Your Child’s First Dental Visit
An apt time for your child to visit the dentist is by his/her first birthday which is the best way to catch any problems at the earliest stages. This visit is designed for preventive evaluations, sharing information, and to promote good life-long oral hygiene habits.You can make the first visit to the dentist a pleasant experience. It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as needle, pull, drill or hurt. Creating positive experiences early on helps your child develop good dental habits down the road.
Care of Your Child’s Teeth
A guide to basic brushing:
Children can begin using a pea-sized amount of non-fluoride toothpaste and soft bristled kids tooth brush once a baby reaches his or her first birthday. Wait until a toddler is at least three years-old – when he or she is old enough not to swallow the toothpaste – before introducing the fluoride kind. Begin daily brushing as soon as the child’s first tooth erupts. A pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste can be used after the child is old enough not to swallow it. By age 4 or 5, children should be able to brush their own teeth twice a day with supervision until about age seven to make sure they are doing a thorough job. Proper brushing removes plaque from the inner, outer and chewing surfaces. When teaching children to brush, place toothbrush at a 45 degree angle; start along gum line with a soft bristle brush in a gentle circular motion. Brush the outer surfaces of each tooth, upper and lower. Repeat the same method on the inside surfaces and chewing surfaces of all the teeth. Finish by brushing the tongue to help freshen breath and remove bacteria.
Flossing:
Flossing removes plaque between the teeth, where a toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing should begin when any two teeth touch. You should floss the child’s teeth until he or she can do it alone. Use about 18 inches of floss, winding most of it around the middle fingers of both hands. Hold the floss lightly between the thumbs and forefingers. Use a gentle, back-and-forth motion to guide the floss between the teeth. Curve the floss into a C-shape and slide it into the space between the gum and tooth until you feel resistance. Gently scrape the floss against the side of the tooth. Repeat this procedure on each tooth. Don’t forget the backs of the last four teeth.
Good Diet = Healthy Teeth
Healthy eating habits lead to healthy teeth. Like the rest of the body, the teeth, bones and the soft tissues of the mouth need a well-balanced diet. Children should eat a variety of foods from the five major food groups. Most snacks that children eat can lead to cavity formation. The more frequently a child snacks, the greater the chance for tooth decay. How long food remains in the mouth also plays a role. For example, hard candy and breath mints stay in the mouth a long time, which cause longer acid attacks on tooth enamel. If your child must snack, choose nutritious foods such as vegetables, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese, which are healthier and better for children’s teeth.
Prevention of cavities:
Good oral hygiene removes bacteria and the left over food particles that combine to create cavities. For infants, use a wet gauze or clean washcloth to wipe the plaque from teeth and gums. Avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle filled with anything other than water. For older children, brushing teeth twice a day is advisable. Also, watch the number of snacks containing sugar that you give your children. Visits every six months to your dentist is recommended, beginning at your child’s first birthday. Routine visits will start your child on a lifetime of good dental health.
Thumb sucking:
Thumb sucking is a natural reflex and infants and young children may use thumbs, fingers, pacifiers and other objects on which to suck. It may make them feel secure and happy, or provide a sense of security at difficult periods. Since thumb sucking is relaxing, it may induce sleep. Thumb sucking that persists beyond the eruption of the permanent teeth can cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and tooth alignment. A few suggestions to help your child get through thumb sucking:

• Instead of scolding children for thumb sucking, praise them when they are not.
• Children often suck their thumbs when feeling insecure. Focus on correcting the cause of anxiety, instead of the thumb sucking.
• Children who are sucking for comfort will feel less of a need when their parents provide comfort.
• Reward children when they refrain from sucking during difficult periods, such as when being separated from their parents.
• Your pediatric dentist can encourage children to stop sucking and explain what could happen if they continue.
• If these approaches don’t work, remind the children of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night. Your pediatric dentist may recommend the use of a mouth appliance.

Dental Emergencies

• Toothache: Clean the area of the affected tooth. Rinse the mouth thoroughly with warm water or use dental floss to dislodge any food that may be impacted. If the pain still exists, contact your child's dentist. If the face is swollen, apply cold compresses and contact your dentist immediately.
• Cut or Bitten Tongue, Lip or Cheek: Apply ice to injured areas to help control swelling. If there is bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure with a gauze or cloth. If bleeding cannot be controlled by simple pressure, call a doctor or visit the hospital emergency room.
• Knocked Out Permanent Tooth: If possible, find the tooth. Handle it by the crown, not by the root. You may rinse the tooth with water only. Do not clean with soap, scrub or handle the tooth unnecessarily. Inspect the tooth for fractures. If it is sound, try to reinsert it in the socket. Have the patient hold the tooth in place by biting on a gauze. If you cannot reinsert the tooth, transport the tooth in a cup containing the patient’s saliva or milk. If the patient is old enough, the tooth may also be carried in the patient’s mouth (beside the cheek). The patient must see a dentist immediately Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth.
• Knocked Out Baby Tooth: Contact your dentist during business hours. This is not usually an emergency, and in most cases, no treatment is necessary.
• Chipped or Fractured Permanent Tooth: Contact your dentist immediately. Quick action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment. Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling. If possible, locate and save any broken tooth fragments and bring them with you to the dentist.
• Chipped or Fractured Baby Tooth: Contact your dentist.
• Possible Broken or Fractured Jaw: Keep the jaw from moving and take your child to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Keeping your adult teeth and gums healthy is very important to your overall health. The key to keeping a bright, healthy smile throughout adulthood is to practice proper oral hygiene.

• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and floss once a day.
• Choose a toothbrush that has polished bristles because they are less likely to injure gum tissue. Use a soft bristled toothbrush with a size and shape that allows you to reach all tooth surfaces.
• Replace your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles become worn or frayed.
• Oral irrigator is an aid for people with braces or fixed partial dentures, they should not replace regular brushing or flossing.
• If you experience pain or sore muscles in the jaw joint area (in front of your ears) or even headaches, you may be grinding or clenching your teeth in your sleep. Speak to your dentist about being fitted for a night guard, which will protect your teeth and the joint area.
• Gums should not bleed upon brushing. This is an indication of periodontal disease. Your dentist should do a thorough exam to evaluate the extent of the disease and prescribe an appropriate regimen.
• Use a mouthwash that contains fluoride. Fluoride mouth rinses strengthen the teeth and can help prevent decay at all ages.
• Consume plenty of calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. Calcium is essential for strong teeth and bones.
• Avoid sticky sweets, such as toffees, soft candies and pastries. These types of foods stick to your teeth and feed decay-causing bacteria. When you do eat sweets, eat them after a meal. When candies are eaten alone, they are more likely to remain stuck between your teeth.
• Do eat crunchy foods that naturally clean the teeth (apples, carrots, and other raw vegetables) and foods with ample vitamin C, like citrus fruits and broccoli.
• Be aware that excessive amounts of coffee, tea, red wine and other beverages can stain your teeth.
• Don’t chew on ice, popcorn kernels, lollipops or other hard foods. Doing so can crack or otherwise damage your teeth or restorations.
• If you can’t brush your teeth after eating, rinse your mouth with water.
• Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and checkups.

Taking care of your teeth is important at any age, but as your gums may recede and become more sensitive there are extra things to consider. Plaque can build up quickly on the teeth of older people, especially if oral hygiene is neglected, and lead to tooth decay and gum disease. To maintain good oral health, it's important for all individuals, to:

• Brush at least twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste.
• Floss at least once a day.
• Visit your dentist and hygienist regularly for cleaning and an oral examination.
• Periodontal disease of gums is common in older people. The dentist can remove plaque from teeth, reducing the number of bacteria - a key to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
• If you experience the following, then you have chances of a periodontal disease: Bleeding gums during brushing, Red and swollen gums, gums that have pulled away from the teeth, pus between teeth and gums, Bad breath and loose teeth.
• Dont ignore gums that bleed when you brush or floss or changes in the way your teeth fit together when you bite.
• Ask your dentist about cosmetic options for improving the appearance of the teeth that are stained or chipped.
• Don't use tobacco products; they can increase your risk of gum disease and cancer of mouth and throat.
• Don't chew on hard objects that could crack a tooth.
• Wear a mouth guard when playing active sports.
• Eat a balanced diet for good overall health, selecting a variety of foods from the five main food groups and limit snacks.
• Drinking frequent cups of tea or coffee with sugar added will increase the risk of tooth decay.

It’s important to visit your dentist while you’re pregnant, as changes in your hormones affect your teeth and gums. Talk to your dentist about whether any new or replacement fillings need to wait until after your baby is born.

• Avoid any kind of dental treatments during the first trimester and the last fifteen days of the third trimester.
• Use a good tooth paste to brush your teeth which contains flouride so that an adequate amount of flouride is supplied to the child
• Flossing would help in keeping the gums healthy, and the areas between the teeth where plaque accumulation can lead to tooth decay
• Whenever you go for dental checkup, let your doctor know about your pregnancy. So that he or she will guide you properly on whether you can undergo dental treatments or not.
• You can have regular dental checkups in second trimester but it is better to undergo any dental procedures after your delivery.
• It is also not advisable to take dental X-rays during pregnancy. But in case of emergency the dentist can take the dental X-ray by making you and your child safe. There are various modern technologies, which have made it possible to take safe X-rays without causing any harm to the body.
• Give a scheduled visit to the dentist during the second trimester of pregnancy to get your teeth cleaned professionally by scaling procedures.
• Bleeding of gums is very common problem during pregnancy. Don’t hide the problem but instead go and meet your dentist no matter what.
• Follow good eating habits so that your teeth and gums don’t face any problems during of after pregnancy.
• If you are getting sweet cravings during pregnancy then avoid these cravings, as eating too much sweets can result in decaying of tooth.
• Get adequate calcium. You need calcium for your baby's teeth and bones. Calcium can be found in milk, cheese, dried beans, and leafy green vegetables.