Pediatric Dentistry

Is There a Link Between Childhood Obesity and Oral Health?

September 26, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

Talk to your child’s pediatrician and their pediatric dentist about how to implement good eating habits.

Child obesity is an increasing problem in our modern society. More often than not it is associated with unhealthy eating habits and a poor example set by parents, role models and peers. Obesity in children can lead to many problems that manifest directly or over the years. Could there be a link between poor oral health and child obesity?

If your child has gained some weight and you start noticing that their figure is modifying, it is best to ask your pediatrician if there is any reason for concern. Depending on the child’s age, his weight may or may not be excessive.

As a child grows older, the weight and height graphs modify, so make sure you use the right measurement and reference system to determine if your kid truly has a weight problem. The BMI score is one of the indicators that can lead to obesity diagnosis. BMI (Body Mass Index) shows the proportion between the child’s weight and his height.

What Are the Leading Causes of Child Obesity?

There are many reasons your child may gain an unhealthy amount of weight. First of all, you need to evaluate the family’s eating habits. Do you often eat out or prepare highly processed meals? Are you drinking large amounts of soda drinks or fruit juice? Do you indulge, often in sweets or fatty snacks? These habits can lead to a weight problem not only for your child but for all the members of your family too.

Another leading cause of childhood obesity is the lack of proper exercise. Children are increasingly giving away their physical activities in favor of playing video games indoors. If they spend too much time indoors, they lack the minimum amount of effort needed to stay in shape.

If your child is obese despite having a healthy diet and a proper amount of daily exercise, you might want to investigate possible hormonal causes.

Is Child Obesity Linked to Oral Health?

A study conducted in 2017 by the University of Gothenburg explored the possible links between childhood obesity and oral health problems. The study showed that children who had the most risks of having cavities also had unhealthy eating habits and weight problems.

To put it simply, children who have unhealthy eating habits may also be more prone to having oral health problems. Eating too much sugar leads to child obesity as well as cavities. One of the solutions proposed by the researchers conducting the study was to bring the discussion about child obesity into the dentist office. If dentists would be more involved in promoting good eating habits, child obesity may be easier to prevent.

If you are interested in your child’s health, giving your child a proper diet, proper amounts of exercise and promoting good oral health habits are essential. Talk to your child’s pediatrician and their pediatric dentist about how to implement good eating habits.

“There’s a Gap Between My Baby’s Front Teeth – Should I Worry?”

September 13, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

In many cases, the gap between the front baby teeth is harmless and it will disappear once the adult teeth emerge.

Your child’s smile might simply be the best thing in the world for you! However, many parents are often worried about the development of their baby or all the possible issues they may have. Being cautious is not a bad thing unless you start worrying excessively and without having a rational basis for it.

When it comes to your child’s baby teeth, you probably have a lot of questions since the first one emerged. Now you see a gap between your baby’s front teeth, possibly not the only one, and you are wondering if it is normal or not.

Let’s discuss when you may want to have your baby’s gap checked out and when to keep enjoying your little one’s contagious smile.

The Gap is Caused by the Frenulum

The labial frenulum is the small, stringy piece of tissue that connects the upper lip to the gums or the upper maxillary. We all have it. Some individuals have a frenulum that connects to the gum quite low, getting all the way between the two front teeth. Check if that’s the case with your baby, and if you do notice a frenulum that is planted low in the gum, you may have found the cause.

While a front teeth gap only has a cosmetic impact in most cases, a tight frenulum can cause a number of other issues. If you notice other symptoms besides the gap, your child may need a frenectomy. These symptoms include improper latching and painful breastfeeding, difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, issues when weaning. Check with your pediatrician or with a pediatric dentist to get a proper diagnosis.

The Gap is Caused by Small Teeth or Natural Development

In most cases, the gap between the front baby teeth is harmless and it will disappear once the adult teeth emerge. Some babies have small teeth or they simply get them more spaced in the beginning. This is a good thing because it gives them enough room to grow nicely aligned and prepare the ground for beautiful adult teeth.

The Gap Might Be a Sign of Unusual Proportions or Development

If you feel that the gap between your baby’s front teeth is too big and something to worry about, schedule an appointment with your St. Louis pediatric dentist to see if there is an underlying cause for it. In very rare cases, missing teeth, extra teeth or an oversized jaw can cause such a symptom.

Before you stress about it, remember that gaps are often something to be expected and occur in about 40% of children. The best way to eliminate possible issues is to schedule a check-up with your child’s dentist.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please give us a call today at (314) 862-7844.

How to Find the Right Pediatric Dentist for Your Child

September 2, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

How can you tell if a St. Louis pediatric dentist is right for your child? What should be the criteria for choosing one option out of many?

Choosing a dentist for yourself is a big deal: you want someone you click with, you feel comfortable with and you know you can trust. When it comes to choosing a dentist for your child, the selection is even more important.

As adults, we can put up with doctors or other professionals who aren’t necessarily compatible with us on a personal level, but if a child goes to a doctor he doesn’t like, chances are he will loathe going to the doctor in general. Apply this principle to the dentist who is supposed to take care of your child’s teeth and you will soon realize that the process becomes increasingly difficult, as babies or toddlers aren’t generally comfortable with such procedures.

So how can you tell if a St. Louis pediatric dentist is right for your child? What should be the criteria for choosing one option out of many?

They Have Special Pediatric Training

When choosing a dentist for your child, you should narrow your list to those professionals who are trained to work with children. Not all dentists are qualified to treat children, as they would need to know the specific qualities of baby teeth and details about normal development. Besides knowing the medical side of treating a child, a pediatrician dentist will also know how to communicate and bond with children, making things much easier on the little ones.

Their Office Is Colorful, Has Toys and Welcoming Images

When you enter an office you are considering for your child’s future treatment, look around you. A good pediatric dentist’s office should have many attractive elements for children of all ages. A colorful office with toys and children’s furniture will be much easier to adapt to for your kid. Be sure to pay attention to how the staff is interacting with the patients, too. They should be friendly, empathetic and aware of a child’s lack of patience or nervousness.

Do They Choose Less Invasive Treatment?

We know that you hear a lot about baby teeth being temporary, but this does not mean that they are disposable and unimportant. Their health is very important for the health of permanent teeth, so treating them takes dedication and professionalism. A good St. Louis pediatric dentist will choose the least invasive procedure possible, and they will concentrate on preventive treatment.

Is Your Child Comfortable in the Dentist Seat?

We are not talking about the ergonomics of the chair, but how the child feels during the visit and while interacting with the doctor. Your child’s feedback should give you a very good idea of how good the dentist is for them.

Finding the right dentist for your child may take a few tries, but it is worth the effort. The right dentist has a huge contribution to how your child will see dental care and how they will shape their habits later.

Why Does My Child Keep Getting Cavities?

August 29, 2019 by DAC 1 Comment

According to one report, about 42% of kids aged two to 11 get dental cavities.

You are aware of the importance of good oral hygiene habits. So, you brush your toddler’s teeth thoroughly two times a day. You are not giving him any candies or sugary drinks and his diet is overall balanced and healthy. So, why does he keep getting cavities?

The first thing that you need to know is that it’s not unusual. According to one report, about 42% of kids aged two to 11 get dental cavities. It happens so often that cavities are more common than conditions like asthma. Lack of proper oral hygiene, as well as an unhealthy diet, play an important role. However, that’s not the full picture.

How Babies and Toddlers Get Cavities

There is a group of bacteria called streptococcus mutans. The bacteria feed on sugar and produce acid that affects the structure of the teeth. It also creates plaque that erodes the teeth even more, depleting it from calcium. In time, the surface of the teeth is affected and eventually collapses. That’s when you get a cavity.

Babies are born without these bacteria but get infected by their caregivers (most often their mother.) Whenever you are kissing your baby on the mouth, eating with the same spoon or letting him use your toothbrush, you are creating opportunities for the bacteria to populate his mouth. And, if you have cavities yourself, then the chances of passing these bacteria on to them increases considerably.

What You Can Do

The first thing you need to do is to make sure that your toddlers brush his teeth correctly. It can be difficult for babies to understand the concept of cavities and why they need to brush. It’s also uncomfortable for them when someone sticks something into their mouth for no apparent reason. So, try to make brushing as fun as possible.

Here are some ideas:

Sing a song and dance while you are brushing
Let them brush the toy’s teeth first
Let them brush their teeth by himself. Praise him for a good job then tell him that you are just going to make sure that he didn’t miss anything.

It’s Never too Soon to Visit a Dentist

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Association (AAPD) recommends that babies see a dentist by their first birthday. If you wait too long, tooth decay may be well on its way and more difficult to prevent. If you haven’t already, then schedule an appointment with your St. Louis pediatric dentist as soon as possible. They can help you understand what you need to know about how to care for your kid’s pearly whites.

Give us a call today at (314) 862-7844. We’d be happy to help you setup an appointment!

When Is It Too Soon for My Child to Lose His Baby Teeth?

August 19, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

The natural process of losing baby teeth should be expected somewhere around 6 years of age.

Children grow amazingly fast in the first years of life, and parents are sometimes taken by surprise by this rollercoaster of mental leaps and growth spurts that come one after the other. Witnessing such rapid development is a delightful spectacle, but it can also leave some of us a bit confused and unsure of what’s going on with our little ones.

While it is helpful to hear experiences from other parents and look at growth and development charts, comparing your child to others can generally be irrelevant and may even be harmful for your emotions. However, certain standards are meant to be met to rule out any abnormalities and underlying issues.

With baby teeth, it is not possible to predict exactly what the growth rate will be, nor how fast will they be replaced by permanent ones. However, it is good to know that certain exceeded limits can be considered a symptom of a bigger problem.

My Child Lost His Baby Teeth Too Soon

Your St. Louis pediatric dentist will tell you that the natural process of losing baby teeth should be expected somewhere around 6 years of age. If your child is losing one or more of his baby teeth sooner than that, there may be something else causing it.

The main possible causes of premature baby teeth loss are trauma and tooth decay. If the tooth loss is sudden and associated with pain, you should have your child checked by a dentist. They will evaluate the damage and decide how to best handle this situation.

Many parents don’t think that baby teeth are such a big deal since they will be lost anyway. However, their health is crucial to the health of permanent teeth. Baby teeth that are lost too soon may cause a misalignment in permanent teeth, which can lead to bad occlusion, tooth decay, cavities, and so on. So it is not a good decision to just let it be and wait for the problem to pass, as it almost always gets worse if left untreated.

What your St. Louis pediatric dentist can do, however, is to fit your child spacers, braces or other dental fixtures that will keep the proper spacing between the permanent teeth and help them align nicely.

When to Go to the Dentist

Many people go to the dentist only when their problem does not go away and it causes so much pain that they can no longer treat it at home. This approach to oral health is not effective and often leaves you with long term problems and complications. Your child should be seen by a dentist regularly even when there is no apparent problem. Regular check-ups will help the doctor monitor the little one’s development and the health of their teeth and gums.

If you believe that your child has lost a baby tooth too early, don’t hesitate to speak with an experienced dentist. Call The Dental Anesthesia Center at (314) 862-7844.

Is My Kid Too Young for an Electric Toothbrush?

August 16, 2019 by DAC Leave a Comment

As medical advice is often updated with the recommendations parents are often confused with the details of oral hygiene during the first few years of their child’s life.

Parents nowadays understand that good oral hygiene starts in infancy. How you care for your baby’s first pearly whites can set up the foundation of healthy teeth and gums. That is why so many parents today are taking special care of their children’s first contact with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

As medical advice is often updated with the recommendations, not to mention all the folklore it gets buried under, parents are often confused with the details of oral hygiene during the first few years of their child’s life.

Case in point: the electric toothbrush.

Is it a safe alternative for your kid? When can you start using it? This should all be discussed with your pediatric dentist. Until then, here’s a short overview and some general guidelines to consider.

When It’s Safe to Start Using Them

Electric toothbrushes have been used for decades as an alternative to the dull, static traditional toothbrush. The invention of the electric toothbrush gave parents a new tool which helped make brushing fun and effective.

If you are a new parent dealing with your infant’s first steps towards oral care, you’ve probably already received contradicting information about the right moment to start, the techniques that should be used and the right instruments for your child’s age. Quite often, electric toothbrush manufacturers specify that their product should only be used by children over 3.

There are two reasons why the age of 3 was promoted as a minimum requirement to use an electric toothbrush:

Some models have small detachable parts. The manufacturer chooses 3 as a minimum age of use because children are less likely to fall victims of choking hazards.
It is debated whether introducing electric toothbrushes instead of the traditional ones deprives the child of practicing finesse movements and other abilities required for brushing.

These are the two major factors to take into consideration when choosing the right electric toothbrush for your child’s age.

Fortunately, the market has plenty of variety in terms of size, functions, bristle softness, ergonomics, etc. First of all, make sure the electric toothbrush you choose is small enough for your child. Adult electric toothbrushes are generally suitable for children over 6. Younger children should use the right size toothbrush, as indicated by the manufacturer. The handle and the head of the toothbrush will vary, making it suitable for the child’s size and dexterity.

Manufacturers that produce and sell brushes for very small children have introduced safety measures to prevent accidents and injury. However, your child should always be under adult supervision when using a toothbrush of any kind.

You should also supervise and take over the brushing until the child turns 7. Young kids simply cannot maneuver the toothbrush well enough before this age. If you are concerned about the use of electric toothbrushes being too easy, you can alternate between an electric and a traditional toothbrush, making brushing fun with songs, games or props.

Choosing the right toothbrush and brushing your child’s teeth may not be so simple or pleasant from the beginning. Fortunately, we can use today’s latest gadgets to make our lives easier and our smiles brighter.