Oral Hygiene for Kids

We know that getting your young ones to keep their teeth clean can be a challenge. However, the effort is definitely worth it: healthy baby teeth assist in the proper positioning and development of the adult dentition. Not to mention starting your children off young sets them up for a lifetime of great oral health, often saving thousands of dollars in dental expenses. Read on to discover how to maximize the protective factors for your child's teeth!

The first baby teeth typically erupt into the mouth between 6 and 18 months. Prior to this, we suggest keeping your child's mouth clean with a wet cloth. Once the teeth erupt, you should start brushing twice a day with a rice-grain sized smear of fluoride toothpaste. After two teeth grow in next to each other, you can begin flossing in this area. At about three years, you can start brushing with a pea-sized portion of paste.  Remember, children typically lack the dexterity to brush and floss their own teeth until they can tie their own shoes. Be careful to monitor how much toothpaste that they are using and make sure they are not swallowing excessive paste. 

The bacteria responsible for tooth decay colonize children at a young age (usually under the age of three). New research suggests that sharing utensils or cleaning dropped pacifiers and bottles with spit during this period can prematurely introduce these bacteria to a child's mouth. While there is a near 100% chance that these bacteria will eventually colonize everyone, delaying them as long as possible may prevent the number and extent of cavities. Once your child is old enough to rinse and spit without swallowing, you can add a fluoride rinse like ACT brand to double down on cavity prevention. 

We recommend bringing your child in for their first dental visit at 12 months of age or when all four central incisors are erupted (whichever is first). This is a short appointment for a general exam and to introduce your child to the dental office setting. If you would like to know more about cavity prevention, children's oral health or dental development, please give our office a call!

The Primary Teeth

February is the official National Children's Dental Health Month, as recognized by the ADA. Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry will be rolling out weekly topics relating to pediatric dentistry all month long. Make sure to check back regularly to catch all the great information. 

One of the most miraculous features of the human body is our ability to develop two full sets of teeth. Baby teeth (also known as "deciduous" or "primary" teeth) begin developing before birth and are completely shed by about 12 years of age. During this time, they serve a number of developmental and nutritional purposes. 

For starters, baby teeth are usually whiter and more widely spaced than adult teeth. They also have relatively larger nerve spaces and thinner enamel, meaning the likelihood of a cavity going to the tooth nerve is much higher. There are also no baby premolars- just incisors, canines and molars. 

A handy guide illustrating when you should expect baby teeth to erupt and shed. It is important to note that the ranges are estimates and many children will fall outside these dates. 

In their most basic form, primary teeth allow a child to properly chew and break down food for digestion. They also act as guides to save space and allow the permanent teeth to grow in. This is one of the guiding principles of phase one orthodontics, or braces on primary teeth. It is also believed that the deciduous teeth play an important role in the development of facial bones. Finally, children's teeth are crucial in learning phonetics and vocalizing specific sounds. 

WIth all this in mind, you can see how losing baby teeth early can have a significant impact on childhood development. Premature toothlessness in children is often associated with pain, problems eating, lower self esteem and greater orthodontic complications later in life. The best way to prevent these problems is regular dental examinations coupled with good oral hygiene at home. Positive parental attitudes towards dentistry can go a long way in keeping children's teeth healthy and well protected. If you would like to know more about baby teeth, braces or dental exams for kids, please give our office a call!

National Children's Dental Health Month!

February is the official National Children's Dental Health Month, as recognized by the ADA. Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry will be rolling out weekly topics relating to pediatric dentistry all month long. Make sure to check back regularly to catch all the great information. 

For our first topic, we would like to discuss your child's first dental appointment. This visit should take place place at one year of age or when the first tooth erupts (Usually the mandibular incisors at 6-12 months). The first appointment serves as an important introduction for future dental care. Our office reserves this time to examine the mouth for any developmental problems and have a discussion on oral health with the parents. There are typically no x-rays or cleanings at this visit- just a checkup!

Just as important as the actual examination, this type of appointment sets the stage for a lifetime of positive dental experiences. Many less fortunate children will first see a dentist when they have a toothache and will forever associate the pain, confusion and anxiety with dental offices. We hope to start your children off with a fun and easy appointment that gets them excited to return for cleanings and exams! If you would like to know more about the dental services we provide for children or to book an appointment for your young ones, please give our office a call!

Brushing Duke's Teeth

Here you can really see his first two teeth!

What a great moment caught on video! Here is Dr. Kari's son Duke having his teeth brushed for the first time. His two lower teeth came in at 6 months and now at 7 months they are almost fully erupted. They get brushed twice a day with a children's toothbrush soaked in water. He loves holding the brush and sucking the water off the bristles. We can't wait to share more dental milestones to come!

Baptism of Baby Duke

Duke John Warren was baptized Sunday April 19th, 2015 at St. Matthews Episcopal Church. He was joined by his godparents Aunt Vicki and his Daddy's best friend Bruce. Duke didn't mind the water from the baptism and made it through the service with minimal cooing. He is almost 11 weeks old now! We hope everyone got to enjoy this weekend with their friends and family! 

Dental Library Review: Dear Tooth Fairy

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant (with illustrations by Vanessa Cabban).

This story follows interactions between Holly, a young girl who lost her first tooth, and the Tooth Fairy. Holly tries to deceive the Tooth Fairy by leaving plastic teeth under her pillow, but only receives a letter of concern in return. As the two exchange writings, Holly learns about the Fairy’s fantastic world. With a fun twist, the book includes all of their communications in separate, removable letters and envelopes. Interactive and Imaginative!

This hard bound book with fun surprises and large illustrations would be a perfect gift for a young girl losing her first tooth. We are sure it will bring your little ones hours of enjoyment with the fun letters from the Tooth Fairy! As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!

Dental Library Review: The Tooth Book

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss (with illustrations by Joe Mathieu).

Being a classic Dr. Seuss storybook, this tale is full of whimsical rhymes and colorful illustrations; Joe Mathieu does a great job of pairing the fun poetry with equally entertaining imagery. In this early reader, we learn about all the fun places we can find teeth and why they are so important. We also get a short lesson in why we have to take good care of our teeth and what happens to boys and girls who eat too many sweets. Overall, it is a great mix of silly fun and important oral health concepts for small children.

Given the simple wording, thick pages and short storyline, this book is likely best suited for young readers or as a bedtime story. In fact, it is listed as a part of Dr. Seuss’ Bright and Early Board Books. As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!

Dental Library Review: What If You Had Animal Teeth

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over What If You Had Animal Teeth by Sandra Markle and Howard McWilliam.

This book is a great idea for any child who loves science, biology or animals. Every page covers a different creature, what their teeth look like and what they are used for. Children and adults alike will find these facts interesting and thought provoking. The book also briefly introduces the human teeth, what they do and why it is important to keep them nice and healthy!

Since the book opens with a story about losing the front two teeth, it is most appropriate for children in the 6-7 year range (when the central incisors are typically shed). However, we feel that this book would be fun and interesting for children over a much wider age range. Our only caution is that some of the pictures and illustrations might be alarming to younger children (snakes with fangs showing, children illustrated with animal teeth, etc.).

As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!

Dental library Review: What Does the Tooth Fairy Do With Our Teeth?

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over What Does the Tooth Fairy Do With Our Teeth? by Denise Barry (illustrated by Andy Boerger).

This rhyming book chronicles the many things the tooth fairy could do with our teeth. From keeping them in display cases to turning them into long necklaces, many fantastic ideas are proposed. Every two pages has a new stanza on what exactly she could be up to. The book ends with an open invitation to imagine even more fun things for the tooth fairy to do with her prizes.

We love this story because the illustrations are absolutely beautiful. Kids and adults alike will be entertained by the artistic talent that went into it’s creation. Because of the fun pictures and simple vocabulary, this book is likely best suited for young readers or as a bedtime story. At 34 pages, it is a long enough to fill a car ride or a particularly restless evening. Overall, we really enjoy the fun rhyming, beautiful pictures and fun storyline!

As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!

Dental Library Review- Just Going to the Dentist

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer.

This story is written and illustrated in the familiar style of Mayer’s “Little Critter” series. In this book, Little Critter goes in for his first dental appointment. Although the setting of the dental office was a little strange and uncomfortable, he has a very good experience. His exam, X-rays and filling didn’t hurt him at all, and he even got a treat when it was over. Little Critter quickly learned that dental appointments weren’t scary at all, just tiresome!

Our office recommends this book because it can introduce some of the more intimidating aspects of the dental office before your child’s appointment. Throughout the story, Little Critter encounters many different parts of a dental visit, only to find them fun or (at the worst) uneventful. Even the dreaded “shot” was shown to be nothing but a small inconvenience. If your child has had a bad experience at a medical or dental office, this book will show them that it can be fun and easy!

Given the large illustrations and simple words, we would recommend this book as an early reader or a great bedtime story. As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!