As a parent, you want your child to have the healthiest teeth possible. Here are some tips for you to consider as you strive to help your child achieve this oral health goal.
Teach oral hygiene
Helping your children take care of their teeth should start at a very early age, so that proper hygiene habits are learned and practiced throughout life. Begin brushing their gums with a soft toothbrush even before the first tooth erupts to prevent bacteria from building up. Once your child is old enough to brush, allow them to do it with supervision until about age eight. Also teach your child to floss properly as part of a daily dental care routine.
Choose the right toothpaste
Look for the key ingredient of fluoride in toothpaste, which helps fight bacteria and plaque. When your child is young, supervise the use of fluoride toothpaste so that none is swallowed.
Visit the dentist
Begin taking your child for dental visits around their first birthday, and continue with regular checkups twice a year. Early dental visits help your child become comfortable with the process, and allow the dentist to watch for oral health problems so that they can be treated as soon as possible.
Avoid bedtime bottles
Do not give your child bottles filled with milk, fruit juice, or soda at bedtime. The sugars in these drinks can harm teeth and cause decay, and prolonged exposure to them such as overnight makes it even more hazardous.
Consider sealants
Ask your dentist about applying sealants to your child’s teeth in order to help prevent decay and cavities. Usually applied by your dentist to the chewing surfaces of back teeth, sealants help keep food and bacteria out of areas where decay most often occurs. Sealants are a painless way to help protect your child’s teeth.
Most orthodontists recommend that you take your child for their first visit around age seven. That may seem early since your child is still losing baby teeth, but many conditions can be identified by this age. Early treatment may be helpful in preventing worse problems later. Here are some things that an orthodontist will look for in your child, with the goal of making their smile as beautiful as possible in the end.
Tooth loss and eruption
Because teeth should usually be lost in a certain order, changes from this pattern may point to developmental issues. The same thing goes for tooth eruption, so your orthodontist will watch to make sure teeth are coming in appropriately. If there are more or less teeth than expected, your child may have issues with crowding, extra, or missing teeth. Your orthodontist might suggest removing a baby tooth early or holding an empty space where a tooth came out so that the rest of the teeth will fit correctly.
Alignment
Crooked teeth are more likely to wear unevenly, and the gums may also be damaged. Even though teeth can be aligned later, it’s often best to begin correction before teeth and gums are harmed. Also, your child’s self-esteem may benefit by having teeth that aren’t so noticeably misaligned.
Spacing and crowding
It’s possible by age seven to determine if your child’s teeth are excessively crowded or spaced. Gaps can result from early tooth loss, undeveloped teeth, or small teeth. Crowding may require tooth extraction or arch expansion to make room for all of your child’s teeth.
Bites
The severity of bite issues can be reduced by orthodontic treatment at an age as young as seven. Even though permanent correction might not be achieved until growth is complete, there are actions that can be taken while your child is still growing. This is true for all kinds of bite problems, including overbites, underbites, and crossbites.
A smile can say so many things, from expressing feelings like joy to love to laughter. When you’re unhappy with your smile, however, it can mask your feelings if you’re unwilling to express yourself in that way. The good news is that modern dentistry can transform your smile into one that’s dazzling and beautiful, that you can be proud to show off. Dentists no longer just deal with tooth decay and root canals, but they can perform entire smile makeovers.
What is a smile makeover?
A smile makeover means creating a brand new smile for you. It’s similar to going to your hairstylist or makeup artist, who both can alter your appearance to meet your desires. Having your dentist alter your smile may be more time-consuming than those examples, but the results will likely be dramatic and amazing.
What are some smile makeover techniques?
• Teeth whitening – if your teeth are stained or discolored, the first place to start is with teeth whitening. Your dentist can offer tips about a variety of whitening possibilities and the one that might work best for you.
• Veneers – tooth-colored porcelain veneers may be bonded to the front of your teeth to improve their appearance. Veneers can change the shape and color of your teeth that can create a perfect smile and more youthful appearance.
• Gum contouring – if your gums are either too high or too low on your teeth, gum contouring can even out your gum lines. This corrects the appearance that your teeth are too long due to receding gums, or the look that your teeth are too small because your gums are covering more of your teeth than they should.
How do I begin the smile makeover process?
The first step is to see your dentist to discuss your desires and which dental treatments might help you achieve a winning smile. Many improvements are possible with modern technology and equipment, so it’s just a matter of working with your dentist to create your new smile.
Teenagers are known for being busy and distracted, rushing from one thing to another. They often neglect things that they don’t realize are important parts of keeping healthy. One of the aspects of their lives that teens don’t make time for is properly taking care of their teeth. Here are some ways to help keep your teen’s mouth in good shape.
Brushing and flossing
The best way for your teen to avoid cavities is to brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, and floss once a day. Even though teenagers find it tempting to skip these dental hygiene steps, the payoff of having a mouth full of healthy and sparkling teeth will be worth it.
Nutritious diet
Cutting down on sugary foods and drinks is another way to protect teeth. Teens often grab quick snacks on the run, and are inclined to reach for items that don’t have much nutritional value. Try to keep a supply of foods that appeal to your teen without endangering their oral health.
Sealants
Dental sealants are a plastic coating that a dentist applies to teeth to create a barrier that protects teeth from developing cavities. They are usually applied to chewing surfaces of back teeth and to grooves in teeth. It’s a quick and easy process that can provide additional protection against tooth decay.
Mouth guards
Teens who are involved in sports or activities like skateboarding should wear a mouth guard to protect their teeth against injury. They are the best way to avoid broken or knocked out teeth, and also to protect the mouth and face from harm. Your dentist can recommend the best type of mouth guard for your teenager.
First introduced in 1999, Invisalign offers adult patients the chance to enjoy perfect smiles without the discomfort or embarrassment of traditional metal braces. Using a series of clear, custom aligners, the Invisalign system applies gentle pressure to move teeth into the proper position. Often, Invisalign takes only 12 to 18 months, a shorter time frame than regular orthodontic treatment.
Invisalign was originally created for adults that had no ongoing jaw development and all their permanent teeth. Recently, the company has produced Invisalign Teen, designed to address the special needs of younger patients. With Invisalign Teen, non-adult patients can enjoy the flexibility and ease of the clear aligners.
Certain features are specific to Invisalign Teen. For instance, this product has specially engineered eruption tabs, which compensate for erupting second molars. As well, the design incorporates power ridges to help with certain difficult tooth movements, and compliance indicators provide a visual cue of patient wear, allowing orthodontists and parents to monitor their teens.
Points to consider about Invisalign Teen:
• For best results, your teen should wear the aligners 20 to 22 hours a day, taking them out only to eat and brush.
• Your teen will wear each set of aligners for about two weeks and then move on to the next group in the series.
• With Invisalign Teen, there is little maintenance. Your teen will visit the orthodontist approximately every six weeks to monitor progress and to receive the next sets of aligners.
• Oral hygiene is easier with Invisalign Teen because the aligners can be removed for brushing and flossing. Patients also won’t have to deal with broken brackets or lose wires.
HappInvisalign for Teens at Mehdi Fotovat DDS in Valley Village CA
