Thrasher's Corner Family Dental: FAQ - Children's Dental Health

GENERAL FAQ| COSMETIC DENTISTRY FAQ | CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH FAQ

Children's Dental Care FAQ

Nothing is worse than watching your child suffer with a toothache. What can you do and when should you bring your child to the dentist office for the first time? Do baby teeth get cavities and do you fill them just like permanent teeth? What should you do if your child accidently falls and bumps his/her tooth? These are the questions most parents ask after something has happened. We'd like you to be informed.

My child fell down and bumped his baby tooth. What should I do?

When should I bring my child in for his/her first visit?

Why should we fill baby teeth when children will lose them eventually anyway?

What if my child need to have a baby tooth extracted prematurely?

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My child fell down and bumped his baby tooth. What should I do?
If the impact was significant enough to cause concern, your child should be seen by a dentist to have the tooth evaluated. Often a tooth can recover, but occassionally the tooth may become abscessed (dead), turn dark, and cause pain. Even if the tooth appears to be OK, it is best to have it looked at and an x-ray taken so that a fractured root can be ruled out and also so that there is a picture to compare it to in follow up evaluations. It is important to have your child's tooth evaluated every 6 months at the time of his/her regular exam because the tooth can gradually develop a problem over time.

When should I bring my child in for his/her first visit?
The latest recommendations from the American Dental Association is to have your child's first dental check up at 1 year of age. If your family is cavity prone or if you live in a nonfluoridated area, it would be best to have your child seen earlier at approximately 6 months of age when the first teeth come in. The rationale behind the new guidelines is to see kids for office fluoride treatments BEFORE they develop cavities. In the past we did not see kids until they were about 3 years of age. By this age most kids have all of their primary teeth and many had already developed cavities. By seeing kids earlier the dentist can answer any questions you have about caring for your childís teeth and give you some tips about preventing early childhood decay. According to the surgeon general's report 2002, dental caries was and still is the most prevalent disease of childhood. If gone untreated it can lead to unnecessary pain and suffering, missed school, difficulty eating and in some instances illness and death. Often it is helpful to bring the child in to watch you or a sibling have an exam and cleaning. A positive first experience is always our goal! If a child is apprehensive, a great introduction is to schedule a fun office tour. We can show your child the tools that we use, the sounds they might hear and the selection of prizes they can choose for being a great patient. Most of our young patients enjoy coming to our office. Our intent is to make it a fun and successful visit where your children can feel good about their accomplishments!

Why should we fill baby teeth when children will lose them eventually anyway?
It is very important to retain baby teeth until they are ready to come out. Your child will be loosing his/her first tooth around age 5 and will loose the last one around age 12 to 13. Decayed baby teeth left untreated can cause your child great pain and can lead to a life threatening systemic infection. Baby teeth are important in your child's ability to eat comfortably and to chew food into easy to digest pieces. Teeth are also important in learning to speak properly and to be understood. Also, baby teeth that are extracted too early can cause early eruption of the underlying permanent tooth which may not have adequate room or the adjacent teeth may start drifting. This causes less space for the permanent tooth which therefore may lead to crowding and the need for orthodontic intervention.

What if my child needs to have a baby tooth extracted prematurely?
In many cases, a space maintainer can be placed in order to hold the space open so that the gap doesn't close and block out the permanent teeth. An evaluation by your dentist or orthodontist can help you make this decision.