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Pediatric Dentistry

Is Milk Really Good for Your Child’s Teeth?

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The simple answer is yes! But some parents have heard differently – so why the confusion?

Calcium is a necessary component for building strong teeth and bones, after all, your teeth and bones store 99% of your body’s calcium. A baby’s teeth begin to form while in the womb and for this reason a pregnant mother should be taking the recommended daily allowance of calcium. Then, from infancy and through the teen years, calcium intake continues to be a key element for healthy growth and development.

So, is milk good for your child’s teeth? The simple answer is yes! But some parents have heard differently – so why the confusion?

Is Milk Good for Your Child’s Teeth?

Milk is good for your child’s teeth because it contains important nutrients needed by the bones and teeth. Milk naturally has calcium and phosphate, two compounds that harden the tooth enamel and protect your child’s teeth from cavities.

Giving your child milk and other foods rich in calcium, like oranges, yogurt, canned sardines (bones included,) beans, spinach, soy milk, etc. will ensure that he or she receives the recommended calcium intake. Be careful about giving them an extra dose of calcium, as excess is just as bad as a lack of calcium. Calcium enriched products should only be given when the doctor recommends it based on blood tests that show a need for extra calcium into the body.

It Depends on Certain Circumstances

Milk itself is very good and necessary to create strong teeth but it can cause negative results depending on certain circumstances. For instance, milk is not good for your child’s teeth if it lingers over the night in your child’s mouth, or if it contains sugar and other additives.

If you are used to giving your child milk in a sippy-cup or baby bottle before bedtime to make them fall asleep more easily, stop this habit as soon a possible. Even when the milk is simple and does not contain any added sugar, it still has naturally occurring sugars that will attack the tooth enamel if the child doesn’t brush their teeth before sleep. With bottle-fed babies, this phenomenon is actually well-known as “bottle cavities.” There is a common misconception that breastfed babies also get cavities because of nursing before bedtime, but studies show that breast milk protects against cavities and nursing doesn’t let the milk linger in the mouth.

So, giving your child milk to drink will make their teeth stronger, will protect their tooth enamel, and will strengthen their jaw bone. However, it really comes down to when you let them drink the milk. However, the same is true for any type of drink other than water. Giving your child a sippy-cup or bottle with milk, juice, or formula can cause tooth decay if they drink it to go to bed without brushing their teeth.

St. Louis Pediatric Dentistry

At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we value our patient relationships, making it our priority to deliver gentle dental care that you deserve from sedation dentists in St. Louis. We work hard to make you feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere. We strive to develop lifelong relationships with our patients by combining the latest dental technology with a professional and compassionate team.

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The Only Board Certified Dental Anesthesiologists in the State of Missouri, including the St. Louis Metro Area.

Call (314) 862-7844

My Kid Rarely Eats Sweets – Why Does He Still Have Cavities?

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Encourage a structured meal program and supervise their brushing at least twice a day to make sure they get rid of plaque.

Parents do their best when it comes to keeping their children healthy and teaching them good habits. Dental health is highly regarded in the US, and children are taken to the dentist early on so they can get used to being in the dentist’s chair.

Some parents also realize the great importance diet has when it comes to their children’s dental health, and are careful to exclude sweets from their diet to protect their teeth. However, these parents are very surprised when they find out that their children have cavities in spite of their efforts to keep them off sweets.

So why is that? If it’s not sweets, then what’s causing cavities in children?

Eating Foods Rich in Carbs

One habit that can lead to cavities is the type of food our children eat. Not everyone knows that it’s not only the sugar that’s bad for your teeth, but also starchy carbs. Snacks like pretzels, corn puffs or bread sticks can be just as bad for your child’s teeth. To understand this better, remember that starches have sugars that eventually turn into plaque once they reach our mouths and are processed by the bacteria there.

Starchy carbs have the tendency to be sticky when you chew them. Just think of a pretzel and how it turns into a paste-like substance that gets into your teeth’s grooves and in between. This is the kind of food we should try to avoid.

Eating Continuously Throughout the Day

Most children and teens need to eat every 3 to 4 hours during the day to fuel their growing and active bodies. However, every time your child has a snack, the bacteria in their mouth increases the acidity in their mouth. The acid, in turn, can attack the enamel that protects their teeth, causing tooth decay.

So in this scenario, it’s not necessarily what your child is eating but how often.

Alternatives to Avoid Cavities Altogether

If you have identified the culprit in your child’s diet, eliminate it immediately and replace it with something healthy. As parents, we know that it’s much easier said than done, but luckily there are amazing alternatives to starches that your child will surely love.

Instead of giving them dried fruit or products that contain dried fruit (like granola), switch to fresh fruit. Fresh fruit does not linger on the teeth for so long and has fibers that can actually help clean the teeth.

Instead of starchy food, offer them fresh vegetables, nuts, and peanuts, or dairy products (unflavored).

Encourage a structured meal program and supervise their brushing at least twice a day to make sure they get rid of plaque. When it comes to healthy habits, the power of example and persistence are the keys to success.

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The Only Board Certified Dental Anesthesiologists in the State of Missouri, including the St. Louis Metro Area.

Call (314) 862-7844

Stress-Free Dental Sedation for Children

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child with no cavities at dentist

Dental problems in children are a cause of concern for any parent. We want to give our little ones the best start in life, and good oral health education starts early on. However, with all our efforts to keep their teeth clean, they may still need a procedure done at the dentist.

So how will you make an infant, a toddler or a preschooler sit still in the dentist’s chair? The solution may be sedation dentistry, along with patiently educating them along the way about oral health.

No matter how well behaved our children are, or how much we insisted on preparing them gently for what’s about to come, some procedures are simply too lengthy or complex for children to be able to sit still during the whole thing. So what are the sedation options you have?

Laughing Gas (Nitrous Oxide)

Generally, the mildest type of sedation your kid can receive is laughing gas – nitrous oxide that is inhaled through a face mask. Its effect lasts shortly and it keeps the patient calm and in a good mood, but it only works well with cooperative patients. If your child is too young or too anxious to go through the procedure with only laughing gas, other options will likely be taken into consideration.

Oral Sedation

Taken in the form of a pill or a syrup before the procedure, oral sedation has longer effects than laughing gas, requires proper preparation hours before the procedure and it may have more side-effects and associated risks. The disadvantage of oral sedation is that the dose cannot be adjusted along the way.

IV Sedation

This is the most common type of sedation used in young children, as it has a stronger effect than the previous ones, keeping the child calm and still, and the dose can be adjusted along the way.

General Anesthesia

If your child is too anxious and cannot be treated while conscious, general sedation will be taken into consideration. The child will be asleep during the whole process and it might take hours before the effects of the sedative fade away. Special care is needed before and after general anesthesia.

Specific Risks of Sedation in Pediatric Dentistry

When it comes to children, you need specialized doctors who know how a child’s body reacts to certain medications. Extra precautions will be taken because of the tighter airwaves of a young patient and certain allergies and conditions that might affect the treatment.

If your child needs extensive dental treatment or they are so anxious that it’s impossible to keep them on the dentist’s chair, talk to your St. Louis pediatric dentist about sedation options and what you need to know about the one that fits your child’s case.

Call Us Today

The Only Board Certified Dental Anesthesiologists in the State of Missouri, including the St. Louis Metro Area.

Call (314) 862-7844

How Starchy Food Can Affect Your Child’s Teeth

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child eating chips

When it comes to their children’s oral health, many parents know that diet plays an important role in how strong our teeth and gums are. But many don’t know that it’s not only sweets that should be avoided, but also starchy food that might not taste sweet at all, but still break down into sugars.

What Is Starch?

Starch is a carbohydrate and it’s one of the main sources of energy for our bodies. Starch is crucial in our diet, and we are far from recommending banning it from the diet of your child, as you will deprive him of important macronutrients.

Starchy is contained by many products and it’s either native or modified, meaning it’s contained naturally by the product or it has been added during the processing. This distinction is important, as it will give us a better idea of what starchy food is good for your child and what you should consider avoiding.

So What Makes Starchy Food so Bad for Your Child’s Teeth?

Cavities form when the bacteria in the plaque – a thin film that covers your teeth after you eat – attack your teeth’s enamel and makes them vulnerable to decay. This bacteria feeds mostly on the sugars found in food, which is why sweets are so bad for your teeth. But starchy food also breaks down into sugar, making certain starch-rich products bad for your oral health.

Processed starchy food like chips, pretzels, crackers or corn puffs can have a bad effect on your teeth’s enamel because they tend to stick to your teeth, prolonging the exposure to sugars. The plaque that lingers in your mouth is not so easy to remove by simply brushing and can lead to cavities, demineralization and even gum disease.

What Alternatives Can You Offer?

As said before, it’s important to differentiate between naturally contained starches and processed ones, as the latter should be avoided as much as possible. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feed your child starch-rich products, but be sure to choose items like fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain bread and cooked food made from scratch.

Oral hygiene is equally important in promoting dental health, so make sure that your child brushes at least twice a day, flosses and rinses his mouth with water after eating starchy and sugary foods.

Regular visits to your St. Louis pediatric dentist will also keep cavities away from your child’s teeth, as they can get professional cleanings, tooth sealing and other preventive treatments that protect the enamel from decay.

If you still have questions about how to keep your child’s teeth healthy, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist and ask about the best options in terms of diet and oral hygiene for your little one. Give us a call today at (314) 862-7844 to learn more or schedule an appointment!

Why Does My Child Keep Getting Cavities?

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

st. louis child with cavity

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?

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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.

Call Us Today

The Only Board Certified Dental Anesthesiologists in the State of Missouri, including the St. Louis Metro Area.

Call (314) 862-7844