Cutting teeth isn’t one of those milestones a baby reaches all at once. Transitioning from that gummy grin to a mouthful of gleaming teeth is a rite of passage that can take your little one three years to complete. Whenever the first tooth peeks through, celebrate it by taking pictures and noting its arrival date in your child’s baby book.

By the time your little one is 3, he’ll have a mouthful of choppers that he can brush himself, a basic step on the road to self care. (Because he won’t have the skills to do a good job, though, be sure to lend him a hand until he’s at least 6 years old.)

When it develops

The journey starts in the womb. While you were pregnant, your baby developed tooth buds, the foundation for baby teeth (also called milk teeth). Only one in 2,000 babies is born with teeth, though. The vast majority sprout their first tooth between 4 and 7 months of age.

If your baby’s an early developer, you may see his first white cap (usually one of the bottom middle teeth) as early as 3 months. If he’s a late bloomer you may have to wait until he’s a year old or more. The last teeth to appear (the second molars, found in the very back of the mouth on the top and bottom) have usually begun coming into place by your baby’s second birthday. By age 3, your child should have a full set of 20 baby teeth.

How it develops

While some babies breeze through the teething process, many seem to struggle with it and experience discomfort. Among the symptoms your teething baby may exhibit:

• Drooling (which can lead to a facial rash)
• Gum swelling and sensitivity
• Irritability or fussiness
• Biting behavior
• Refusing food
• Sleep problems

There’s debate among experts over whether certain problems — like diarrhea, fever, congestion, body rashes, and vomiting — can be caused by teething. A rule of thumb: If your baby has symptoms that worry you, don’t just chalk it up to teething. Check with your doctor to rule out other potential causes that may need attention.

Most babies get new teeth in this order: First the bottom two middle ones, then the top two middle ones, then the ones along the sides and back.

What’s next

Baby teeth won’t fall out until your child’s permanent teeth are ready to come in, beginning around age 6.

Your role

You can’t do anything to make teeth appear, but you can comfort your baby if you think the process troubles him. Give him something to chew on, such as a teething ring or a wet washcloth cooled in the refrigerator. He may also get some relief from eating cold foods, like applesauce or yogurt. Massaging his gums is another way to soothe his discomfort — after washing your hands, rub his gums gently but firmly with your finger. The pressure provides a welcome balance to the pressure your baby feels coming from the buried teeth below.

If none of this helps, your doctor may suggest giving your baby children’s acetaminophen to ease the pain and inflammation. Rubbing the gums with a topical pain relief gel is also an option, but you may want to ask the doctor before trying it. If you use too much, it can numb the back of your baby’s throat and weaken his gag reflex (which helps keep him from choking on his saliva).

Once your baby’s teeth are in, it’s up to you to keep them clean. For the first year, you won’t really need to brush them, but you should clean his teeth and gums at least twice a day by wiping them with gauze or a wet washcloth.

Never put your baby to bed with a bottle (unless the bottle is filled with water). That’s because the sugars in formula and breast milk will sit on his teeth all night and can lead to a condition known as baby-bottle tooth decay, or bottle rot. Another way to avoid this condition and reduce the risk of cavities is to transition your baby from a bottle to a cup by sometime around his first birthday, when he’s coordinated enough to manage it. When your child drinks out of a sippy cup, he’s more likely to finish his drink in a short time — and avoid the prolonged exposure to sugars that comes with sipping from a bottle all day long.

The 6-month well-baby checkup is a good time to ask your child’s doctor whether your baby needs fluoride (these cavity-fighting drops are necessary only if the water supply in your area isn’t fluoridated). You should also ask the doctor to examine your child’s teeth. Your baby’s first dentist visit should happen around the time he turns 1. If he hasn’t sprouted his first tooth by then, talk to your doctor, who can let you know whether or not a visit to the dentist is necessary.

At about 18 months, your child may be ready to start learning to brush his teeth. You’ll have to help, since he won’t have the dexterity or concentration to successfully maneuver a toothbrush. Use a soft brush and — if you like — a small dollop (about the size of a pea) of non-fluoridated toothpaste. (The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends waiting to use fluoridated toothpaste until your child is 2 to 3 years old, and even then using only a pea-sized amount.)

You don’t have to brush in a certain direction; just try to get any food particles out. If your child doesn’t like the taste of the toothpaste, try another brand or skip it entirely. You don’t really need to use toothpaste with your young child unless his diet includes lots of sugary foods — which you should avoid anyway. If he does indulge in sweets (at a birthday party, for example), be sure to brush his teeth soon after he eats.

When to be concerned

If by the end of the first year you still don’t see any sign of a tooth, bring the matter up at your child’s 12-month checkup. (Premature babies may be a few months behind in getting their teeth.)

If your child has all the signs of teething — heavy drooling, swollen gums — but also seems to be having unusual pain (crying inconsolably is a big clue), call his doctor. Teething shouldn’t be an excruciating ordeal for a baby.

Source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_developmental-milestones-teething_6574.bc

Check the myths and facts below to find out how cavities are caused, prevented, and treated.

1. Sugar Is the Prime Cause of Cavities

Myth and fact. In reality, it’s the acid produced by bacteria in your mouth that causes cavities, says Harms. What the bacteria do, however, is eat carbohydrates — and sugar is one of them. Rice, potatoes, bread, and fruits and vegetables are also carbohydrates.

When you eat anything with carbs, the bacteria become active and produce acid that then eats into your tooth.

“Once they do that, the bacteria now have a nice little hole to live in where your toothbrush and floss can’t reach,” Harms says. The bacteria continue to metabolize carbs, produce acids, and your cavity just keeps getting bigger.

Also, it’s not the amount of carbohydrates you eat that causes tooth decay, but the length of time your teeth are exposed. If you eat a lot of carbs for lunch, that’s one big exposure. But if you spend the day sipping sugary drinks, that’s continuous exposure — and much more dangerous for your teeth.

“We have a saying,” Harms tells WebMD. “’Sip all day and get decay.’”

2. Exposure to Acidic Foods Like Lemons Causes Tooth Decay

Fact. Acidic foods such as lemons, citrus juices, or soft drinks don’t cause cavities, but they may be putting your enamel in danger.

“Acids can cause erosion of the tooth-protecting enamel,” says Harms, “weakening the tooth. If you lose the enamel’s protection and expose the underlying dentin, your tooth is now more prone to decay.”

3. Kids Are a Lot More Likely to Get Cavities Than Adults

Myth. With the help of sealants, fluoridated water, and preventative care, “we’ve actually cut decay in school-aged children by half in the last 20 years,” says Harms.

However, there’s been an increase in cavities in senior citizens “because they have some unique circumstances,” according to Harms. Some medications dry out the mouth, for example, reducing salvia. Saliva is vital in fighting tooth decay because it helps neutralize acids, has a disinfectant quality, washes away bacteria, and helps prevent food from sticking to your teeth.

4. Aspirin Placed Next to a Tooth Will Help a Toothache

Myth. Swallowing aspirin is what helps reduce toothache pain. Since aspirin is acidic, placing it beside the tooth can actually burn your gum tissue, causing an abscess. ”So don’t do it,” says Harms. “Always swallow the aspirin!”

5. All Fillings Eventually Need Replacing

Myth. An amalgam or composite filling needs to be replaced if it breaks down or a cavity forms around it, or if the tooth fractures, Harms tells WebMD. If none of those problems occur, you can keep the same filling for life.

“Fillings do have a life expectancy,” says Harms, but it depends on things like tooth wear and oral hygiene habits. “If you brush your teeth twice daily with a fluoridated toothpaste, and floss or use an interdental cleaner once a day,” you’ll have less tooth decay and your fillings may last longer, she says.

6. If You Have a Cavity, You’ll Know It

Myth. “That’s a big, big bad myth,” says Harms. Mild tooth decay doesn’t cause symptoms. The pain we associate with cavities comes when tooth decay is more advanced and causes damage to the nerve.

Allowing tooth decay to advance can “lead to much more expensive procedures, like root canals,” Harms says. That’s why regular dental checkups are so important. 

Also, once a cavity starts, it doesn’t repair itself. A cavity “will always grow once you get to a point where you can’t clean it out any longer.” Once decay gets into the dentin of the tooth — below the enamel — it just continues to grow.

7. Once a Tooth Is Treated, the Decaying Stops

Fact. “You can get decay later on in other areas of the tooth, but the particular decay that was taken out is gone.”

Once you get a cavity filled — and if you maintain good brushing and flossing techniques — you typically won’t get decay in that spot again.

Harms adds one caveat: “Sometimes a filling gets old and the margins where it meets the tooth begin to break down or pull away, and because you can’t reach it to clean it out, bacteria can get in there and decay can begin again.”

8. Cavities Are More Likely Between Teeth

Fact. “Anywhere bacteria can hide and you can’t or aren’t able to reach with a toothbrush or floss is a likely place for decay,” Harms says. The deep grooves on the back of your front teeth are a good place for tooth decay, for example. “And yes it can happen between teeth because the toothbrush won’t get in there and a lot of people have trouble flossing.”

9. Gaps in Teeth Encourage Cavities

Fact. If you have a small gap between your teeth and can’t clean it, you’re more likely to develop tooth decay there.

“Bigger gaps are easier to keep clean,” says Harms, and as long as they are free of bacteria, big gaps are less likely to develop tooth decay.

10. Chips and Cracks in Teeth Lead to Decay

Fact. If cracks and chips create a hiding place for bacteria, a spot where your toothbrush can’t reach, those areas are more prone to tooth decay.

“Lately we’re seeing more and more cracks in teeth because people are grinding,” Harms says. “Stress, worries about the economy, it makes some people grind their teeth more. … Stress can play an important role in tooth health.”

11. Sensitivity in Teeth Means You Have Decay

Myth. Tooth sensitivity could just mean you have hypersensitive teeth, or gum recession has exposed some root surface.

You could also have a cracked or broken tooth or could need a root canal. “There are many things, including decay, that could lead to sensitive teeth,” Harms says.

12. Cavities Are the Prime Reason for Root Canals

Myth. You need a root canal if the nerve inside a tooth is damaged. Untreated cavities may eventually lead to nerve damage, but there other causes, too.

“Cracks, fractures, or other types of trauma to the tooth can also cause nerve damage,” Harms says. In many cases “clenching and grinding can traumatize the tooth severely enough to need root canal therapy.”

13. Clenching and Grinding Leads to Cavities

Myth and sometimes fact. “Clenching and grinding is one of the most destructive things you can do to your teeth,” says Harms. With normal chewing, teeth touch for mere milliseconds, suffering very little stress. But clenching and grinding puts tremendous pressure on your teeth for extended periods.

That strain “can eventually cause damage and cracks and fractures of your teeth,” says Harms. If those fractures expose the weaker dentin, tooth decay can form at a faster rate. “Typically grinding and clenching lead to the need for crowns to restore the fractured tooth or root canal therapy to treat the traumatized nerve.”

14. You Don’t Need to Worry About Cavities in Baby Teeth

Myth. Baby teeth hold the space for permanent teeth. “If cavities are left untreated in baby teeth, they can develop into serious pain and abscesses.

Occasionally the infection can spread to other areas of the body and in rare occasions can even result in death,” says Harms.

15. Brushing and Flossing Is the Best Way to Prevent Cavities

Fact. “Absolutely! Prevention is the key,” Harms tells WebMD. You need to remove bacteria from teeth by flossing and brushing twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste. If bacteria are removed daily from every area of your tooth, “you won’t get cavities,” promises Harms.

Source:http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-9/cavities-myths

Kimberly A. Harms, DDS, an American Dental Association consumer advisor and past president of the Minnesota Dental Association.

Special Olympics Special Smiles is part of the Healthy Athlete program that has been serving Special Olympic Athletes for over 10 Years. The program offers free health screenings, referrals to health care providers and training to students and professionals about the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Healthy Athletes has a presence in over 90 countries. At more than 700,000 screenings in 92 countries, volunteer health professionals have brought free preventative medicine and care to athletes in dire need of basic checkups, and sometimes more.

Colin Farrell, Dr. Steve Perlman, and our very own Max T Mustang were photographed at the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes event in Shanghai China.

What Can You Do

Volunteer and join the more than 76,000 health care providers and students worldwide who have volunteered with the Healthy Athletes program.

Donate money to keep Special Olympics programs going.

Find out ways you and your church, club or friends can get involved near home. Find the Special Olympics nearest you and invite a speaker to your next get-together.

Know someone with an intellectual disability? Refer them to a Special Olympics program nearby.

For more information visit http://www.specialolympics.org/healthy_athletes.aspx

Although we do not expect our children to come home with tooth in hand from a hard fall, it is something we should be prepared for. Below are different situations that you may find yourself in and some tips to help you through them.

First it is important to have a family dentist that you trust and your children trust. It is also important that you know the hours of business and emergency contact information.

 If you are unable to speak with the pediatric dentist within 30 minutes, please go to a hospital’s emergency department. It is important to get an evaluation from our pediatric dentist as soon as possible. If your child has intra-oral pain, please consult your dentist’s office. If ignored, dental pain can lead to serious problems. Do not wait too long!Try gently removing the debris with a dental floss. Be careful not to cut your child’s gums. Never use a sharp instrument such as a needle or pin to remove any object that is stuck between teeth. If you can’t dislodge the object using dental floss, contact our office.

Broken, Fractured Tooth:
Rinse the area with warm water. Put a cold compress over the facial area of the injury. Recover any broken tooth fragments. Get immediate dental attention.

What should I do if my child knocks out a permanent tooth?
First of all, remain calm. If possible, find the tooth and hold it by the crown rather than the root. Replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze or a washcloth. If you can’t put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk and take your child and the glass immediately to the pediatric dentist, or an emergency medical treatment facility. The sooner you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth!

Broken Braces and Wires:
Remove a broken appliance only if it comes out easily. If it is lodged or painful to remove, cover any protruding edges with wax, cotton balls, gauze or chewing gum. DO NOT REMOVE any wire caught in the gums, cheek or tongue; see a dentist immediately. Emergency attention is usually not required for loose or broken appliances that cause no discomfort.

Bitten Lip, Tongue or Cheek
Ice can be applied to any bruised areas. For bleeding, apply firm (but gentle) pressure with sterile gauze or a clean cloth. If the bleeding does not stop with pressure or continues after 15 minutes, go to an emergency room.

Sports Injuries:What do the following have in common?: A bat, A ball, A knee or elbow, A hard surface (such as the ground or the bottom of a swimming pool) They all are things that could easily come into contact with your child’s mouth when participating in sports. And they all have the potential for damaging or knocking out teeth, or fracturing or dislocating a jaw. High-risk activities include “contact” sports, such as football, boxing, martial arts (including karate and kick-boxing) and hockey, as well as non-contact sports such as basketball, baseball, bicycle riding, roller-blading, soccer, wrestling, racquetball, surfing, and skateboarding.

Even swimming, with all of its gentility, poses serious hazards for your child’s teeth. Common swimming pool accidents occur when children, swimming underwater, quickly ascend to the surface, hitting the hard ledge, and loosening the front tooth. Running on slippery, slick cement and ceramic pool surfaces also can send your child headfirst into the ground, increasing the likelihood of a chipped or loose tooth.

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, many sports-related emergencies involving teeth can be avoided by following the rules and remembering dental first aid steps. If your child participates in any sports, a Mouth Guard is a smart investment.

Mouth guards are soft plastic devices that fit over the front of your child’s mouth, protecting your child’s teeth, lips, cheeks, and gums from sports-related injuries. A well-fitting mouth guard can protect your child from injuries to the teeth, face, and even some severe injuries to the head.

Other Conditions:
Fold a piece of gauze and place it (tightly) over the bleeding area. Ask your child to bite down on the gauze for 15 minutes; if bleeding continues, see a dentist.

Bleeding After a Baby Tooth Falls Out

Cold or Canker Sores

Over-the-counter medications will usually provide temporary relief. If sores persist, visit your dentist.

 Source: http://www.pediatricdenticare.com/Emergencies.html