Important Oral Care for your Baby

When I graduated dental school at Marquette University, the gold standard for when to first evaluate a child's teeth was by the age of 4.  The recommendation has changed since then.   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 2 to 5-year-olds are the only age group in this country where the incidence of decay, early childhood caries and its serious health consequences in particular, is on the rise.  Solid data shows children seen by age 1 have significantly less dental disease throughout childhood than their peers who are first seen later in life.

The WDA Dental Home goal is to examine all children by age 1 (or six months after the eruption of the first tooth) and educate pregnant moms, parents and caregivers about why baby teeth matter and how to care for them.

The WDA defines a dental home as:

“The ongoing relationship between the dentist who is the primary dental care provider and the patient, which includes comprehensive oral health care, beginning no later than age 1 in a continuously accessible, coordinated and family-centered way.”

Many people think baby teeth don’t matter because they’ll eventually fall out. The truth is baby teeth do matter. Primary, or baby teeth, are very important to a child’s early physical, social and emotional development.  Healthy baby teeth:

• Foster good nutrition through proper chewing
• Aid in speech development
• Build self-esteem by providing a beautiful smile
• Enable a child to pay attention and learn in school without the distraction of dental pain
• Save space in the jaw that is needed for proper development of adult (permanent) teeth

Primary teeth are susceptible to decay as soon as they appear in the mouth.  Early childhood decay can destroy the teeth of an infant or young child.  This is likely to occur when the teeth are exposed to sugary liquids for a long period of time.  Milk, including breast milk, formula, and fruit juice are among those liquids.  The good news is that tooth decay is preventable. Taking a few simple steps can reduce decay in the early development of teeth, thus ensuring a healthy smile for your child:

Never put you baby or toddler to bed with a bottle.  This allows for sugary substances to sit on the child's teeth for a long period of time.  If your child needs to have something to comfort them between meals or at bedtime, give the child a pediatrician or dentist recommended pacifier.

Begin oral care early.  Wiping the baby's gums with a wet cloth after each feeding can help reduce decay.  You can also begin brushing your child's teeth as soon as the first tooth appears.  Be sure to ask your dentist if you are choosing to use toothpaste before the age of 2.

Another Important thing to do is to schedule your child's first dental visit by the first birthday.  This is recommended by the American Dental Association.  By doing so,  not only do you start checking for early signs of decay and other problems, but you can establish a positive relationship between your child and the dentist.  The hygienist can teach your child the proper ways to care for their teeth. Doing this will help to build a lifetime of good dental habits.

Here at Crow Family Dental we would like to welcome our "littlest" friends by encouraging you to bring your children in to our office for a "dental-well-baby-checkup".  Starting this December, for children up to the age of 2 this will be done as a professional courtesy at no charge to you.  We look forward to seeing you and having your family become a part of ours!

Laser Dentistry

Laser dentistry is one of the most exciting advances in dental technology. At Crow Family Dental, we think it's important to bring you the latest and most precise dental procedures in the industry.  Using the DEKA UltraSpeed CO2 laser, we offer the ultimate in soft tissue treatments.  Lasers have been proven to reduce the pain/swelling, bacterial formation, and risk of infection or relapse that can occur during dental procedures.  The traditional methods for surgery are not equipped to decontaminate the mouth and prevent growth of bacteria.  Lasers also ensure a better cut than that of a scalpel, and they sterilize surface tissues when used.  Often times, using a laser during surgery eliminates the need for sutures following the procedure.  The CO2 laser's wavelength allows it to be the only laser that can be safely used around dental implants and metal restorations.  At Crow Family Dental, we offer a wide variety of laser dental procedures which will make your visit a more pleasant and safe experience.  Some of these procedures include:  Periodontal therapy, soft tissue management such as biopsies, frenectomys, crown lengthening/smile design, and healing of canker/cold/and denture sores.

Extensive research has proven this laser's wavelength to be one of the most effective in dentistry today. The CO2 laser has been used in medicine for over 25 years and the DEKA UltraSpeed CO2 laser makes procedures virtually pain-free, speeds recovery and healing, and improves dental procedures in general.  The DEKA UltraSpeed CO2  laser is a leading tool in laser dentistry and we are proud to be able to offer it to our patients.

 

Here is a before picture of someone that was tongue tied and could not stick their tongue out beyond the internal aspect of their lower front teeth(imagine trying to eat an ice cream cone).

 

 

Here is a picture of this area immediately following surgery with the CO2 laser showing removal of the attachment which restricted forward movement of the tongue(with no bleeding).

 

And here is a picture of the increased range of motion immediately following

 

 



Today's blog is going to discuss cutting-edge technology available in dentistry to help with patient comfort while providing superior results.  Let us impress you! With the help of the 3M Lava Chairside Oral Scanner, Dr Crow is now able to take digital impressions for the fabrication of precision crowns and bridges. This information is sent to a local/instate lab and under strict guidelines is fabricated.

A breakthrough in imaging technology, the Lava C.O.S. is one of the most sophisticated optical systems in dentistry. Your dentist can now scan your teeth with a wand that contains very small camera lenses. The lenses then capture video images, ensuring precise impressions. This results in the most accurate crown or bridge possible in dentistry.

Another benefit of this technology is the ability to show patients in 3D their tooth on a large screen.  Just the other day, Dr. Crow was able to show a patient why they had biting sensitivity and reinforce why a crown was needed on a tooth.  The image below shows an internal fracture in the tooth even after preparation for a crown.  The new crown will reinforce and strengthen this tooth once it is cemented.

Here is another example of the technology with this screen shot of a lower impression.  This was taken on a patient who will be receiving an implant due to loss of their first molar.  We are able to manipulate the digital impression on a touch screen to verify we have captured all necessary data and information.

So gone are the days of unpleasant, gooey, putty-like material going into your mouth to take those impressions.  You can also checkout a video of the Lava C.O.S. on our website, http://www.crowfamilydental.com/#!Crown & Bridge, Dentures/c4v

How To Handle a Dental Emergency Part 3.

Welcome back. This will be the last blog in this series of How to Handle a Dental Emergency. Knowing how to handle these emergencies will help you in acting quickly and calmly, should an emergency situation arise.

Have you ever gotten an object caught between your teeth?  It can be rather uncomfortable. Try to remove the object by flossing the area. Sometimes, simply tying a little knot in your floss will help. You can also try rinsing vigorously with water or mouth rinse. Peroxyl from Colgate works well because of its foaming and antiseptic action.  If this does not work and it is still uncomfortable, you should make an appointment with your dentist.  Refrain from using anything sharp to try and dislodge the object, as this could injure your gums and ligament holding the tooth.

Toothaches are certainly not fun. Keep the area around the sensitive tooth as clean as you possibly can.  Over-the-counter pain medication such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol can help to give you some relief.  Do not put aspirin on the aching tissues or teeth as this can cause a chemical burn.  It would be helpful to keep a journal of what stimulates the problem tooth such as: cold, heat, sweets, chewing, etc.  Seek a dentist as soon as you can especially if the pain is becoming more constant or getting worse.

What should you do should a dental emergency arise while you are traveling? There are several things you can do to aid in getting the help you need. If you have Internet access, try www.ada.org.
You can find an ADA member dentist in the area you are visiting. If you are staying in a hotel, ask the concierge or other staff for information in obtaining a local dentist. You can also go to the local Emergency Room and they will probably have some contact information for local dentists as well. If you are out of the country, the US Embassy will be your best bet. Again, with Internet access, you can go to www.usembassy.gov. Click on the country you are in and from there you can look under the heading "US Citizen Services."

I do hope we have provided you with some useful information. Dentalemergencies are no fun, but the more educated you are on emergency topics, the better off and relaxed you will be. Again, if you have any questions with any of the information you have read in these blogs, please feel free to contact our office, Crow Family Dental at (715 )344-6390.

How to Handle a Dental Emergency Part 2

I hope everyone found last weeks Blog full of useful information. This week we will continue on with what to do in case of a  Dental Emergency.

What should you do if trauma causes a fracture to you or your childs tooth?  A broken tooth needs immediate attention from a dentist as well.  Be sure to keep any pieces of the tooth that have broken off.  Take them with you but make sure to wrap them up and keep them moist. You'll want to keep the mouth as clean as you possibly can. Apply ice to the area to reduce swelling if there should be any and again seek medical/dental attention.

How many times have you bitten your tongue or a child falls and gets a "bloody lip or tongue"?   These areas are highly vascular and tend to bleed easily. My recommendation is to gently clean the area with gauze or a clean cloth and apply ice to reduce swelling and bleeding.  For larger wounds, or if there is heavy bleeding following compression with a cold compress, you should visit your dentist or emergency center to have the area evaluated.

And last but not least, what do you do if you suspect a possible broken jaw. Immediately place an ice pack to the jaw, this will aid in controlling any swelling that might be present. It is best to stabalize the jaw and avoid movements that induce pain.   Seek a dental or medical care facility right away.  Signs that there may be significant trauma to  your jaw include:  pain on opening or closing, teeth that don't feel like they are coming together normally, or a change in the range of normal jaw movement.

We, again,  want to invite you back for next weeks post. We will be talking about...toothaches, what to do if you get something caught between your teeth,  and what to do if you encounter a dental emergency while traveling. Again, please feel free to ask any questions that you may have...one of our staff members would be more than happy to get back to you with an answer.

How to Handle a Dental Emergency Part 1

First of all I would like to welcome you to The Crow Family Dental Blog.  Each month we are going to pick a topic that may interest you as the patient...If you would like more information on a specific topic, have questions, want to see pictures...let us know. Our assistants, hygienists, front office, and Dr Crow will be more than happy to assist you in any way.

Would you know what to do if you encountered a dental emergency?  As much as we "cringe" at the thought...It is definitely something to be aware of.  We are going to start off this blog by talking about how to handle different dental emergencies. Our first topic will be discussing how to deal with a tooth that has been knocked out.
 
If this is a baby tooth...our recommendation would be to take your child to the dentist for evaluation. If the tooth has completely come out, do not try to insert it back into the socket. Yes, it is "just a baby tooth" but accidents that cause damage to the primary tooth can be damaging to the permanent tooth underneath as well.

If this is an adult tooth, unlike a baby tooth, we would recommend trying to place the tooth back into the socket and stabilizing with clean gauze. Try to avoid holding the tooth by the root. If the tooth is dirty, rinse the debris away with water. Care should be taken to not scrub the root or remove any attached bits of tissue. If you or your child are not able to insert the tooth back into the socket, carefully place the tooth in a container submerged in milk or saliva. Do not leave the tooth dry. Time is of the essence to get to the dental office and don't forget to bring any pieces of tooth structure that may have broken off.

Next blog post will address what to do with broken teeth, bitten tissues, and a broken jaw.