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"Are you Pregnant?" |
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"Are you a soon-to-be DAD?" |
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"Expecting a new-born?" |
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"Have a new-born already?" |
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1. How your pregnancy will affect your oral health. |
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When you're pregnant, there is an increase of different hormones in the body that exaggerates the way your gums
react to irritants |
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such as plaque. Gum
tissue might respond to plaque by swelling up and forming a lump on
the gums called a pregnancy or pyogenic |
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tumor. Thorough brushing
and flossing of your teeth twice a day to remove the plaque and
bacteria and eating a balanced diet will |
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keep your gums healthy
and prevent these "tumors." |
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2. Can I still go to the dentist during my pregnancy?
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Yes, you should continue with
regular dental visits and come in for routine exam and cleaning every
6 months. However, please let |
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us know you are pregnant
so we can coordinate your treatment plan accordingly. |
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3. Little known secret about taking x-rays during pregnancy.
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Newer x-ray machines have very
little radiation. There is much less radiation from dental x-rays than
from walking around on a sunny |
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day! X-rays are a vital tool
used to detect dental and other oral health problems. We are very
conscientious of your health and only
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the x-rays that are necessary
will be taken and you will be asked to wear a lead apron for extra
protection.
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4. When will my infant begin to get teeth?
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Every child is different and
development will vary. On the average, most infants will start to
teeth around 6 to 12 months. The lower |
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teeth usually come in before
the top teeth.
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5. When should I begin to brush my infant's teeth?
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You should start even before
your child has teeth! Starting at birth, clean your child's gums with
a soft infant toothbrush or cloth |
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and cool water. It is usually
best to have them lie with their head on your lap. By starting early, your
child will be used to having
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you clean his/her teeth and
will adopt a good habit early on.
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6. Using toothpaste on your new-born-STOP Right now and read this tip!
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First of all, do not use fluoridated toothpaste on your child until age 2-3. When you do use it, make sure to use only a pea-sized
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amount of fluoridated
toothpaste. You want to make sure your child can spit after brushing
and not swallow the paste. Although |
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there are no known
harmful effects of swallowing fluoride, young children who swallow too
much fluoride can be susceptible to |
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dental fluorosis. Fluorosis is spotting of the teeth. It can range from white to brown spots. While dental fluorosis
is not harmful, |
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it may cause cosmetic
blemishes on your child's permanent teeth. If you have any questions
about how much fluoride to use on |
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your child, please call
and I will be happy to discuss it with you. |
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7. New-borns should go to the dentist! But when?
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According to the American
Academy of Pediatric Dentists, parents are encouraged to bring their
child to the dentist when the |
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first tooth erupts, usually
between 6 and 12 months of age. The key to bringing in a child at an
early age is to detect problems |
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early on and to familiarize the
child to his/her dentist before any problems arise. The worst thing
you want is to have your |
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child fall, break a
tooth, and rush them to an unfamiliar dentist just to have your child
more scared with all the new faces, lights, |
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and sounds while you fill
out records. A child's first visit to dentist should be time for
exploration where they get to meet the staff |
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and familiarize
themselves with dental toys in a pain-free atmosphere. Their first
visit shouldn't be when they are already in pain. |
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When this happens, their view
of dental care will be scarred and they might grow up to be scared of going
to the dentist. I believe
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that once children get to know
everyone in the office and are familiar with lying on the chair and having
their teeth cleaned and
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counted, they grow up paying
great importance to their oral health. If a cavity were to ever occur in the
6 months interval when we
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see them, your child will be
less nervous because he or she is familiar with us looking in their mouth.
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8. How to avoid this really common new-born problem.
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Baby bottle
tooth decay is a really common problem, but can be a horribly
deforming one. Baby bottle tooth decay is a result of |
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sugary
liquids such as juice, milk and soda pooling around the infant's teeth over
long periods of time. When you put your child
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down to
sleep, it is best not to let him sleep with any bottle. If you must give him
a bottle, then only put water in the bottle. Most
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parents
put their infants down with milk. But even milk can cause baby bottle decay.
Baby bottle decay is when the infant's teeth |
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turn brown
to black from decay caused by the sugary liquids kept in their mouth over
night. Remember to also brush your child's
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gums and
teeth twice a day!
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