Dental Habits Archives Langley Pediatric Dentist -V2Y - Primary Care Pediatric Dentistry (604) 427-1010

Thumb Sucking

Melissa Harris2014-04-11T21:05:00+00:00

When should my child stop sucking their thumb and how can I stop them? From a dental point of view, in particular the Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentists, we recommend that a child stops the habit of sucking their thumb by age three. We find that if a child is able to stop that habit by age three there is no lasting affects to the dentition. What affects can happen from sucking the thumb? One of things that can happen is the front teeth are pushed forward. Another thing that can happen, which depends upon the intensity which the child is [...]

Thumb SuckingMelissa Harris2014-04-11T21:05:00+00:00

Why Fix Baby Teeth

Melissa Harris2014-03-05T18:33:57+00:00

Why do we need to fix my child’s baby teeth, they’re just going to fall out anyway. Yes, they are just baby teeth but some of the back baby molars will be in your child’s mouth until they are 10 to 12 years old so during that time frame there are many reasons to keep baby teeth. One reason to treat baby teeth is for their function in chewing, in being able to eat a regular diet of crunchy foods and whatever they want to have. Another reason is quality of life. Although it’s a baby tooth, a tooth ache in [...]

Why Fix Baby TeethMelissa Harris2014-03-05T18:33:57+00:00

Can my Child Have White Fillings?

Melissa Harris2014-03-05T18:30:10+00:00

White Fillings are a type of plastic called composite. We find that, and research supports this, white fillings in baby teeth tend to leak and do not last for the life span of the baby tooth. So for instance, in a child who is 3 years old who has a cavity and were we to place a white filling in that tooth, that child may need to have it replaced again at 5 years old and 7 years old and 8 years old until that tooth finally falls out. If the child is struggling with treatment at the dental office then [...]

Can my Child Have White Fillings?Melissa Harris2014-03-05T18:30:10+00:00

Sedation

Melissa Harris2014-02-06T23:52:47+00:00

What can we expect on the day of our child’s sedation appointment and how do we prepare them? I generally recommend speaking to your child in words that are appropriate for their age and actually preparing them very little for the appointment. In their world they’re just coming to visit the dentist again and that’s really all that they need to know, they don’t need to stress about things that they can’t understand. So for instance, you might tell your child we’re going to back to and see Dr. Jen again in a couple weeks and she’s going to have another [...]

SedationMelissa Harris2014-02-06T23:52:47+00:00

Grey Tooth

Melissa Harris2014-02-06T23:24:43+00:00

My child fell and banged their front baby tooth and it’s turned black. What do we do? Generally when a baby tooth is traumatized it can turn black for a couple of reasons. One reason which is quite common is essentially a bruise. There is bruising on the inside of the tooth with some dried blood giving the outside surface of the tooth a grey appearance. The other reason the tooth can turn grey or black is because the nerve inside has died, become necrotic and there is no way that we can one hundred percent know by looking at a [...]

Grey ToothMelissa Harris2014-02-06T23:24:43+00:00

Crowding

Melissa Harris2014-02-06T23:04:17+00:00

My child’s teeth are coming in crooked. Are they going to need braces? This is usually asked by the parent of a two or three year old. It’s very hard to determine at this stage if in fact your child will need braces because of several reasons. One, the dental arch is still developing and the teeth are just coming in so there is a chance for much movement to occur in that first year of teeth coming in. That being said, the way teeth come in, the position in which they come in whether they are crowded and overlapped or [...]

CrowdingMelissa Harris2014-02-06T23:04:17+00:00

Bad Enamel

Melissa Harris2014-02-06T22:59:00+00:00

My child seems to have bad enamel. Bad enamel runs in our family, so what do we do? Well, bad enamel or missing enamel - there are rare conditions where a child may be missing their enamel, there are genetic conditions but they are quite rare. Another reason a child might have poor quality enamel is if they were ill as an infant and given antibiotics or perhaps born prematurely. There are some types of antibiotics that can affect the development of the teeth and particularly the enamel. Most of the time however, what parents think is bad enamel that runs [...]

Bad EnamelMelissa Harris2014-02-06T22:59:00+00:00

Visit to Dentist within Baby’s First Year Key to Preventing Childhood Caries

Jennifer Howson-Jones2013-11-18T18:58:16+00:00

A friendly reminder from the Canadian Dental Association about the importance of early dental visits for infants: Regular and early visits by infants and toddlers to a dentist can help to identify and address the risk for tooth decay that can lead to early childhood caries, says the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). “Tooth decay is preventable,” says Dr. Peter Doig, President of CDA. “Infants should visit the dentist by age one, and regularly thereafter. These early visits can identify and address signs of tooth decay, promote good oral health habits, and are an investment in lifelong health.” The [...]

Visit to Dentist within Baby’s First Year Key to Preventing Childhood CariesJennifer Howson-Jones2013-11-18T18:58:16+00:00

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: The Big Authority on little teeth

Jennifer Howson-Jones2013-10-10T20:08:11+00:00

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the recognized leader in children’s oral health, today unveiled its new tagline, "America’s Pediatric Dentists, The Big Authority on Little Teeth," targeted to the lay public. This new consumer branding campaign is an effort to better connect with parents and caregivers and educate them on the critical need for early check-ups and regular oral care for children. **Tooth decay is the number one chronic infectious disease among children in the United States (and Canada!), affecting 42 percent of children aged 2 to 11 years. Furthermore, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [...]

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: The Big Authority on little teethJennifer Howson-Jones2013-10-10T20:08:11+00:00

Helpful Tips for Healthy Smiles at Halloween

Jennifer Howson-Jones2013-09-17T17:48:07+00:00

The Canadian Dental Association has some great tips and tricks for Halloween, which is just around the corner! Halloween is just around the corner and we all know that for most children, Halloween means candy and lots of it! However, when your child consumes sugary food or drinks, the bacteria (germs) in the dental plaque on the teeth mix with the sugars in the candy to make a mild acid. This acid attacks the hard outer layer of the tooth, called the enamel. If the dental plaque isn’t removed every day by brushing and flossing, over time, the enamel gets [...]

Helpful Tips for Healthy Smiles at HalloweenJennifer Howson-Jones2013-09-17T17:48:07+00:00