Expecting a baby? Expect oral health changes too. Pregnant women may experience some changes in oral health due to a surge in hormone levels. Regular brushing and flossing will help lessen “pregnancy gingivitis,” a condition that affects most pregnant women to some...
What is it? TMD/TMJ describes a group of diseases that involve jaw joints, the muscles that control jaw movement and tooth contact. Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs) are often called TMJ by doctors and patients, though TMJ actually refers to the jaw joints...
Sometimes teeth have discolorations that are not darker, but actually whiter than the rest of the tooth. Small white spots called fluorosis often develop on children’s baby and adult teeth. Fluoride is found in most city water as well as in many dental...
You may wonder about the color of your baby’s teeth. Enamel is the outer layer of our teeth. It is the hardest part of the tooth, and also the layer that provides most of the color of the tooth. Your baby’s teeth do not have to be perfectly bright white in order to be...
Teething is the process of primary (baby) teeth pushing through the gums into a child’s mouth. It is a natural event that every baby goes through, and it may be painful for your baby. The average age for the first set of teeth to arrive is around six months, but...
A baby tooth usually falls out because there is a permanent tooth erupting underneath it. When this occurs naturally, the space vacated by the baby tooth is filled quickly by the adult tooth replacing it. If for some reason the baby tooth comes out early (accident,...
Children follow a fairly consistent sequence for tooth eruption. The exact timing and sequence will not be the same in every child, but there are averages. The following chart shows these averages and the order of eruption. Again, children vary. If your child does not...
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral most commonly found in water sources. This mineral is a great natural resource for our teeth because it can incorporate itself into teeth and make them stronger. Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to the bacteria that cause...
Age Appropriate Home Care: 0–6 months—Wipe gums with a damp warm cloth at the end of each day before teeth appear. 6–28 months—Brush your child’s teeth with a soft bristled toothbrush using a pea-sized portion of non-fluoridated toothpaste, one to two times per day....
Tooth decay is caused by four common culprits: sugar, inadequate home care, acids, and destructive bacteria. Tooth decay occurs when destructive bacteria that live on teeth ingest sugars from our diet and secrete acids as a byproduct. When proper home and professional...
Thumb Sucking & Pacifiers All children will use a pacifier, suck their thumb, or both at some point in their infancy or childhood. It is a newborn’s reflexive response to want to suck. That is how they get nourishment, and it is comforting to them. Toddlers use it...
Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance that tastes like sugar. It is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables and is even produced by our bodies during normal metabolism. It is also extracted from birch trees, corncobs and other natural sources for use...
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