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During this COVID-19 pandemic, a few things are set to take the back seat, and a visit to the pediatric dentist is among them. However, ignoring your child’s dental care can be detrimental to their oral and overall health. Remember, children are prone to cavities than adults, and it is paramount to have impeccable dental hygiene to support their oral health; here are five tips to help you maintain your child’s dental health.

Avoid Sugar Consumption

Sugar is not the cause of cavities. The bacteria present in the mouth is the trigger. How? For cavities to form, you need teeth, sugar, and bacteria (we already have a colony of bacteria in the mouth). The bacteria feed on sugar, breaking down the foods to produce an acid solution. The acid attacks the enamel and causes it to weaken. Continuous acid production will eventually cause the enamel to become soft and get cavities.

Furthermore, the acid solution changes the mouth ph. to acidic, creating the perfect environment for cavities to form. It takes 20 seconds for the bacteria to produce an acidic solution and 20 minutes for the saliva to neutralize the ph. This means your child’s teeth are exposed, and cavities are forming for 20 minutes!

Limiting sugar consumption is among the things to avoid if you want your child to have healthy teeth and gums. Make sure they brush or rinse their mouths immediately if they take a carbohydrate. Also, don’t forget to wipe the gums immediately if breastfeeding. Remember, breastmilk contains sugar.

Give Foods for Optimum Oral Health

Proper dental hygiene is the optimal way of preventing decay. However, certain foods may strengthen the teeth and makes them less prone to decay. Increase the intake of:

• Calcium-rich foods include cheese, yogurt, dark green leafy vegetables, and whole grains. Calcium is an essential mineral needed for healthy teeth and bones.
• The teeth also need phosphorus found in eggs, lean meat, fish, dairy, and beans.
• Give plenty of citrus fruits and vitamin c rich foods like broccoli. Vitamin C promotes gum health.

Avoid frequent snacking between meals because it increases the risk of consuming sugar.

Use Fluoride Daily

Fluoride is a mineral that helps support the enamel and maintain the health of the teeth. It is a naturally-occurring mineral found in toothpaste, mouthwash, and water.
Fluoride helps in the reabsorption of minerals to the teeth. Plus, it reverses mild dental cavities. It is therefore important to use it every day when brushing. Fluoride toothpaste is recommended for children above three years.

Clean the Teeth with the Right Tools

Before the first tooth erupts, using a wet and soft cloth is recommended for cleaning the gums. Once it emerges, add a soft-bristled and kid-friendly toothbrush. Use toothpaste the size of a grain of rice every day. Increase the amount to pea-size when the child turns three.

Use the Right Brushing Technique

Most people usually brush their teeth with back and forth motion, which according to dental professionals, can damage your teeth. The circular brushing technique is recommended for children because it is easy to learn. Remember to brush the child’s teeth for two minutes to ensure you clean every part of the mouth.

Do not forget to floss daily to remove any food particles stuck between the teeth.

What to Remember

Dental hygiene begins at infancy, so visit pediatric dentistry near you to assess as soon as the first tooth erupts. The dentist will also give you steps to follow at home to ensure the gums and teeth are clean and healthy. Also, it is important to examine your child’s teeth every two weeks to check for any symptoms of decay.

Schedule an Appointment

At Sunny Smiles Kids, we have upgraded the safety measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus. When you visit the clinic, you are guaranteed to have safe and excellent pediatric dental care.

It is not uncommon for children to fear going to the dentist. Dental visits can prove to be a stressful affair for parents, especially if your child suffers from dental anxiety or phobia.

As hard as it may be for you to believe this, your child could be among the millions of children worldwide who suffer from dental anxiety or phobia.

The next time you are making a dental visit to our pediatric dentist near you, do not feel embarrassed if your child throws a fit during a routine examination or cleaning procedure because this is a perfectly normal response in children.

The understanding dental phobia could help you ensure that your next visit to our pediatric dentist near you will not be a complete nightmare.

What Is Dental Phobia?

This condition can be described as an uncontrollable and irrational fear towards dental procedures or, in other cases, the dentist.

If your child suffers from this condition, getting them to go to our dentist will be a task on its own. Your child may prefer to skip out on the dental visit altogether.

This condition is more severe than dental anxiety because children suffering from dental anxieties can be reassured and talked about undergoing dental procedures.

However, children with dental phobia have an intense fear of any dental procedure; getting them to sit in a dentist’s chair could be difficult.

How Can You Manage Your Child’s Dental Phobia?

Having a dental phobia could negatively impact your child’s oral health. Not being able to stay calm through dental routines such as regular checkups and cleaning means that our dentist may not complete any dental procedure.

This may leave your child at risk of suffering from dental infections and conditions that will affect their overall oral health.

As concerning as this could be to you as a parent, you need not worry because a dental phobia is a condition that can be managed.

Our dentist can help you explore the various techniques that can be used to manage dental phobia to ensure that your child’s oral health will not be compromised. One of our pediatric dentist’s methods to handle this condition is by practicing sedation dentistry.

Role of Sedation Dentistry

Pediatric dental anxiety & sedation dentistry has revolutionized how we deal with dental phobias and anxieties in our patients.

Sedation has allowed us to work on even the most unwilling and anxious children. This ensures that they undergo any necessary dental procedure without stress, fear, or anxiety.

Dental sedation may be necessary to guarantee that your child has a pleasant and pain-free experience while at our dentistry.

The types of sedation used may vary from moderate conscious or oral sedation for dental fear to more complex IV and general anesthesia sedation. The type of sedation used is determined by several factors such as:

• The complexity of the dental procedure being undertaken
• The severity of your child’s dental phobia or anxiety
• If our patient has special needs
• A medical history of reacting to any form of sedation

Benefits of Pediatric Sedation Dentistry

Here are some key benefits of sedation in pediatric patients:

• Managing Dental Phobias

Sedation dentistry allows us to work on our patients who suffer from dental phobia and anxiety. Sedation makes children remain calm and relaxed while undergoing their necessary dental procedures.

Sedation ensures that our patients have a stress-free and less traumatic time while at our dentistry, helping them start dealing with the fact that the dentist’s office is not such a bad place after all.

• Allows Us to Deliver Quality Treatment

Because patients remain calm under sedation, our dentist can complete dental procedures without resistance or interruptions. Squirming children can compromise the ability of the dentist to work efficiently and deliver good dental services.

Sedation enables our dentists to work through the procedure seamlessly and safely.

• Procedures Take Less Time to Complete

Children tend to get restless quite quickly. Putting them under sedation allows our dentist to work uninterrupted and promptly. This ensures that you do not have to make multiple dental visits to complete one dental procedure.

• Allows Us to Work With Special Needs Children

Dental sedation has made it possible for us to conduct necessary and routine dental care on our special needs patients who might not know and understand what is going on or what to expect.

IV Sedation and Its Benefits

If your child has to undergo a complicated dental procedure, they will be put under IV sedation. Here are some of its benefits:

• Dosages can be easily adjusted during the procedure
• The patient is conscious during the procedure
• It’s a fast-acting form of sedation
• More effective than oral or inhalation sedation techniques
• A viable alternative to general anesthesia

At Sunny Smiles Kids, our dental team is trained and certified to execute sedation dentistry. Visit us today and let us make your child’s dental experience a stress-free affair.

Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with the correction, prevention, and development of teeth, jaws, and bite irregularities. However, children between the ages of 10 to 14 years are the perfect candidates for orthodontic treatment and braces. Orthodontists correct the following problems:

The process of correcting teeth alignment is the same, regardless of the patient’s age. Issues such as crowded or crooked teeth manifest due to a shortage of space or jaw development.

In young kids, this problem can be identified before the growth of their permanent teeth. This allows for early intervention, thus securing space for adult teeth and saving your child from wearing conventional braces.

This defect is corrected by the use of removable plates that are adjustable. The plates help the jaws to grow and develop to the right shapes and sizes, creating the required space.

With orthodontics, every case is different and unique in its own way. This calls for proper assessment and treatment for the patient.

Signs That Will Tell Your Child Needs to See an Orthodontist

If your child has any of the symptoms below, then he or she will benefit from the services of an orthodontist near you even if they are below 7 years of age:

How Will Your Kid Benefit from Orthodontic Treatment?

When you visit a dental clinic for the first time with your child, he/she will receive a thorough mouth, teeth, and jaw examination. The practitioner may ask you several questions regarding your child’s health conditions. In order to see the positioning of the teeth, an x-ray will be required. After a complete evaluation, your child’s practitioner will decide what restorative option is best to go for.

Types of Braces for Your Kid

The common types of braces are:

1. Traditional braces

This is the most common and widespread braces for kids, and it is also the cheapest available option. Braces are used to correct tooth alignment problems by exerting pressure on the tooth, forcing it to move to its natural position.

Children mostly need braces that have brackets, rubber bands, and wires. The rubber bands and wires are connected to the bracket that is attached to teeth. Over time, the wires are tightened little by little lining the teeth properly. The rubber bands are appealing to kids due to their variety of colors. The kids get to pick the choice of their color.

The time under treatment usually takes 18 to 24 months. These braces are efficient in teeth straightening and can solve almost all types of teeth alignment issues.

Children will need assistance to brush teeth and clean the braces. To make the cleaning easy, you can use an electric toothbrush customized for kids.

2. Ceramic

These braces perform similar functions with traditional braces. The difference is that ceramic braces are made of less noticeable materials. They will either be tooth-colored or clear in order to blend in with your child’s teeth. Ceramic braces are also efficient in covering spaces at the front teeth.

3. Invisalign®

Invisalign helps straighten teeth by using a series of clear, removable, plastic aligners that are custom made. The following are some of the advantages they offer to children:

• It allows continuous teeth eruption
• Are less likely to be noticed
• They are removable
• It does not make teeth cleaning difficult

This treatment is an excellent option for kids who are sensitive about their appearance.

4. Lingual

These type of braces use metal wires and brackets which are tucked behind your child’s teeth. This makes it difficult for anyone to notice them. Another advantage is that the stains that form due to poor oral health care will not be visible. This option is, however, not suitable for people with small teeth, particularly children.

Traditional Braces Vs. Clear Braces

Traditional braces are more efficient than clear braces, especially in children. The secret behind this is that metallic braces exert more pressure than the latter, thus moving teeth to their natural position quicker.

Visit Sunny Smiles Kids dental clinic in Del Mar, CA, with your kid for a check-up. We also offer treatment for all types of orthodontic issues.

Tips on weaning your child from the pacifier, including different approaches that can reduce stress for both kids and parents when trying to “ban the binky!”

By AAPD President Dr. Ed Moody

Many parents are thankful for the invention of pacifiers that can help calm and soothe fussy babies. Infants often use a pacifier or suck on a thumb for comfort, security, or simply as a method to make contact with the world. Some babies begin to suck on their fingers or thumbs even before birth! The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends a pacifier over a thumb to comfort new babies since a pacifier habit is easier to break at an earlier age.

Why does this matter?

The sucking reflex is completely normal, and many children will stop sucking on thumbs, pacifiers, or other objects on their own between 2 and 4 years of age.  Frequent pacifier use over a longer period can affect the way a child’s teeth bite together and the growth of the jaw. The upper teeth may tip outward or become crooked, and other changes in tooth position or jaw alignment could occur. Intervention may be recommended for children beyond three years of age. The earlier a child can stop a sucking habit, the less chance it will lead to orthodontic problems down the road.

My child won’t give up their pacifier – what do I do?

Some parents swear by cold turkey, while others have gradually weaned their children off pacifiers. Below are some techniques to help your infant give up the Binky for good. But no matter which route you take, remember that pediatric dentists will be an invaluable resource for guidance and recommendations on the best approach to quit the pacifier as the experts in little teeth.

Ask your pediatric dentist.

A pediatric dentist can encourage children to stop a sucking habit and discuss each child’s particular situation. This, along with support from parents and caregivers, helps many children quit their pacifier and thumb-sucking habits. If your child needs further encouragement, pediatric dentists can also recommend behavior modification techniques to persuade children to quit the pacifier for good.

Offer an alternative

What causes your child to cry out for their beloved Binky? Once you’ve identified which situations trigger your child’s desire for a pacifier, be ready to replace it with comfort and reassurance. It can be helpful to swap out the pacifier with a transitional object such as a cuddly doll or stuffed toy. Additionally, distracting your child with a fun activity can help take their mind off the desired Binky. Be sure to offer positive reinforcement and praise when your child sleeps through the night or self-soothes without his pacifier.

Time to get creative

If you’re still running into roadblocks, it’s time to put a creative spin on the “bye-bye Binky” process. One idea is to take your child and pacifier to the store to pick out a new toy to replace their pacifier. Many experienced store clerks are used to this trick and are willing to play along when your child “trades in” the pacifier for a new toy of her choosing. Other parents have thrown a “Goodbye Binky” party, set out the pacifier for the Binky Fairy, or donated the Binky to children who need it.

Use a countdown

If your child is resisting the idea of losing their pacifier, try making the process into a game. Similar to the graphic shown on this page, create a countdown game where you tell the child that over the next three to four weeks, Binky will be shrinking. The first week, cut a very small hole in the top of the pacifier. Be careful to make clean cuts that do not leave any part of the pacifier hanging, which could break off in your child’s mouth. Continue to cut a portion of Binky off each week until there is no longer anything left for your child to suck on. This is a great way to separate your child’s association from someone taking the pacifier away to the pacifier just breaking on its own. In the end, you can tell your child it’s time to bid Binky bye-bye.

Timing is key

Whether you decide to wean or go cold turkey gradually, make sure to time it right. Try not to take away the pacifier during life changes, major transitions, or traveling to avoid further stress on the process. Once you’ve made the plan to ditch the pacifier, make sure all caregivers are on board and stick with it! If you choose to remove the pacifier gradually, try limiting use to nap time and bedtime at first. Or, let your child use the pacifier for short periods if you feel he particularly needs it, and gradually shorten the frequency and length of time the pacifier is used.

If you decide to go cold turkey, be sure to collect all pacifiers around the house – the last thing you need is your little one finding a pacifier the week after she gave it up and going back to square one! If you need additional ideas on how to wean your child off the pacifier, be sure to ask your pediatric dentist or visit mychildrensteeth.org for further tips and a pediatric dentist locator to find a pediatric dentist near you.

There are a lot of great general practitioners in the world of dentistry, but specialization delivers great quality services to different types of patients. Just as you would trust a cosmetic dentist with veneers and other appearance issues, you should trust a pediatric dentist with your children’s dental health. At Sunny Smiles Kids Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, we make sure that your kids are comfortable the entire time they’re in the chair. We can do this thanks to our highly trained staff along with Dr. Jackie’s expertise, specifically regarding children’s dental issues.

How are Kids’ Teeth Different?

For one, children’s teeth are not permanent. This means there are lots of different hygiene and eruption issues than what adults deal with. A popular misconception is that kids won’t suffer from bad dental hygiene because they’ll eventually lose their teeth. That’s not true. This hygiene affects the eruption of teeth. Using cutting edge technology, we can see how children’s teeth look long before they erupt. This allows us to clear any space needed so teeth can properly erupt instead of dealing with a problem as the tooth erupts. Because kids lose their teeth, we must be very aware of how their new teeth come into the mouth.

What is an example of a Pediatric Treatment?

One of the best examples of pediatric treatments is our BPA-free sealants. When adult teeth come in the mouth, they require thoughtful brushing. Kids are not always the best brushers, and that’s ok. Sealants are applied to the crown of the tooth and essentially catch all the particulates before they can get into the different crevices of the tooth and cause problems with the permanent teeth. Sealants, like much of pediatric dentistry, involve getting our little patients the care they need to have a lifetime of healthy teeth.

Conclusion

As stated earlier, there are a lot of great general dentists, but your kids don’t have adult teeth. It’s important to get them set up for a lifetime of dental health, and experts in pediatric dentistry do just that.

Shaped like your child’s favorite action heroes and in every vibrant color imaginable, sippy cups seem like an innocent way to prevent spills. But with increased cavities and speech issues abound, pediatric dentists have recent research suggesting that what was once a friend is now a foe.

Of course, sippy cups can play an integral role in your child’s development. But in light of these recent developments, it’s important to know how to properly use them and to be aware of potential problems that can occur due to misuse.

How is Sippy Cups Supposed to be Used?

Sippy cups are a parent’s dream. After all, they allow children to take care of themselves and transition to adult cups easier than they would otherwise be able to. However, sippy cups weren’t developed or intended for prolonged use, no matter the level of convenience they offer.

In fact, sippy cups should be used as a transitional tool to wean children off of bottles until they’re able to use an adult cup. Most often, this means that sippy cup usage should stop between the ages of one and two, depending upon a child’s motor development.

Common Health Concerns Associated With Sippy Cups

Many parents understand that sippy cups can be problematic when used improperly, but not as many recognize the primary health concerns that can surface due to improper use:

• Tooth Decay – Sugary substances in your child’s sippy cup will feed the oral bacteria in his/her mouth, thereby weakening the enamel and causing decay.
• Speech Difficulties – Sippy cups can cause speech issues. This can happen when a child drinks from a cup as if it were a bottle, displacing the tongue and pushing out the teeth, which can result in a lisp or other articulation complications.

Turning a Common Foe Back Into a Friend

A quick online search will turn up dozens of articles telling you that sippy cups are an absolute foe, but it isn’t that simple. While it’s true that sippy cups can cause problems, proper usage makes them a friend and asset as you transition your child into adult cups.

So, how can you turn this foe into a friend once again? Here are a few suggestions:

• Choose the Right Sippy Cup – Not all sippy cups are created equal. Try to purchase ones that have a spout and two handles to promote motor development. As your child ages, you may even want to purchase a sippy cup with a straw rather than a spout. Also, if you’re using a sippy cup for juice, it’s beneficial to avoid “no-spill valves” as valves can concentrate sugary fluid on your child’s teeth over a longer period of time.
• Limit Time With the Sippy Cup – Some kids will run around all day with their cups if you let them! Instead, take the cup away when your child is finished.
• Offer Juice Only at Mealtimes – If you want to offer juice to your child, do so at mealtimes only. Increased saliva production will help break down the sugars and rinse them away to prevent tooth decay.
• Minimize Sugary Liquids – Instead of juice, opt for water during the day and at bedtime.

Friend or Foe: You Decide

A sippy cup can be your best friend or worst enemy: it all depends on how you use it.

By keeping the tips above in mind, your little one can enjoy his/her favorite sippy cups and you can rest assured that his/her teeth and development won’t be derailed in the process.

The loss of baby teeth can be a big milestone in your child’s development. While it can be unsettling for children to lose the baby teeth they’ve become accustomed to, the appearance of permanent adult teeth is an important experience for them. As they start to lose baby teeth, parents will want to do their best to guide their child through the experience and instill proper dental care techniques for the years to come. Tooth fairy conversations aside, here are some important tips parents need to know when their child begins to lose baby teeth.

Basics

While children don’t necessarily have a set date on when they begin to lose baby teeth, most parents can expect the first tooth to fall out around age six. Front teeth generally fall out first. The last teeth, usually molars, tend to fall out around age twelve. No child follows an exact schedule, and if your child seems behind schedule, there’s no need to worry. Once a tooth starts to get loose, it can fall out rapidly, or it may take many weeks for it to finally fall out. Baby teeth generally fall out in the same order as the first teeth appeared. That first cute front tooth your infant received years before is usually the first to go. Knowing all these facts will help you know what to expect and how to comfort your child once the process begins.

Development Issues

While in most circumstances parents need not worry about the timeline of events that take place around adult teeth replacing baby teeth, there are a few things to carefully monitor. First, if your child loses a tooth very early, say age four, it’s best to take them to the dentist to get it checked out. In some cases, the child may lose the tooth due to decay or damage, and this can impact future development if not cared for. The other warning sign of improper development is how long it takes for the adult tooth to come in after the baby tooth has fallen out. If it takes six months or longer for that adult tooth to appear, you’ll want to schedule an appointment to make sure nothing is impeding its progress.

In short, it is wise for parents to monitor the loss of baby teeth and note the schedule of what falls out. This way you aren’t playing a guessing game on the development of adult teeth. Most parents do this by way of the tooth fairy, which is a fun way for children to interact with losing baby teeth.

Care

While most of the process of losing baby teeth will occur on its own, there are some care tips you’ll want to pass along to your child. First, when they lose a tooth, it’s natural for some bleeding to occur. Be sure to create a calm environment where there is no panic over blood in the mouth. Your child can rinse with warm water to help speed the process. You can also clean the area with a warm washcloth after the tooth has fallen out.

Generally, your child will want to resume normal brushing and flossing habits after the tooth has fallen out, but make sure they don’t focus too much on the area of the lost tooth. Some children have a tendency to brush hard around the area of the lost tooth, and this can cause discomfort or irritation on the gums. You should join your child the next time they brush their teeth and explain this. They can also floss normally, and ask them to skip the sensitive area where the tooth has fallen out for a few days.

Losing Teeth Is Normal

It is natural for children to lose baby teeth, but some may be embarrassed by that gap in their teeth when they go to school. It’s important to explain that everyone loses teeth in this way, and a new tooth is on the way to replace it. This is also a great time to gently remind your child that adult teeth are permanent and they’ll get no more replacements, so proper dental habits are more important than ever.

Final Thoughts On Baby Teeth

Watching your child lose their baby teeth can be an endearing experience, and it’s one you’ll certainly want to guide your children through. Celebrate each tooth loss with your child, and make sure they understand the process is natural, even if it can be a little unsettling. Finally, don’t forget to instill those proper dental care habits in your children now, because they’ll be even more important in the years to come. If you think your child’s adult teeth aren’t coming in properly, or they’re simply due for a checkup, be sure to contact Sunny Smiles Kids Pediatric Dentistry to schedule an appointment!

Many of us remember getting a little “help” with loose baby teeth when we were young.  It wasn’t uncommon for strings to be tied to teeth and attached to other objects to make things move a tad quicker.  Most children begin to lose their primary teeth around 5 or 6 years old, making room for the adult teeth growing behind them.  But when your child has a loose baby tooth, should you pull it?

Generally, the answer is no. Parents that pull a tooth that may be less than ready to come out face the risk of damage to sensitive tissue, the possibility of infection, bleeding, and pain.  The best policy is patience and allowing your child to play with the tooth themselves. Children are naturally curious about their loose teeth and will often wiggle them and play with them until it falls out on their own.  Sometimes parents are afraid that their child might swallow a tooth that’s been ready to come out.  If this happens, your child won’t choke, and it’s very unlikely that problems can occur – except for possibly disappointing the tooth fairy!

Please don’t fall for it, parents! Just because baby teeth are temporary doesn’t mean they don’t matter. Despite what naysayers and wishful thinkers might have you believe, forgetting to care for primary teeth comes at a steep price for your child.

If you’re questioning whether it’s worth wrangling your little one into a dental routine now, these facts prove that adopting good habits early on can pay off big time for your child’s oral health down the road.

1: Baby teeth help shape your child’s speech.

Forming and pronouncing words correctly depends largely on the presence and alignment of baby teeth. Premature loss of any primary teeth can result in speech impediments such as a slur or lisp and negatively impact a child’s ability to communicate and self-esteem. Depending on the severity of the case, a speech pathologist may be required to help correct the problem(s).

2: Baby teeth facilitate proper chewing and eating.

In addition to efficiently breaking down solid foods, chewing correctly is important for other reasons. Tooth loss and alignment issues can cause unnecessary stress to the jaw and serious complications over time. Chewing problems can also interfere with the development of key facial muscles. Improper chewing can even contribute to nutritional imbalance if poor oral health impacts food choices.

3: Baby teeth act as a placeholder for permanent teeth.

Permanent teeth will emerge, but how and where has a lot to do with your child’s first set of pearly whites. Each primary tooth reserves a spot for a permanent tooth, but the loss of this initial placeholder can cause shifting and result in harmful misalignments. Cosmetic issues aside, misaligned teeth can make brushing and flossing more difficult, result in crowded and impacted teeth, and contribute to jaw disorders such as TMJ.

4: Maintaining healthy baby teeth helps to instill effective dental habits.

I am teaching the ins and outs of good oral hygiene can lifelong impact your child. Introducing healthy dental habits early on can solidify the importance of preventative dental care, making it easier for them to stick with these habits throughout adulthood. This can mean a lifetime of optimal oral health and significantly reduced chances for costly dental problems.

Dental Tips for Baby Teeth

Brushing and flossing may not be your child’s favorite activity, but introducing healthy habits when the first tooth appears can make it easier for both parent and child to stick to a routine.

While there is no set timeline for baby teeth to erupt, here are some general guidelines the American Dental Association provides for cleaning and caring for baby teeth:

• From birth (no teeth present): wipe gums clean with a moistened gauze or cloth
• Ages 0-3 (teeth present): brush twice daily with a tiny dab of fluoride toothpaste*
• Ages 3-6: brush twice a day, but use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste
• Any age when teeth touch each other: add flossing to your daily routine

Paying a visit to the pediatric dentist before your child’s first birthday and getting regular checkups are also crucial to their oral health. Certain in-office treatments and instructions for at-home care may be recommended depending on your child’s situation.

*Note: If you feel your child will swallow the fluoride toothpaste, use no more than one rice grain twice daily or substitute it with non-fluoride toothpaste.

Parents, in particular, want to know: does DNA predetermine dental health? It’s the classic nature vs. nurture question that dentists get asked often, but the answer doesn’t simply boil down to one or the other. The scary truth is that many dental problems are indeed “inherited”–but not from genetics alone! Harmful habits that run in the family can also play a huge role in the health of your child’s smile. Find out which oral issues you could be passing down, and what you can do about them.

DNA-Driven Dental Issues

Even before birth, the stage has already been set for certain aspects of your child’s oral health. Ultimately, your child’s genes dictate the likelihood for common issues such as:

• Jaw-related Disorders: The size and position of one’s jaws, as well as overall facial structure, are hereditary traits that can cause a number of bite complications (or “malocclusions”). Overbites or underbites caused by uneven jaws can lead to chewing and speech difficulties, and result in chronic pain and/or Temporomandibular Jaw Disorder (“TMJ”) if left untreated.
• Tooth Misalignments: Spacing problems, either due to missing or overcrowded teeth, are oral issues that have been hardwired in a person even before the emergence of teeth. Cases where people lack some (“Anodontia”) or all (“Hypodontia”) permanent teeth can threaten gum and jaw health, as can instances of “supernumerary” teeth, in which extra teeth erupt.
• Weak Tooth Enamel: Though rare, it is possible for tooth enamel to be defective, or develop abnormally. Dentin, which makes up the protective enamel covering of teeth, may not be produced or mineralize at normal levels, leaving teeth vulnerable to decay, sensitivity, and damage.
• Predisposition To Oral Cancer: Genetic mutations and the presence of oncogenes, a type of gene that transforms healthy cells into cancerous ones, can increase the risk for cancer by interfering with the body’s ability to metabolize certain carcinogens.

From serious conditions such as a cleft palate to occasional aggravations like canker sores, many other oral issues may be linked to genetics. Keeping track and sharing the family’s health history with your child’s dentist can help detect and treat inherited conditions as early as possible.

Behavioral Risks

DNA may deal with your child some unavoidable complications, but when it comes to tooth decay and gum disease, learned habits and tendencies shoulder much more of the blame, including:

• “Oversharing”: Harmful oral bacteria from a loved one can easily colonize and overtake your little one’s mouth from something as simple as sharing food, utensils, or kissing. The inadvertent swapping of saliva can put your child at increased risk for cavities and gingivitis.
• Diet Choices: Satisfying that sweet tooth with sugary, refined treats, or turning to soda and juice for refreshment can create an unhealthy addiction that’s as dangerous to the mouth as it is to the waist. Sugar and acid can eat away at the tooth enamel, causing cavities and tooth sensitivity. Exposure to certain chemicals and ingredients can also cause discoloration.
• Bad Hygiene: Last, but certainly not least, lacking a good dental routine can wreak havoc on teeth and gums. Failing to follow through on brushing and flossing twice a day (or as recommended by the dentist) can create a haven for cavities and periodontitis, not to mention halitosis.

Leading by example is an easy, effective way to teach your child the importance of oral health while benefitting the whole family.

Stay One Step Ahead

Every parent wants the best for his or her child–including a healthy smile. With so many potential problems that can be passed down, protecting your child’s oral health is not easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. Seek the help of your pediatric dentist near you for optimal professional and at-home dental care. Treating existing issues early on and teaching your child to make dental-friendly decisions can provide lifelong benefits to his or her health.