Fairhope Family Dentist
As a Fairhope family dentist, we think that everyone should know the basics of caring for their teeth and gums right? Brushing at least twice a day and flossing every day is just something ads on television can tell you to do. Establishing a good working relationship with your dentist and staff is something that will serve you and your family as well. A professional team that knows your needs and has seen your children’s teeth develop over the years is a great asset to your family’s health.
In this series of articles, we will look into some age-specific dental needs so that you can see all the advantages of this long-term relationship. Some of the articles will be more general than age-specific but they will all be informative and helpful.
Starting in infancy while teeth are developing and starting to erupt, problems may be seen in new teeth referred to as baby bottle rot. This occurs mostly with children who are put to bed with a bottle of milk or formula. The supply of sugars and acids in the formula is held in the mouth long enough for them to do damage. This is something that can easily be avoided. A good idea might be to go as far as giving a little water to the infant after a bottle of formula or milk, thereby minimizing the acids left in the mouth.
The other challenge parents and their Fairhope family dentist may face is a common one also, thumb or finger sucking. As primary teeth erupt, a foreign object in the mouth regularly or while the child is sleeping can damage the growth pattern. Just as in later life a retainer or braces would be used to reverse this damage the constant presence of the thumb or fingers will cause it.
Your Fairhope family dental team can even evaluate before the age of five by watching the spacing of baby teeth and the formation of the jaw. An excellent way to catch problems early on is by having a panoramic X-ray done at around five years old. This will give a good view of any possible problems with the development and placement of adult teeth. It will also show any that might be missing so that care of those precious existing teeth can be optimized. This is not as rare as you may think as some people live their entire lives with a few of their baby teeth still in place.