From the Mouths of Toothless Babes

Sometimes the things that seem like common sense aren’t at all. You’d figure that since every parent knows to get a dental check up every six months that they would do the same for their children, right?

In the more casual days of child-rearing decades ago, it seemed wildly overprotective if a parent took a baby to see a dentist. Baby teeth, we were told, were practically disposable and generally unworthy of a dental exam. In the span of a generation, dental technology and practices have changed enough to warrant a new approach to children’s dental health.

Today, we’re learning to think not just about teeth and  childhood cavities, but about the broader idea of oral health and a lifetime of strong, undamaged teeth and gums.  Imagine a childhood free of that painful right of passage — filling cavities. It can be done, no Tiger Mom tactics required.

The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry tells us that proper dental care begins at birth. Yep, that cute little toothless infant needs a gum check. Twice a day, parents should clean infants’ gums with a small, soft-bristled brush or a soft cloth and water.  Getting them accustomed to having their mouths touched and wiped clean will keep that sweet baby breath sweet, and help babies grow into children and adults who treasure the look and feel of a clean mouth.

Whiter teeth are within reach, but the bleaching trays are slippery

The do-it-yourself philosophy may be fine for making a macrame guitar strap or painting the bathroom walls, but when it comes to improving body parts, I’m becoming convinced that it’s best to leave that to the professionals.

Even the seemingly simple stuff — like teeth whitening — seems to go better with a pro on hand for consultations. Yours truly should know.  My path to whiter teeth is littered with bleaching gel pens, whitening floss, toothpaste and mouthwash, and the worst, a “discounted” $75 take-home kit that contained syringes of high-powered whitening gel and DIY bleaching trays.

The so-called boil-and-bite bleaching trays are like big, rubbery mouthguards. The instructions said to drop a tray into hot or boiling water for a few seconds until it softens, then position it onto a row of teeth where it will cool and mold into place. Easy as pie, you have a custom-made tray.

Not quite.

My tray slipped from my tongs and stuck to itself. Fished from the hot water too late, the tray was misshapen — forever. Working more carefully with the second tray, I managed to get a less deformed end product. Both were such an uncomfortable, sloppy fit that the strong bleaching gel burned my gums, while the oversized dimensions nearly gagged me. My first and only gel-and-tray whitening session began and ended there.

I’m still a stubborn DIY type, so I’m going to give at-home teeth bleaching another go.

In the meantime, check out this article I found on teeth whitening on CNBC.com

Great Dental Health by the Numbers

In dentistry, everything is a number. Numbers are assigned to every tooth, section of the mouth and even to each tooth’s shade of white. Maintaining good oral health doesn’t require such attention to detail, however.  Half-a-dozen numbers can help you remember to develop and keep good oral health practices. Follow this simple countdown to great oral health and you’ll have a healthier smile in no time.

• 6 — The recommended number of months between dental check ups.
• 5 — The number of surfaces to brush or floss on each tooth: front, back, the two sides, and the chewing surface.
• 4 — The number of quadrants in the mouth. Dentists assign the number 1 to the to the upper right (also known as the maxillary right); 2 = upper left; 3 = bottom (mandibular) left; 4 = lower right.
• 3 — The typical number of months that should elapse before replacing your toothbrush.
• 2 — The minimal number of times to brush your teeth each day, and the number of minutes to spend every time you brush.
• 1 — The age at which children should have their first dental checkup.
• 0 — The number of cavities you can expect to have if you carefully follow these steps.

Digital Dental X-rays are safer, and pretty cool

Getting X-rays done at the dentist used to be kind of scary — you know — the lead apron, the way the technician stepped about a mile away, that big lens in your face and biting on those sharp plastic film sleeves. Getting an X-ray with new digital technology is not only safer, easier and faster now, but it’s also kind of cool.

The new digital X-ray technology allows for nearly instant feedback. In a blink, the image appears on the monitor, looking just like an X-ray, but better and brighter. The technician can capture virtually any angle inside your mouth (without gagging you). The software allows the techs to improve the X-ray’s contrast and brightness to spot any evidence of tooth decay, cracked or weakened fillings, gum disease, improper alignment, and in children, the progress and position of emerging permanent teeth.

Many dentists are positioning the computer monitors so that they can review the image with their patients. Sitting in the chair, you can’t help but be a little fascinated by the high-tech view of your fillings, gums, or even how that bicuspid that always feels misplaced is actually out of alignment.

Digital X-rays are “green;” that is, they require no darkroom space or chemicals to process the image. Better, digital X-rays also emit 80 to 90 percent less radiation than conventional dental X-rays. The Health Physics Society says that most digital dental X-rays have among the lowest radiation dose of any radiologic procedure in the healing arts. In other words, you get more radiation in an afternoon at the beach.

However, not every independent dentist has made the conversion, which can be prohibitively pricey. Some companies have committed to the state-of-the-art technology, such as Western Dental Services. The California-based dental HMO converted all of its 260-plus offices to digital. The company’s chief dental director, Dr. Louis Amendola, D.D.S., says patients appreciate the speed and safety of the new technology.

“The immediate feedback that’s now possible has helped our patients to become more involved in their own dental health,” Dr. Amendola said. The dentists like it, too, he said, because digital radiology gives dentists more diagnostic tools and multiple options for displaying, sharing and storing X-rays between computers and networks. Now patients don’t have to wait for an X-ray to arrive by mail or messenger if they need a second opinion or must transfer their records.

Digital X-rays make dental exams faster, safer and greener. And though the exposure to radiation is minimal, don’t be surprised if  most dentists still still cover you with the lead-filled apron and step outside the room. Old habits die hard.

Which water is best? Ban the bottle and open the tap

You figure it wouldn’t be in the best interests of dentists to support something that could put them out of business. Yet the American Dental Association (ADA) is as gung-ho about community water fluoridation today as when the practice was introduced more than six decades ago.

According to the ADA:

Studies conducted throughout the past 60 years have consistently indicated that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe and effective in preventing dental decay in both children and adults. It is the most efficient way to prevent one of the most common childhood diseases — tooth decay (5 times as common as asthma and 7 times as common as hay fever in 5-to-17 year olds.

Ever since Grand Rapids, Mich., became the world’s first city to dose its water supply with fluoride for the purpose of improving oral health, dentists have encouraged us to drink tap water. Until about 20 years ago, tap water was the only choice for most of us.

Now that we can have our pick of bottled still or sparkling, melted glacier or California river water, our teeth aren’t as likely to be bathed in enamel-fortifying fluoride. A nice tall glass from the spigot can do wonders for your teeth and for the general health of everyone in town.

Need economic proof? Here’s what the ADA says about the costs:

For most cities, every $1 invested in water fluoridation saves $38 in dental treatment costs.

Evidently, not only are those disposable plastic bottles of water a blight on the environment, but in the long run, the costs go far beyond their price tag.

Preventing Cavities Begins in Infancy

It’s midnight, the baby is crying — still — and you’re thinking, “If I can just get him to fall asleep with a bottle of formula, we can all get a decent night’s rest.”

Allowing extended contact with a bottle of juice or formula may be a short-term comfort now, but in the long term it can lead to serious decay that dentists call Baby Bottle Syndrome.

The naturally occurring sugars in juice, breast milk or formula feed oral bacteria that secrete acid strong enough to dissolve tooth enamel. Front teeth are most likely to be affected because they  have the longest potential exposure. Baby teeth begin to appear when infants are about 6 months old, but most babies continue to use a bottle until after their first birthday.

“We see lots of well-intentioned parents and caregivers put their babies to sleep with a bottle or sippy cup full of formula or juice, but that’s a bad practice to start and a tough one to stop,” says Dr. Louis Amendola, D.D.S., the chief dental director of Western Dental Services, Inc., a dental HMO in California.

The decay can spread aggressively, leading to near total destruction of teeth. As a result, the child may need extensive restoration, crowns or procedures to remove the  tooth’s live tissue. Extensive cavities can make babies sensitive to hot and cold temperatures and affect their ability to bite and chew. Frequently, badly decayed teeth must be extracted, which can interfere with speech and the development of permanent teeth.

If babies must have a bottle or cup for comfort, it’s better to fill it with plain water, says Dr. Amendola.

If  the baby is already hooked on a bottle of formula for comfort, gradually dilute the contents with water until the baby is weaned from the decay-causing liquids.

Of course, the best solution is prevention. Dr. Amendola suggests that parents let every caregiver know that baby bottles aren’t to be used as pacifiers, but only for nutrition.