Pediatric Dentistry

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.

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.

Babies grow so fast! It seemed like yesterday you first looked at that cute little face welcoming the world with a large, toothless smile.

As the first few months passed, you got used to the causes of your baby’s discomfort and learned how to make things easier for him.

Around six months, a new challenge appears for both you and your baby: teething. Once you notice the first signs of teething, you can start preparing for more or less discomfort. Here is what you need to know about teething.

Signs That Your Baby Is Teething

When your baby is so small that they cannot express themself other than through crying, it might be difficult sometimes to identify the causes of his discomfort, especially if you are a first-time mom. With teething, the signs are quite clear but can be confused for something else and overlooked, especially if the baby doesn’t react too bad or he just has an unusual teething pattern.

You should expect the first tooth to emerge around 6-7 months, but signs can be observed much earlier than that, even at 4 months old. You will likely notice:

• Excessive drooling

• Baby chews everything he can find, sometimes with determination

• Troubled sleep, waking up from sleep crying

• Refusing to eat solids, nursing much more than usual

• Baby puts his hands in his mouth, producing a lot of saliva

• Side-effects of chewing so many objects can be diarrhea and/or little red bumps around the mouth – they are both caused by bacteria entering the system, so make sure you sanitize the objects used for comfort and your baby’s hands

• Red, swollen gums, white tissue observed under the gum (it’s the tooth,) skin tags that seem to hang from the gum, bleeding

Solutions for Teething Discomfort

When it comes to the itchiness and pain caused by teething, there are many solutions you can use to alleviate your baby’s discomfort. Here are some suggestions:

• Breastfeed whenever needed, especially if your baby refuses to eat solids. If your baby is not breastfed, observe how well he feeds on formula and offer foods that help him comfort (see below.)

• Foods that help alleviate pain and discomfort: yogurt popsicles, raw fruit, and vegetables from the fridge, soft foods, spring onions, etc. Avoid foods that can scratch the gums, like toast or breadsticks.

• Over the counter medication and gels for teething – speak with your docotor before using those, because many of them contain lidocaine and other strong anesthetics that might be just a bit too much for your baby. 

• Teething toys: rings filled with water that you can put in the fridge, teething collars (wood, silicone, crochet beads,) natural rubber toys like Sophie the Giraffe.

Teething goes well until your baby is 2-3 years old, so eventually, you will become an expert at helping them get over their discomfort. It is good to know that the first teeth cause less pain than the next ones, and canines and molars can be quite a challenge. Make sure you eliminate other causes of discomfort if your baby seems to be struggling a lot and keep them happy and calm through this tough and exciting period of their childhood. 

Pediatric Dentist St. Louis

Your child’s initial oral examination will include a visual examination, charting, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. We work hard to make your child feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere. Depending on your child’s circumstances, we will discuss if sedation or anesthesia is right for your child.

Call us today to schedule your appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!

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A parent’s job never ends when it comes to health education, but we sometimes make mistakes even when we are driven by the best intentions in the world.

When it comes to your child’s diet, choosing the healthiest options is not always easy. Cooking at home is not always possible and toddlers are known to prefer foods like chicken nuggets, fries and bread, and ignore everything else. A parent’s job never ends when it comes to health education, but we sometimes make mistakes even when we are driven by the best intentions in the world.

This applies to what we feed our children, too. While trying to offer them a healthy, balanced diet full of nutritious meals and organic produce, we might ignore some habits that are actually bad for your children’s health.

Sugar is the main culprit when it comes to unhealthy diet choices for children. The vast majority of the products that are marketed towards children are packed with refined sugar and processed fats, making them a poor choice even for adults. Actually, even when you totally avoid processed foods and you only give your kids food made from scratch, you might still make a few mistakes and offer them too much sugar unknowingly.

Here are five sneaky sugar offenders you should avoid feeding your child.

Dried Fruit

You may think that you are only offering fruit to your child and that it doesn’t have any added sugar, but in fact, dried fruit is a snack that is very high in sugar and should be offered in very limited amounts, or not at all. It may be good as an ingredient in a trail mix when your kids need extra energy.

Flavored Yogurt

Besides fruit puree, flavored yogurt has added sugar and other ingredients that your kid can skip. If your child doesn’t like plain yogurt, it’s a better idea to just add pureed fruit yourself.

Granola and Granola Bars

Granola seems like an ideal choice for your child’s breakfast or mid-day snack, but it is, in fact, one of the sneaky sugar sources we might offer them without knowing. Most granola mix has an added sweetener.

Flavored Milk

Flavored milk is not such a sneaky sugar source, just as flavored yogurt, but many parents are tempted to offer it to their children because it is marketed towards children. It’s generally best to avoid flavored milk and offer plain milk instead. If you must, you can add pureed strawberries, vanilla beans or carob powder for extra flavor.

Smoothies and Juices

One of the sneakiest sources of sugar in a child’s diet are fruit juices and smoothies. According to the World Health Organisation, fruit should be offered as it is, instead of juicing or turning it into smoothies, because of the high sugar amount that is released when breaking the fibers, and the ease with which a child can ingest several fruits when they are not actually chewing them.

Sugar can lead to many health problems for your children, some that may last a lifetime. It is best to avoid any added sugar for as long as possible, which in turn will create a healthy preference for good diet choices. Eliminate sneaky sugar sources from your child’s diet and you will notice how the effects of the sugar excess will disappear.