The Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry Blog

A healthy smile starts in infancy                         

Dr. Rhonda Patt is a pediatrician with Charlotte Pediatric Clinic and president of the Charlotte Pediatric Society.

Q. I have an 8-month-old daughter. Her first two baby teeth are discolored. Why?

The most common reason for discolored baby teeth is inadequate brushing. Other reasons include trauma to the teeth or gums, iron staining from certain vitamins and weak tooth enamel. Your first step is to make sure you are practicing good oral hygiene.

Brush teeth twice a day with water.

If your child drinks a bottle or nurses before bed, be sure to brush afterward.

Never let your child go to bed with a bottle.

Avoid fruit juices and foods with high sugar content.

You should also schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist.

When to see dentist

Q. I have read conflicting information about how to care for my son’s teeth. When should he first see a dentist? Should we use toothpaste with fluoride or without? And when does he need to start flossing?

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, children should see a dentist by their first birthday. However, if any problems or risk factors are identified at a younger age, your child may be referred earlier.

As a general rule, fluoride toothpaste should be started once a child can spit it back out. Ingesting too much fluoride can lead to staining of permanent teeth. This is typically between the ages of two and three.

Flossing should become part of your child’s routine as soon as he has teeth that are touching each other.

For more information about your child’s oral hygiene, go to www.aapd.org.

Dr. Patt is president of the Charlotte Pediatric Society. E-mail questions to living@charlotteobserver.com; put “pediatrician” in subject line.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/31/1655029/a-healthy-smile-starts-in-infancy.html#ixzz0yC0QhkKv

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It’s back-to-school across America!! You’ve packed away your childrens’ swim suits and bought new backpacks…you’ve sharpened their pencils and visited their pediatricians…but have they seen their dentist yet?? A dental check-up should be a part of the back to school checklist

Tooth decay is still the most common chronic disease in US children according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and by the time they start kindergarten, more than 40 percent of kids have some tooth decay.  Kids with toothaches have trouble focusing and may not want to join in class discussions.

Your child may think they are old enough to brush their own teeth, but until they reach the age of six, make sure to take charge and brush their teeth for them at least twice daily.  Make sure older kids brush twice daily too..and don’t forget in between!!  A toothbrush can’t get in every nook and cranny, so it’s important for parents to floss their children’s teeth

Give us a call to schedule today!

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Are you or is someone you know pregnant? Congratulations!!     Now that you’ve got a little bundle of joy on the way, you may be hoping that you can ditch the dentist for a few months…but you may want to think twice about skipping those appointments. Pregnancy is actually the time to take extra special care of your teeth and gums. During pregnancy, elevated hormone levels during pregnancy can cause the gums to swell, bleed, and trap food, which could increase your risk of developing certain dental infections. So call up your dentist and make that appointment! And don’t forget to make those very important check-up appointments for your children every six months to protect their beautiful smiles!

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One serious kind of decay among young children is baby bottle tooth decay. This is caused by frequent and long exposures of baby’s teeth to liquids that contain sugar. These liquids are milk (including breast milk), formula, fruit juice and other sweetened drinks. Putting baby to bed for a nap or at night with a bottle containing something other than water can cause serious and rapid tooth decay. The sweet liquid will pool around baby’s teeth giving plaque bacteria an opportunity to produce acids that attack tooth enamel. If you must give baby a bottle to comfort them at bedtime, it should contain only water. If your child won’t fall asleep without the bottle containing its usual beverage, gradually dilute the bottle’s contents with water over a period of two to three weeks. After each feeding, wipe baby’s gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or gauze pad to remove plaque. The easiest way to do this is to sit down, place the child’s head in your lap or lay the child on a dressing table or the floor. Whatever position you use, be sure you can see into the child’s mouth easily.

Small steps such as these will help to start a foundation of successful preventive care which will help you and your child develop life long healthy dental habits.

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The YMCA is having YCommunity Starfish Academy Site Tours and Family Cook-Outs. Download the letter (Adobe PDF) to learn more.

YMCA_Letter

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Katelyn won tickets to Carowinds!!!

Katelyn won tickets to Carowinds from Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry  at the Taste of Charlotte event!

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Good question! According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, your child should visit the dentist by their 1st birthday. You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive, and we can help! Talk with your child about the visit and let them know our staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The more you discuss the visit with your child before you arrive, the better. It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as needle, pull, drill or hurt. Our office makes a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child. Give us a call with any questions or concerns…we’re here for ya!

For a list of terminology please use the following link:

http://www.cltpediatricdentistry.com/files/practice_terminology.pdf

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Nakhia won the monthly prize drawing at Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry!! Yay!!

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Did you know that drinking fluoridated tap water is a highly effective way to fight cavities in kids? Researchers looked at the effect of fluoride in specialty milk and salt products, toothpaste, mouthwash and gum, finding that tap water containing fluoride can reduce cavities by 30%…WOW! And it’s FREE too!! Can’t get much better than that!    If your drinking water does not contain fluoride, you can give children fluoride supplements if they are over 6 months old.  Fluoride supplementation in infants has been shown to reduce tooth decay by as much as 50%…YAY, fluoride!!

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Did you know that parents and caregivers can spread the bacteria that causes tooth decay on to their children?? Oh no, right?? We try to keep our children away from the germ-bugs…that’s why we carry Purell in our cars, bags and pockets!! But this bacteria is actually spread in a different way. To learn more, please check out the ABC news story at:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/transfer-cavities-baby-10447308

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