by Roseman Dental | Feb 26, 2015 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Although oral health is important at every stage of life, it is particularly important to establish proper oral habits in children that will serve as an ongoing investment in their health. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, cavities and untreated dental decay are the most common diseases affecting children, outpacing even asthma and hay fever. It is recommended that children start seeing a dentist as early as one year of age.
Disease Detection
In addition to checking a child’s tooth development, early visits allow the dentist to check for signs of oral cancer or gum disease. There is also a correlation between caries (another name for cavities) in baby teeth and subsequent development of caries in the permanent teeth.
Primary Dentition
Your child’s dentist will make sure that your child’s primary teeth are coming in properly. These teeth, which precede the permanent teeth, start erupting as early as six months of age. While they do eventually fall out, primary teeth are important for developing chewing skills and learning to speak properly. The primary teeth also serve as markers for the proper alignment of the permanent teeth so it’s critical that they remain healthy throughout a child’s development.
Permanent Teeth
Your child will start developing his or her permanent teeth starting from about the age of 6. The dentist will want to ensure proper spacing and gum health as these teeth come in. He will likely discuss your child’s diet with you, as this is an important component of tooth enamel development. Since the permanent teeth will be with your child for a lifetime, it is particularly important that good oral health habits are established at an early age.
What You Can Do
One of the most important things you can do for your child’s oral health is to model good oral health behaviors. Establish and follow good habits yourself, such as brushing and flossing daily and visiting the dentist regularly, and emphasize the importance to your child. Children are great imitators. If you model with enthusiasm the good habits you want your child to adopt, your child is much more likely to copy what you are doing.
by Roseman Dental | Feb 18, 2015 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
It is crucial for your children’s health that they develop good oral hygiene habits from a young age. To that end, the American Pediatric Association recommends that children have their first dental exams starting between 1 and 2 years of age. This is particularly important since the primary teeth start erupting as early as six months. These baby teeth will then go on to set the stage for the proper alignment and development of your child’s permanent teeth.
How to Motivate Your Young Child
Initially you will be taking care of your child’s teeth, but starting around age 2, your child can start helping in his or her own oral care. At about the age of 6, when the requisite motor skills have developed, your child will be able to take over brushing and flossing his or her own teeth. To keep your child motivated, try some of these tips:
- Get your child an electric or manual toothbrush with a favorite character on it
- Model good brushing and flossing behavior for your child and let him or her mimic you
- Use a footstool so your child can watch himself in the mirror
- Choose a flavored toothpaste with a design on the tube that appeals to your child
- Try singing to your child or play a song while your child is brushing so they do it for the full recommended two minutes
- Let your child practice brushing the teeth of stuffed toys for practice
- Keep the sessions short, particularly for really young children
- Assist with brushing up to age 6 or 7 to ensure removal of plaque and other harmful bacteria
Make Trips to the Dentist Fun
By starting dental visits at a young age, your child will be more likely to think of it as a fun activity rather than something to be feared. Try some of these tips to allay your child’s fears:
- Stay calm, yourself. You don’t want your child to sense you are nervous.
- Tie the trip into some other fun thing for your child to do afterward.
- Take one of your child’s favorite books along to read in the waiting room.
- Take along a coloring book and crayons or one of your child’s favorite toys.
- Find a pediatric dentist that specializes in working with young children and can make them feel comfortable during the visit.
By making oral routines fun for your child and easing anxieties about visits to the dentist, you can make oral health something that your child looks forward to with positive anticipation.
by Roseman Dental | Feb 4, 2015 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
You have probably heard that mouthwash is a valuable addition to any dental hygiene routine, but you may not understand why. Simply swishing a tingly liquid around in your mouth may not seem like a big deal, but new research published in 2013 shows that patients who use an effective mouth rinse along with their tooth-brushing routine are able to reduce their gingivitis and plaque significantly. Here is a simple explanation of how mouthwash works.
Toothbrushes Are Limited
Although toothbrushes are extremely helpful for removing plaque and bacteria from the visible surfaces of the teeth, they can only reach about 60 percent of the tooth surface, leaving 40 percent (around the cracks and between teeth) where bacteria love to grow and flourish. Mouthwash, on the other hand, is able to reach almost 100 percent of the various surfaces in the mouth, which makes it invaluable for cleaning hard-to-reach areas.
Antiseptic Properties
Some types of mouthwash are formulated to have anti-plaque and antiseptic properties. This means that individuals who rinse with antiseptic mouthwashes may be able to kill a significant portion of the bacterial plaque found within the mouth. When used in conjunction with regular brushing and flossing, mouthwash can offer the following benefits:
- Reduced tooth decay
- Decreased instances of bad breath
- Reduced chance of developing gingivitis
How Mouthwash is Used
Mouthwash is most effective when it is forcefully swished around the mouth. This action helps the mouthwash to reach the gaps between the teeth and remove food particles and bacteria from those areas. Individuals who have bad breath are also encouraged to gargle with mouthwash because the bacteria that cause bad breath often reside in the back of the tongue and throat.
It is important not to swallow mouthwash, since it may contain alcohol and other ingredients that are not safe for ingestion. In order to discourage swallowing, it is recommended that you only put a pre-measured amount of mouthwash in your mouth at a given time.
Improve Your Dental Health
If you want to add to your current dental regimen and improve your dental health even more, purchase high-quality mouthwash and use it on a regular basis.
by Roseman Dental | Jan 21, 2015 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Everyone wants to have a healthy mouth and beautiful smile, but what exactly does it mean to have good oral health? Some individuals may think that a beautiful smile can be attributed to healthy teeth, but in some cases teeth whitening products can make a smile appear healthy even when it is not. If you are not certain what it means to have good oral health or what steps you should take to improve the health of your mouth, here is a brief definition of what oral health entails.
What does “Oral” mean in Oral Health?
The word “oral” has Latin roots that refer to the entire mouth; not just the teeth. This means that a person who wants to improve their oral health should focus on all of the tissues in the mouth, including the tongue, chewing muscles, teeth, gums, lips, and connective tissues. Based on this definition, oral health is achieved when all of the various structures in the mouth are taken care of and are free from painful conditions.
In addition to gingivitis and tooth decay, other conditions that affect oral health include:
- Soft tissue lesions in the oral area
- Pharyngeal and oral cancers
- Cleft palate
- Cleft lip
- Other painful oral diseases or conditions
Why is Oral Health So Important?
The health and scientific communities are continuously discovering links between oral health and other dangerous physical conditions, such as:
- Premature births
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
If you are concerned about the health of your body in general, you should also be concerned about improving your oral health. In addition to being linked to various physical ailments, poor oral health can also make it difficult for individuals to eat, drink, and converse with others.
How can I Improve my Oral Health?
You can take matters into your own hands and improve your oral health by regularly brushing and flossing your teeth, rinsing your mouth with mouthwash, eating a healthy diet, and receiving regular dental checkups.
by Roseman Dental | Jan 10, 2015 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Over the years, there has been a significant amount of debate over alcohol and non-alcohol mouthrinses. Some companies claim that their mouthwash is superior because it contains alcohol that is capable of killing stubborn bacteria in the mouth, while other companies claim that their mouthwash is superior because it does not contain drying alcohol. Consumers are stuck in the middle of this battle and have a difficult time deciding whether it is better to purchase mouthrinse with or without alcohol.
Some individuals are advised to stay away from mouthrinses that contain alcohol for the following common reasons:
• Pregnancy
• Alcoholism
• Religion
• Childhood
Individuals in these groups may choose not to use a mouthrinse at all because they may be under the impression that mouthrinses without alcohol are not as efficient as mouthrinses with alcohol. However, a recent study compared the efficacy of alcohol and non-alcohol mouthrinses and yielded surprising results.
The Efficacy of Alcohol-Free Rinses Is Comparable to Alcohol-Containing Rinses
The study compared two different mouthrinses without alcohol to a mouthrinse with alcohol. Patients were divided into four groups:
• Group A was instructed to brush their teeth and rinse with an alcohol-free rinse
• Group B was instructed to brush their teeth and rinse with an alcohol-containing rinse
• Group C was instructed to brush their teeth and rinse with both an alcohol-free and alcohol- containing rinse
• Group D was instructed to only brush their teeth
Surprisingly, the study results showed that the alcohol-free mouthrinses were able to reduce gingivitis and plaque at a rate that was comparable to the alcohol-containing mouthrinse. Because the test results showed that there is no reduced efficacy in alcohol-free mouthrinses, it is recommended that individuals choose alcohol-free mouthwash brands over those that contain alcohol.
Improve Your Oral Health Without Alcohol
Individuals who want to improve their oral health and the scent of their breath without the negative effects of alcohol can now rest assured that alcohol-free rinses are just as effective as those containing alcohol.
