s back teeth can act like bacteria magnets for food particles, sticky candy treats and even healthy snacks like raisins.

“The back teeth, called molars, are our most unevenly-surfaced teeth,” explains Dr. Lamb. “Those small grooves and crevices can be difficult to reach by even the best brushers and therefore harder to keep clean.”

luoride, found in some toothpastes and drinking water, can offer some protection against cavities, but Lamb recommends parents bring their children in for an even better cavity “shield” – sealants.

The application of dental sealants is a safe, simple and pain-free office procedure. A plastic-like resin is painted on to the chewing surface of your child’s molars as well as the teeth just before that, known as the pre-molars. Those teeth surfaces are subsequently completely protected from decay-causing bacteria.

Sealants are usually applied as soon as the first molars come in before decay has a chance to form. That’s usually somewhere between age five and seven for the first permanent molars and then again between 11 and 14 for the second set.

Other sealant facts:
   •  Sealants are safe, easy to apply, pain-free and 100% effective
   •  More than 80% of cavities form in the back of the mouth
   •  Most insurance companies cover tooth sealants
   •  While sealants last up to 10 years, they’re not permanent

“Sealants are one of the best ‘invest now and reap the benefits later’ aspects of dental treatment,” sums up Dr. Lamb. “But regular brushing, flossing and check-ups are still necessary to keep your child’s teeth clean and detect early dental disease.”