When Babies Start Teething - In Your Local Kansas City, MO Area

Dental Sealants

Imagine a barrier applied to teeth that can effectively prevent tooth decay! That's the miracle-working power of dental sealants, a thin plastic film (usually either white, pink, orange, or yellow) applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth and other teeth with deep grooves. They act as a dental fortress, sealing out small food particles and cavity-causing bacteria.

Sealants Are Highly Effective

Scientific studies have proven that sealants are greater than 90% effective in protecting teeth from decay. As long as the sealant remains intact, cavity-causing food particles and bacteria cannot penetrate.

Durability

Sealants provide protection for three to five years. They serve as an excellent safeguard against cavities, especially critical for children in protecting their teeth during cavity-prone years. Adults also can benefit from sealant protection, particularly those susceptible to decay. Regular dental check-ups with your pediatric dentist are important for monitoring the durability of the sealants' bond.

Recommended for Children

Protecting children's permanent teeth from cavities is a dental health priority. Sealants are designed to protect the chewing surfaces of teeth since they're the most susceptible to the formation of cavities. Fluoride products and treatments don't provide the same type of cavity protection as do sealants. Sealants are superior in penetrating the grooved surfaces of teeth. Without the protection of sealants, 95% of people eventually get cavities in the grooved surfaces of their teeth. It makes sense to beat the odds and protect them from becoming a statistic.

How Are Dental Sealants Applied?

Sealant treatment is painless and quick, taking just a few minutes for each tooth. The first step is cleaning and rinsing the surface of the tooth. A cleansing gel is applied to the tooth, and 15 seconds later, rinsed away with water. The dentist then applies the sealant and it is allowed to harden, often times by using a special blue curing light. In less than an hour, teeth receive years of protection against cavities. Sealants have been approved by the American Dental Association Council on Dental Therapeutics since 1972, offering patients safe, effective, and painless protection against cavities. The latest generation of sealants actually can release fluoride if needed, to add double protection to the teeth.

by Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Your Children's Dentist - Thumb Sucking

A Most Common Habit: Thumb Sucking

What's the most common thing nearly half of American toddlers do when they're teething and tired, relaxing, sleeping or being scolded? They suck their thumbs!

Thumb-sucking is the earliest and most common habit among children. It's nothing for parents to worry about — unless the habit persists. Only after age four does thumb-sucking threaten to damage children's teeth.

Some thumb-suckers simply rest the thumb in the mouth, sucking only at certain times. Others work at the habit, and can displace teeth severely. If, when you remove the thumb from your child's mouth you hear a "popping," it signals a great deal of pressure on the teeth that may cause an overbite or underbite. If the child is over four, you may want to discuss the habit with an orthodontist.

To help break a child of thumb-sucking, parents should;

• Avoid punishing the child
• Provide play materials to occupy the child's hands
• Keep supervision to a minimum
• Keep the home environment happy

One of the worst approaches is parental pressure — it can have a negative effect. On the other hand, peer pressure often works well, encouraging the child to imitate "grown-up" behavior.

Sometimes an orthodontic appliance can prevent or replace a thumb-sucking habit. Once a child becomes accustomed to the appliance, he or see may no longer interested in thumb-sucking.

The first step is to determine when and why a child is thumb-sucking. Your family or pediatric dentist has had lots of experience. Give them a call — they may be able to help.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.