How, When and What - Oral Health Care in Children

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Your Teeth.com

A question we are often asked is "when can I expect my child's baby teeth to come in?"  As a general rule 6 to 7 months is the average time that most children have before any teeth erupt.  However, some children can have teeth appear as early as birth.  You can expect about 20 primary teeth to come in with 32 permanent teeth that will replace them as your child gets older.

By age 3 typically most children have all of their 20 primary teeth. Around the age of 5 or 6 is when some of these primary teeth will begin to loosen and fall out.  The process of replacing the primary teeth with permanent ones is complete, typically around the age of 12-13.  Usually around the age of 14 your child will have 28 permanent teeth in their mouth.  They also will have four additional teeth, or wisdom teeth, that grow behind the permanent teeth in their later teen years.

The reason primary teeth become loose is because the permanent teeth begin to push them out of the way.  The emotions your child can or will exhibit during this process can range from elation to great fear.  Your role, as their parent, is to let them know this is a normal process of life and to explain to them what they can expect.  Encourage them to get those primary teeth out the way to make room for their permanent teeth.  We have seen cases where children were too scared to pull out their primary teeth and the permanent ones fully erupt behind them.  There is nothing to be afraid of.  Whether you encourage visits from the "tooth fairy" as incentive or not, there are other ideas parents have come up with to incentivise their children to overcome their hesitancy or fear and pull their little teeth out.

Please call to schedule your child's semi-annual check up.  We can help you know what to expect through the great technology of our digital x-rays.  We can catch problems before they happen if we can see your children twice a year.  If at anytime your children requires some dental intervention to fix issues that may present themselves, you can be confident in our ability to work with you and your child to achieve the desired outcome of a healthy and happy child.

Call to schedule your appointment today!

(541) 451-1440

Options Abound!

We are continuing to celebrate National Nutrition month and found some more great ideas about healthy snacking from DeltaDental.com.  There is great power behind making smart choices when it comes to snack time.

• Choose nutrient-rich, whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. Treat your snacks like a mini-meal and choose items that you know will give you the nutrients you need.
• Plan snacks ahead of time. Keep a variety of nutritious ready-to-eat supplies on hand, such as whole-grain crackers, low-fat cheese and nuts.
• Instead of a sugary breakfast cereal or a starchy bagel, choose fruit, yogurt or a cup of oatmeal for your portable morning meal.
• Crisp fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots and celery not only help stimulate saliva flow, which helps clean plaque and food particles from teeth, but they are full of vitamins and minerals.
• Cheese and yogurt are easy, portable snacks that supply calcium and other vitamins and minerals for strong teeth.
• If you drink fruit juice, you should use a straw to keep it from having as much contact with your teeth.
• Rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste immediately after finishing your snack.

Take a few minutes today to choose one snack option that will boost your energy and oral health.  Your smile and your body will thank you for years to come!

Call us to receive 10% off of your next dental appointment.

(541) 451-1440

March - National Nutrition Month

How are your New Year's resolutions coming?  Many times we start off a new year with great intentions, but we quickly find that without hard work to back up those intentions, we loose ground quickly.

March is National Nutrition month and we would like to share a few ideas that Well-Being Wire posted in regards to making healthier choices.

Put the healthy foods in your fridge in an easy-to-reach spot. Easy to reach means easy to eat! If there are times when you go to the fridge for a snack, why not plan for them and put the most nutritious items out front while placing some of the others in the bottom drawer?

Add two healthy snacks to your shopping list. Planning really can set you free! So when snack time rolls around, you’ll be prepared. And at the store, it just may be easier to pass by the ice cream when you’ve got fresh berries on your list.

Plan a healthy meal with friends or as a family. Eating has always been a social activity. Suggest putting together a refreshing and healthy meal with some folks you care about, and if it’s a success, consider making it a recurring event.

Pick one whole grain food to eat at a meal or as a snack today. It could be a some whole wheat toast, oatmeal with fresh fruit, or maybe even some popcorn. Hearty whole grains come from a variety of sources and can be prepared in many different, and enjoyable, ways.

Gauge your hunger before biting into your next snack to see if you’re really hungry. Sometimes we eat because we’re bored, angry, or for a number of other reasons besides actually being hungry. If that’s the case, try reaching for a glass of water instead, or find something else to occupy your attention.

Put your fork down between bites at one meal today. When we eat slowly, we give our stomachs more time to realize that they are full, a feeling that can come several minutes after that last bite. So why not savor the meal and slow things down a little bit?

Treat yourself to a small bit of a food that you love today. Last but not least, let’s remember that people don’t eat nutrients, we eat foods, and we should enjoy them. So let’s be honest about the foods we love, choose a reasonable serving size, and enjoy!

These ideas are simple and easy to integrate into your daily routine.  Challenge yourself to do better and make it a family goal.  Small changes bring big dividends in the end.

Call today to schedule your routine cleaning and check up. Staying ahead of problems saves time and money!

(541) 451-1440