cavities

Tooth whitening for kids

[caption id="attachment_67" align="alignnone" width="300"] Treatment and whitening of teeth, dental crowns. Before and after. Dentistry. Close-up.[/caption]

Watching your children's faces light up with happiness is one of the greatest joys in the world. Meanwhile, have you observed a change in your child's teeth color? Don't panic- there could be several reasons this can happen.

The first and most anticipated reason behind your child's yellow, stained or discolored teeth could be the result of poor hygiene, a side effect of medication, tooth decay, tooth trauma, decalcification, or even genetics. 

Having discolored teeth can embarrass your child, specifically when growing up and hitting adolescence. So the best approach to manage tooth discoloration is by opting for a professional cleaning and following daily dental hygiene. 

However, depending on the cause, you can also consult with your pediatric dentist twice a year.

The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry report states that your child shouldn't opt for professional teeth whitening procedures until they have reached 14 years of age when the four front adult teeth pulp starts maturing, which effectively reduces the post-procedural sensitivity levels.

You may also use over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments such as whitening toothpaste or whitening strips. Custom dental trays, professional bleaching, and laser whitening are additional options for your child. However, if you want a more permanent solution for teeth whitening, in adulthood consider enamel dental veneers or porcelain crowns.

If your kid has turned 14 and is looking for the best teeth whitening services, book your appointment with our Pediatric dentist today! Call 212 362-7770 to book!

www.citykidsdentist.com

The first line of protection for your child’s teeth is the enamel, which is the white, visible part of the tooth.  It’s also hardest substance in the human body, and yet it takes a lot of abuse.  Enamel can crack, chip and wear away.  What steps can you take to protect your child’s enamel?

Use a soft toothbrush.  While we may be tempted to use a toothbrush with hard bristles, thinking that a stiff bristle will be better and cleaning teeth, the best choice is one that provides more gentle care.  Additionally, children often use more force than needed when brushing their teeth.  This can be damaging to sensitive gum tissue and only serves to wear down precious enamel.

Limit starchy foods.  While we all understand that certain starchy foods like potato chips and french fries aren’t always the healthiest choices, we don’t often associate these foods as being bad for teeth.  Interestingly, starch turns to sugar so quickly that it raises blood glucose levels even faster than table sugar.  The sugar produced by starchy foods feeds bacteria that act as microscopic jack-hammers on your child’s enamel.

Don’t forget the cheese.  Cheese truly is a dental powerhouse.  Dairy neutralizes acid, contains calcium and a protein called casein which acts as an enamel protector.  Cheese is a great choice for an afterschool snack.

Drink water after meals.  Drinking water shortly after eating is an excellent way to quickly wash away some of the food that lingers on and between the teeth.  Even having children simply rinse their mouths with water after meals has been shown to be an effective way to protect enamel.

Avoid “whitening” toothpastes.  Toothpaste made specifically for children if often the best choice when deciding what they should brush with.  Not only are flavors often more kid friendly, but they generally don’t carry the harsh abrasives that many whitening toothpastes have.  These abrasives can act line sandpaper by wearing down the enamel on young teeth.  Remember, any toothpaste you choose should always carry the ADA’s seal of approval.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the authority on children’s oral health, is encouraging parents and caregivers to enjoy a happy Halloween by simply brushing their children’s teeth for two minutes, twice a day.
In time for back-to-school season, the AAPD joined with the Ad Council, as part of the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Health Lives, to launch a historic nationwide campaign designed to encourage parents and caregivers to modify their children’s oral health behaviors through low-cost, preventive strategies.  Campaign media partners include Sesame Workshop, DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, My Kazoo! and many others.
According to AAPD President Dr. Joel H. Berg, "This first-of-its-kind campaign unifies dozens of dental organizations around a common message and raises the awareness of children and their parents about the importance of oral health, which is critical, and desperately needs attention on Halloween, and every single day of the year.
In order to properly prepare for the Halloween holiday, AAPD urges parents and caregivers to visit the campaign’s website http://2min2x.org/ for key recommendations and tips on maintaining healthy teeth on this holiday and throughout the year:
·         Keep Kids’ Mouths Healthy: Parents and caregivers should help or watch over their kids’ tooth brushing abilities until they’re at least 8-years-old.
·         The Right Toothbrush:  Kids should use a soft toothbrush that allows them to reach all areas of their mouth.  Remember to replace toothbrushes every three-four months and even sooner if the bristles are worn out, or if your children have been sick.
·         Attack Plaque: Plaque is a sticky film of germs that forms on teeth and gums after eating. Plaque that’s not removed by brushing twice a day can lead to cavities.
·         Visit a Dentist: It’s important to visit your dentist regularly your whole life, starting no later than age one.  Seeing a dentist regularly is important for good oral health as dentists can detect small problems before they become bigger and more painful problems.
·         Floss Your Teeth: Kids should clean between their teeth once a day, every day, with floss or flossers to remove plaque and food where a toothbrush can’t reach. Children’s’ teeth can be flossed as soon as two of their teeth touch each other.
·         Use Fluoride: Fluoride is nature’s cavity fighter and occurs naturally in water and some foods.  To help protect teeth from cavities, fluoride is added to dental products like toothpaste. Children two years of age or older should always use a fluoride toothpaste.
·         Baby Tooth Decay Is Real: As soon as teeth appear in your baby’s mouth, it’s possible for your baby to develop cavities. It is important to keep your baby’s gums and teeth clean to prevent tooth decay, even in baby teeth.
·         Prevent Kids’ Tooth Decay: You can prevent tooth decay for your kids by lowering the risk of your baby getting the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Make sure you take good care of your baby’s teeth – this reduces the number of bacteria in your baby’s mouth.
·         Nutrition: A balanced diet helps your children’s teeth and gums to be healthy. A diet high in natural or added sugars may place your child at extra risk for tooth decay
o        A sugary or starchy food with sugar is safer for teeth if it is eaten with a meal, not as a snack. Chewing during a meal helps produce saliva which helps wash away sugar and starch.
o        Sticky food’s, like potato chips, raisins and other dried fruit and candy are not easily washed away from your kid’s teeth by saliva, water or milk, so they have more cavity-causing potential.
o         Talk to your dentist about serving foods that protect your kid’s dental health.
In fact, AAPD has revised its Policy on Dietary Recommendations for Infants, Children, and Adolescents, which can be located at http://citykidsdentist.com

Gummy vitamins have become very popular in the last several years and even adults now have the option of getting essential vitamins and nutrients through a tasty gummy treat.  But while this can be a great way to get children to take their vitamins, gummy vitamins can harm your teeth.  Yes, they are enhanced with vitamins, but also often contain ingredients that can be found in traditional candy, such as glucose syrup (sugar).  Even sugar free gummies can also contain sticky gelatin and enamel eating citric acid.

Deciding whether or not to use gummy vitamins may come down to what you or your children are most likely to actually use as well as what your own dietary requirements.  If it’s difficult to encourage children to take a regular vitamin, or if you don’t like the taste yourself, then considering a gummy vitamin might not be all bad.  Simply make sure that teeth are brushed shortly after taking them so that these “almost candies” don’t sit on your teeth for long periods of time.

[caption id="attachment_43" align="alignnone" width="269"] vitamins for children like jelly candy[/caption]

Dental Sealants: A Shield Against Cavities

[caption id="attachment_37" align="alignnone" width="300"] What are Sealants? How do they protect against Cavities?[/caption]

Brushing and flossing daily will allow you to maintain good oral hygiene and avoid the formation of cavities. However, to further diminish the likelihood of tooth decay and the future need for treatments such as crowns and fillings, dentists use sealants. This early cavity prevention technique acts as a protective barrier, shielding enamel (the outer covering of teeth) from acid and plaque, which lead to tooth decay. Now, you may be thinking, “why can’t I simply use fluoride instead of sealants to protect my teeth from decay?” While it is true that fluoride protects our enamel from breaking down, it is more effective in reducing smooth surface cavities as opposed to cavities on the pits and fissures of our teeth, where the majority of cavities develop. These deep grooves are much more difficult to clean with a toothbrush, so sealants provide an extra layer of protection in these specific regions to further hinder cavities.
Studies have shown that kids between the ages of 6 and 11 without dental sealants experience three times more cavities in their first molars than do kids with sealants. Other studies have also provided evidence for sealant placement being cost-effective; it improves outcomes and saves money for patients who typically will avoid the need for future invasive treatments related to cavities. Our office has BPA free sealants as we are committed to providing the safest materials available to our patients.
Sealant placement is especially beneficial for patients who are more vulnerable to experiencing cavities. However, the use of sealants in combination with other primary preventive procedures such as fluoride therapy, plaque control, and dietary/sugar monitoring, have positive outcomes for patients overall.