{"id":15363,"date":"2012-10-23T07:00:57","date_gmt":"2012-10-23T12:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/?p=15363"},"modified":"2012-10-22T14:56:11","modified_gmt":"2012-10-22T19:56:11","slug":"halloween-coming-soon-common-dentist-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/halloween-coming-soon-common-dentist-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Halloween Coming Soon: Common Dentist Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"As a chocolate lover, I love Halloween. I especially love Halloween in NYC. Unlike the ‘burbs where I grew up – where I often walked half a mile between houses – here in the city, you can fill a Halloween bag in no time! That\u2019s the good news.<\/p>\n

The bad news is – now that I have children – not only do I stress about monitoring their sugar intake, but I also stress about what all that sugar can do to their teeth! In honor of Halloween, here is a blog post that was written for us a while back on taking your child to the dentist.<\/p>\n

By Dr. George Lynch, owner of Cobble Stone Kids<\/a>, a pediatric dentist office based in Philadelphia, PA<\/em><\/p>\n

At what age should my child go for his or her first dental visit?<\/strong>
\nAccording to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, a child\u2019s first visit should occur around six months after he or she has gotten their first tooth. This usually puts them at around age 1.<\/p>\n

How is my child going to sit and behave in a dentist\u2019s chair at such a young age?<\/strong>
\nMany parents are apprehensive about the first dental visit because they are unsure how their child is going to react and behave. Although this is a natural response, pediatric dentists are well-trained in dealing with all ages of children with a wide-spectrum of behaviors. Very young children usually will sit in mom or dad\u2019s lap while the dentist examines them. Remember, most children can read their parents and any apprehension you may have can transfer to your child. Keep the attitude towards the dentist a positive one.<\/p>\n

My child does not really eat much candy and so why is it important for her to visit a dentist so early – because the baby teeth will fall out anyway?<\/strong>
\nRemember: candy is only a small example of cavity-causers. Cavities are the result of bacteria that utilize sugars that sit in the mouth and produce an acidic byproduct that destroys tooth structure. These sugars can come from many different sources, such as carbohydrates, which make up a majority of children\u2019s diets (i.e., cereals, crackers, juices, milk). It is important to have your child\u2019s teeth examined because baby teeth not only help our little ones eat and speak properly, they also maintain space for the adult teeth that follow them. Also, cavities in baby teeth that are left untreated can ultimately cause serious oral infections that can spread to other parts of the body.<\/p>\n

When should my child first use toothpaste and how much should I really use?<\/strong>
\nRemoving food and plaque from the teeth and gums should done routinely as the first tooth erupts; however, a cloth or soft-bristled toothbrush dampened with water is only necessary in the early stages. As your child gets older he or she can use a \u201ctraining toothpaste\u201d that is non-fluoridated up to age three. At or around the third birthday, your child should transition to fluoridated toothpaste that is flavored especially for children. Try to avoid minty flavors, which can be perceived as \u201ctoo spicy\u201d or \u201cburning\u201d to your child\u2019s tongue. When applying the toothpaste, only the bristles should be coated thinly – unlike the large, swooping ribbon of paste that is shown on commercials.<\/p>\n

\"\"Do you think my child will need braces and at what age should we go to the orthodontist?<\/strong>
\nEven at a really young age, your pediatric dentist will be able to make educated guesses as to the probability that your child will be a candidate for orthodontic treatment. He or she will evaluate jaw alignment and tooth spacing. In most cases, your dental professional will need to see more growth to really decide whether treatment is necessary. However, there are cases such as under- bites, cross-bites or severely rotated permanent teeth that may require early orthodontic treatment. Each child is different and will be evaluated on an individual basis by your pediatric dentist.<\/p>\n

(Check out the original post here<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a chocolate lover, I love Halloween. I especially love Halloween in NYC. Unlike the ‘burbs where I grew up – where I often walked half a mile between houses – here in the city, you can fill a Halloween bag in no time! That\u2019s the good news. The bad news is – now that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":15365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"schneps_byline":"","schneps_post_style":"","schneps_post_source":"","schneps_syndicated_read_more":"","schneps_post_source_sitename":"","schneps_post_source_shortname":"","schneps_post_source_url":"","schneps_post_source_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,41,51,45,42,17],"tags":[49,61,53],"class_list":["post-15363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baby","category-big-kid","category-dads","category-moms","category-preschool","category-toddler","tag-development","tag-eat","tag-health"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/halloween-coming-soon-common-dentist-questions\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Halloween Coming Soon: Common Dentist Questions","url":"http:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/halloween-coming-soon-common-dentist-questions\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/halloween-coming-soon-common-dentist-questions\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2012\/10\/iStock_girlbrushingteeth.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2012\/10\/iStock_girlbrushingteeth.jpg"},"articleSection":"Baby","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Heather Ouida"}],"creator":["Heather Ouida"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Mommybites New York","logo":""},"keywords":["development","eat","health"],"dateCreated":"2012-10-23T12:00:57Z","datePublished":"2012-10-23T12:00:57Z","dateModified":"2012-10-23T12:00:57Z"},"rendered":"