Family Health
October 2009
Dental Essentails
by Kate Willard

Few things are as contagious as a child’s smile, but it’s easy to forget how much work it takes to maintain it. In fact, caring for a child’s dental hygiene is something that starts in infancy.

“Today, pediatric dentists are approaching things from a preventative technique rather than trying to fix everything after it’s already become a problem,” says Dr. Stephanie Strickland, a dentist with Pediatric Dentistry in midtown Manhattan. Starting in infancy, parents are advised to clean their child’s mouth with cotton gauze mouth wipes to remove plaque and residue.

At one year old, a child is ready for their first visit to the dentist. “The most important appointment in a child’s life is the one-year appointment,” says Dr. Mario Vilardi, a periodontist and publisher of “Dear Doctor Dentistry and Oral Health” magazine.

But it’s a visit many parents overlook. “A lot of times, unfortunately, parents don’t bring their child in until around 3 years of age,” says Mark Hochberg, a pediatric dentist on the Upper East Side. “But the first visit is so important because the child gets a full examination and we counsel parents on important steps about bottle feeding, diet, and home care instruction.”

Starting when the first tooth erupts, children should use a child size toothbrush and non-fluoridated toothpaste. Once they can spit it out, which usually happens between 2 and 3 years of age, they can use fluoridated toothpaste. “A child who chronically swallows fluoridated toothpaste can get white spots on their grownup teeth,” points out Hochberg.

Until a child is 6 or 7, parents should help them brush, as it’s unlikely a child can do so correctly unsupervised. At age 7, a child is often ready to start flossing on their own (before which parents can help them, starting when their first molars appear). This is also a good time to introduce fluoridebased rinses like ACT.

But perhaps the most important step to take in maintaining your child’s healthy smile is finding a pediatric dentist you love. When you’re looking for a dentist, look for features that indicate their office is kidfriendly. Toys, games, and videos can be helpful in easing children’s fears about visiting the dentist. Finding a dentist who explains what is happening in terms a child can understand is also key.

visit us @ www.drjackiesmiles.com
&
www.liveituptvshow.com
(weekly dental correspondent…
look us up under Entertainment)

When should Your Child Start Brushing | How To Choose A Dentist is a post from: Invisalign and The Future of Braces & Dental Health

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Family Health
October 2009
Braces 411
by Kate Willard

The who, what, when, where, and how of orthodontic treatment can be a daunting pile of questions regardless of whether your first or your seventh child is due for some wires. And while it may seem early, the American Association of Orthodontics actually recommends that children have an orthodontic evaluation by the age of 7.

Early intervention

“Early intervention is great prevention,” explains orthodontist and Invisalign specialist Dr. Jacqueline Fulop-Goodling. Though a child is hardly an adult at age 12, their mouth is actually full-grown around that age. By evaluating a child’s mouth by around age 7, dentists can use the malleability of a growing mouth to correct jaw discrepancies and crowding issues with growth modification appliances like an arch or palate expander even before starting a treatment with braces.

There are many options in the field today, from wire braces that allow for less frequent and less painful visits, to clear braces that remain a popular cosmetic choice, and from bonded retainers that fit on the backside of the front teeth to the clear Invisalign trays. But it is important for treatment options to be individualized to your child’s needs as diagnosed by your child’s orthodontist.

Orthodontist Dr. Mark Bronsky, who has a practice on the Upper East Side, says that while many people consider orthodontic work to be a mainly cosmetic issue, “the goal is for long-term health. If the teeth fi t together in a way that is close to the way they should, they tend to be more stable and healthy in the long term.” And with the right treatment, Dr. Bronsky adds, “kids gain some serious self-esteem benefits” in the process.

visit us @ www.drjackiesmiles.com
&
www.liveituptvshow.com
(weekly dental correspondent…
look us up under Entertainment)

Your Child & Preventive and Corrective Orthodontic Treatment is a post from: Invisalign and The Future of Braces & Dental Health

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1. At What Age Should Your Child See an Orthodontist for Braces? The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that everyone by 7...
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Why so young? “There are many reasons and a lot of research which reveals that early orthodontic intervention aids in dental and skeletal prevention,” said Dr. Jacqueline Fulop-Goodling.

Braces As Intervention & Prevention

(a.k.a. Dr. Jacquie), an orthodontist with offices in Woodbury and Manhattan. “Many orthodontic problems can be corrected prior to the eruption of all of the adult teeth. Most children complete their dental growth by age 12 and many children even earlier because kids today are developing quicker because of the hormones in the foods that they eat, ” said Dr. Jacquie. At age 7, most children’s first molars have erupted, in addition to some front teeth. At this stage, a panoramic x-ray is taken to reveal the size of the other permanent teeth, which have not yet erupted. If crowding issues exist, appliances like a palatal expander can be prescribed to make the mouth bigger for the unerupted crowded teeth seen on the x-ray. “Most importantly,” Dr Jacquie said, “The increase in frequency of palatal expanders today and early orthodontic intervention have decreased the need for extraction of permanent teeth. That’s amazing!”

Studies have shown that younger children are more comfortable during the expansion phase of the expander, as once puberty is near by, the discomfort level increases because the palate has a “growth plate” like suture fusing into one piece. (Post pubertal children and adults requiring a palatal expander must have surgery first since their palate has already fused into one piece.) Also, the more permanent teeth a child has can cause more discomfort due to the overall greater orthodontic forces necessary to be exerted because a child has more teeth in their mouth.

According to www.dentistry.com, an orthodontist can generally determine whether there will be adequate room for the remaining permanent teeth at this time. This determination is often aided by a panoramic X-ray. If there will not be adequate room for th permanent teeth, early treatment can be initiated and may consist of appliances to expand the jaws or the early removal of deciduous teeth. This approach greatly increases the chance that the remaining permanent teeth will erupt ideally aligned, thereby reducing the need for future orthodontic treatment.

A commonly treated orthodontic problem is an overbite (more correctly termed overjet), or “buck teeth.” An overbite may result when the upper jaw grows more rapidly than the lower jaw, or may simply result from protrusive front teeth. If the jaw is involved, treatment will usually consist of an orthopedic appliance to help stimulate lower jaw growth.

In addition, limited upper braces are often placed on the front teeth. The advantages of treating the overbite early include improved chewing, speech and facial aesthetics, increased self-esteem and reduced risk of dental injuries.

Finally, orthodontists generally recommend treating harmful habits such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, and mouth breathing at a young age. There is strong evidence that these habits can lead to significant orthodontic problems. Dr. Jacquie said, “Early intervention is a key factor in determining what your child’s future smile will look like. It is wonderful to create wide smiles and can avoid pulling adult teeth because we are able to evaluate children younger today.”

For more information, please do not hesitate contacting Dr. Jacquie at (516) 921-6010 or visit her website, www.drjackiesmiles.com

At What Age Should Your Child See an Orthodontist for Braces? is a post from: Invisalign and The Future of Braces & Dental Health

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1. Your Child & Preventive and Corrective Orthodontic Treatment Family Health October 2009 Braces 411 by Kate Willard The...