dr vivs notes

Dr. Viv's Notes

Fact Sheet on Your Child¹s Teeth
Vivian M. Broadway, D.D.S. Family Dentistry

Your child's first visit should be by 1.5 years of age. If all is O.K., the
child does not need to be examined again until 2.5 or 3.5 years of age.

Children's teeth should be cleaned as soon as they erupt into the mouth. Use a wet wash cloth or a small toothbrush. Use a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste starting about age 2.5. Use a wet wash cloth, at bath time, to clean your infant¹s gum pads. Never let your child walk around with a toothbrush in their mouth.

Always look at your child's teeth. Watch for color change. Watch as new
teeth erupt. Keep them clean.

Plaque is a sticky film in which bacteria breed. It grows on teeth. The
bacteria take about 24 hours to mature to the point where they can make acid. The acid causes cavities and makes the gums bleed.

Children cannot adequately brush their own teeth until about 7 years of age. They do not have the hand-wrist coordination required to clean all
surfaces of the teeth. An adult should go over a child¹s teeth after the
child has attempted brushing (once every 24 hours). Brushing should be
done twice per day and flossing done daily.

Spacing between primary teeth is normal. Where there are no spaces,
once-a-day flossing is required. As soon as the second primary molars
erupt the child should get into the habit of having their teeth flossed.

A child should never be left in a crib with a bottle at nap or bed time or
allowed to walk around with a bottle in the mouth. This practice will
cause severe decay of the primary teeth. Napping or sleeping with a
breast in the child's mouth will cause the same decay. Water in the
bottle will now harm the teeth.

Some medications such as Amoxicillin, may temporarily stain the primary teeth. The stain is easily removed with light polishing by the dentist.

Permanent teeth are darker (with more yellow) in color than primary teeth. They are denser and made to last a lifetime.

Fluoride in the water supply decrease by 60% the chance of your child getting cavities, fluoride is safe. If it is not in the water supply, request a prescription from your child's dentist or physician.

If a child knocks a tooth completely out of the mouth, gently wipe or rinse and place back in the socket. If it is back within 20 minutes, it is
likely to reimplant. Permanent teeth have a better chance than primary teeth.

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