4 Quick Tooth Tips for New Parents

Being a new parent is a big challenge filled with thousands of questions and a lot of research. We’re here to help new parents get their children a healthy smile with some of our favorite tooth tips for new teeth!

Begin an Oral Health Care Routine

Question: do you have to clean baby’s mouth if it has no teeth? Answer: YES! A baby’s first tooth doesn’t typically erupt until they are 8 months old, but it’s still important to keep their mouth clean. You can clean their gums by taking a damp cloth or gauze and gently rubbing it over their gums to remove any food debris. You may choose to use a very soft, baby toothbrush and lightly brush their gums using a very low amount of pressure to avoid upsetting their sensitive gums. However, a damp cloth works just as well.

Establish a Dental Home

Parents have to establish a dental home for their children before their first birthday. Usually, a child’s first tooth will appear between 6 and 10 months of age, which makes it the perfect time to choose a comfortable dental home for your child.

By choosing a pediatric dental home for your child, you get them the best oral care specifically designed for young teeth. A pediatric dentist will be able to diagnose any issues in your child’s smile, and provide you with the knowledge needed to help them achieve oral health success. 

Incorporate Mouth Healthy Foods

Around ages 4- 6 months, most children are ready to begin eating some solid foods. You can take this opportunity to introduce them to some mouth-healthy foods that their body and developing smile will appreciate. Soft foods like bananas, cooked sweet potatoes and avocado are fantastic healthy foods for children beginning a solid diet.  Sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin-A, and support healthy teeth and gums, and avocados contain high amounts of Vitamin C, which contains folate – a mineral that combats gum disease.

Be Flexible

Your child’s mouth is going to evolve, and their oral health routine will need to adapt to fit their smile. As they age, be sure to replace their toothbrush when the bristles begin to plume and fray, and pick one with soft bristles that they can easily grab. Also, be sure to visit the pediatric dentist twice per year so that you can stay up-to-date on any changes in their smile that need to be treated. 

Have a Dental Checkup Regularly

Providing the best dental care for your child is our top priority, and we would love to speak with you about your child and their dental needs. Establishing a dental home early is very important, so we suggest that you bring your toddler in right after their first tooth emerges. That way, we can craft a dental plan that will help them earn a healthy smile that lasts for life. We see children of all ages, so schedule an appointment with us online! We want to make visiting the dentist fun and easy for your child. Call us today to schedule an appointment, or a relaxing meet-and-greet.

How to look after braces and retainers

When your brace is fitted, your Total Orthodontics clinician will explain to you exactly how to look after it. It’s important that you regularly clean your teeth and your braces, to maintain their condition.

If you’ve got any questions about the ongoing care and maintenance of your braces, read on below:

How to look after fixed braces

Your fixed brace provides food and plaque with more places to hide, so you’ll need to be extra careful with your oral hygiene routine. You will need to brush after every meal to remove any small pieces of food that can get trapped in your brace.

You should be brushing your teeth three times a day. We recommend that you carry a toothbrush with you at all times, and use a fluoride mouthwash every evening to protect your teeth from decay.

If you don’t keep your teeth and brace clean, you can end up with permanent marking on your teeth – not what you want after all that time getting them lovely and straight!

We also recommend that you see a hygienist and your general dentist for regular check-ups throughout your treatment.

How to look after removable braces

Looking after removable braces is simple. Remove your brace carefully with gentle pressure, and when you are not wearing your brace keep it in its protective box.

To keep your removable brace, clean soak it in a retainer cleaning solution once a week. You can also clean it with a toothbrush and water, but don’t use toothpaste to clean your brace.

Please resist the temptation to play with your brace whilst you’re wearing it, as this may cause it to weaken and break. If you do experience any problems, make an appointment to see us as soon as possible, but in the meantime try to continue wearing your brace.

We will regularly assess your progress, but it’s also important that you continue to visit your general dentist for regular check-ups, to keep your smile in tip-top condition.

How to look after twin block braces

To keep your twin block brace clean, soak both parts in a retainer cleaning solution once a week. You can also clean it with a toothbrush and water. Don’t use toothpaste to clean your brace.

Please avoid clicking your twin block brace in and out repeatedly as this will cause it to weaken and break. If you do experience any problems please make an appointment to see us as soon as possible. In the meantime try to continue wearing your brace.

How to look after fixed retainers

It is important that you keep the areas around your fixed retainers clean. We recommend using an interdental brush or orthodontic dental floss to clean between your front teeth and underneath your fixed retainers. We also advise you to see your dentist or hygienist regularly for a professional clean.

How to look after removable retainers

When your retainers are not being worn, please keep them in their protective box. To keep your retainers clean, soak them in a retainer cleaning solution once a week for 20 minutes. You can also clean them with a toothbrush and water. Don’t use toothpaste to clean your retainers and don’t put them in hot water, as this may cause them to lose their shape.

If you would like any more information on the above, just get in touch with us at Dr Parkers Dental Care and we’ll be happy to help!

Various symptoms that you should undergo, Jaw Correction Treatment!!

Face reconstruction or a jaq bone surgery will not only lift your face but ultimately lifts your confidence. Early problems and minor dislocations which are unable to be corrected by braces and other methods require surgeries. The operation is commonly performed for dental irregularities, malalignment of teeth generally.  A jaw correction surgery will help you to enhance your chewing, speaking and breathing.

People do not take jaw correction seriously until it causes those serious troubles like headaches, tinnitus, facial and ear pain. It is very important to self-evaluate, to find if the Jaw is dislocated or not.

There are various symptoms in which you can find that if your jaw is misaligned or no

⇒ Difficulty in speaking

      The first and foremost symptom is difficulty in speaking. The teeth will make the tongue to hamper its natural movement; hence it causes  enormous obstacles in the natural way of speaking. It affects the way in which you pronounce and converse.

       ⇒Excessive mouth breathing

    When your jaw is not perfectly aligned, you will certainly feel the discomfort. Even when you are sleeping, you will exert the same pressure, and tend to do excessive mouth breathing. Over a period of time, excessive breathing will be an invitation to other problems like sleep apnea and snore.

⇒ Sleep problems

Due to malalignment, excessive pain causes irregular sleep pattern and difficulty in falling asleep.  The pain due to malalignment is a common phenomenon. The pressure on the face is not evenly distributed, and tends to be aligned in a completely different direction. When the sleep-related problems are not treated properly, it causes major health-related problems like stress, anxiety disorder, and irritation.

⇒ A headache

Headaches and migraines are also very common as you suffer due to improper jaw alignment. As the problem persists for a longer period, it causes great trouble for the person. Even when speaking, eating and chewing, it becomes very common to have terrible headaches.

⇒ Face, neck and ear pain

Along with a severe headache, due to improper positioning of the jaw, many people go through pain in the areas of the neck, ear, and face. The muscles are contracted in one area and are expanded in the other, causes constant malalignment of the face. It not only causes terrible pain and discomfort but also has terrible disfiguration.

⇒ Premature Ageing

Wrinkles, squeezed lips together all the factors contribute to the aged look which is the most undesirable for anyone. It not only breaks the confidence but also gives a very undesirable look. Many people are not aware that the improper alignment could be the culprit behind both physical and psychometric problems.

Why should we do a Jaw Correction Surgery?

There is a common myth that jaw corrective surgeries are painful, and will long time to heal. It requires two doctors to simultaneously perform the operation on a patient. With advanced methods of surgery and healing, jaw correction is highly preferred by many people.

It is a one-time cure for your lifetime problem. Surgically it takes only a few hours to perform the operation, and two weeks of healing time.

Consult your dentist regularly, to have an overall enhanced health and for a healthy smile.

We at Dr Parkers Dental