• Inadequate brushing: Plaque may form on the teeth if teeth are not brushed correctly, leading to spots, stains, and other discolorations.
• Medication use: Some infant medications may have iron within, which can cause dark stains on baby teeth.
• Antibiotic tetracycline: If this antibiotic is used during pregnancy, it may affect the fetus, causing discoloration in the child’s teeth. Tetracyclines are withheld for use in children under 8 years of age because of this side effect. However, they are safe to use in the first 18 weeks of pregnancy.
• Tooth or gum injury: This can affect the baby teeth, giving them a pink or gray tint.
• Serious illness: Conditions such as newborn hepatitis and some types of heart disease can have the same effect. Any widespread infection suffered during a child’s infancy could lead to discoloration of the baby teeth.
• Enamel defects: Also known as ‘weak’ enamel, this can lead to reduced thickness or enamel with poor quality. Enamel defects can appear on baby teeth as pitted, rough surfaces or with white, yellow or brownish discolouration on affected teeth.
• Excessive fluoride: This leads to a condition called Fluorosis, which is an over ingestion of fluoride that can lead to bright white spots or streaks on the teeth.
• Newborn jaundice: If a baby develops jaundice after birth, their baby teeth may appear to have a greenish tint.
  

A few of these triggers for discoloration are difficult to single out and avoid. However, the majority can be avoided through preventative measures. Baby teeth discoloration is often a symptom of unhealthy teeth, and there are several steps you can take to reduce your child’s risk for tooth discoloration.

• Cleaning your baby's teeth as soon as they appear with a clean, soft cloth or a baby's tooth brush is an important method to remove plaque and prevent tooth decay. Clean the teeth at least once a day, especially immediately before bedtime.
• Your child should have most of their baby teeth around age 2, which is a good time to initiate fluoride treatment with a small drop of fluoride toothpaste. Since young children have a difficult time getting their teeth cleaned themselves, you should brush their teeth after they do until they are about 7.
• Feeding healthy food to your child can prevent tooth decay and discoloration. Foods that low in sugar are best, especially fruits and vegetables. The reason low sugar foods are important is that bacteria in the mouth break down simple sugars, they produce acids which may erode tooth enamel, causing discoloration and creating pits where cavities can form.
• Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle at night or at nap time. A condition known as baby bottle tooth decay can occur if a child goes to bed a bottle, or if a bottle is used as a pacifier. This type of tooth decay occurs as sugary liquids pool around the baby teeth while the child sleeps. Bacteria in the mouth use these sugars as food. As noted above,they then produce acids that attack the teeth, leading to discoloration and decay.

Preventing baby teeth discoloration is really more about increasing the health of your child’s teeth and gums. For more information on prevention of discoloration and dental decay, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Growing Smiles Children's Dentistry.

Sealants work by covering the many crevasses on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. With this extra boundary, cavity-causing food particles that would have gotten caught in the teeth are blocked out. The dental sealant itself is a plastic resin that bonds to the grooves in the tooth's chewing surface, creating a smooth surface which accumulates plaque less readily. With sealants, tooth brushing becomes much more effective against tooth decay.

• The application is fast and comfortable and research shows that sealants can effectively protect teeth for many years if properly cared for. With an early initial application of sealants, your child can be protected throughout the most cavity-prone years.
• Dental sealants are usually applied to children's teeth as a preventative measure during the years when your child is at the highest risk of tooth decay.
• The key to lengthening the life of your child’s sealants is good oral hygiene and making sure your child avoids biting hard objects. Your chicago pediatric dentist can check sealants during routine dental visits and recommend repair if necessary.
• Tooth sealants for children generally last from 3 to 5 years. However, it is fairly common to see adults with sealants still intact from their childhood.
• A dental sealant only provides protection when it is fully intact so if your sealant comes off you must let your dentist know.
• Brushing, flossing, healthy snacking, proper nutrition, and regular dental visits are essential to a healthy set of teeth. Sealants must be only one part of your plan to keep your child cavity-free for a lifetime.
• The natural flow of saliva can keep the smooth surfaces of teeth clean but does not protect grooves and fissures of the teeth. This means that the teeth most at risk of decay are the 6-year and 12-year molars. However, any tooth with grooves or pits can benefit from the protection of sealants.

For more information on dental sealants and the prevention of dental decay, please contact Growing Smiles Children's Dentistry. Our practice is involved in the community, and all of our doctors teach and hold privileges at Children's Memorial Hospital. In addition to sealants, we offer all services related to pediatric dentistry, including general teeth cleaning, school forms, fillings, extractions, tooth sedation dentistry, and dental emergency care.

The American Dental Association recommends that a dentist examine your child within six months after the first tooth comes in and no later than their first birthday. This is an important time for a checkup, because aside from checking for tooth decay and other problems, your dentist can demonstrate how to clean your child’s baby teeth properly and how to evaluate any potentially detrimental habits, such as thumbsucking. Growing Smiles Chicago understands that care for your children’s teeth is critical and begins even when your child is very young.

The Teething Cycle: Common Traits, Symptoms and Remedies:

• During the teething cycle, some babies may become fussy, sleepless and irritable, and may lose their appetite or drool more than usual.
• Ailments such as diarrhea, rashes and a fever are not normal for a teething babies. If your infant has a fever or diarrhea while teething or continues to be cranky and uncomfortable, call your physician.
• Cysts may develop. The tooth will eventually rupture this watery sac as it pushes through the gums. Eruption cysts are usually harmless and ought to be left alone.
• When baby teeth first come in, some teething babies may have sore or tender gums. This soreness can be relieved by gently rubbing your child's gums with a clean finger, a small, cool spoon or a wet gauze pad, which can be soothing.
• Giving your baby a clean teething ring to chew on can help: this soft plastic device allows the baby to break down some of their gum tissue, which promotes the growth of the teeth out of the gum. If your child is still cranky and in pain, consult your dentist or physician.
• When the teeth begin to erupt, brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a little bit of water to prevent tooth decay. Toothpaste is not recommended until a child reaches age two. At that time, supervise brushing to ensure that your child does not swallow the toothpaste.
• The time to begin cleaning your baby's mouth is during the first few days after birth. After every feeding, wipe the baby's gums with a clean gauze pad. This process removes plaque and residual food that can harm emerging baby teeth
• As soon as baby teeth appear in the mouth, tooth decay can occur. To minimize this risk, brush your child’s baby teeth gently with a child's size toothbrush and water. Be sure they spit out the toothpaste and rinse with water.

Dealing with teething babies can be a stressful time for parents. Knowing the above information is a helpful way to prepare for this time and address any issues as they occur. Contact Growing Smiles Chicago for any information or checkups regarding your child and the care of their first set of teeth!

Fluoride is used in many instances as cavity fighter; at the dentist, in toothpaste, and in much of the public water supply. It occurs naturally in varying amounts in water sources such as rivers, lakes and even the oceans. Fluoride is naturally present to some extent in certain foods and beverages but the levels vary widely.

Community water fluoridation the addition of fluoride to drinking water in order to bring the fluoride level up to the optimum level that helps prevent cavities and staves off tooth decay. More than 72% of the U.S. population was served by fluoridated community water systems as of 2008.

Tooth decay is caused by a disease called “dental caries,” is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever in 5-to-17-year-olds. Dental caries can cause extreme discomfort and can be very costly and disruptive. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General in 2000 estimated that 51 million school hours are lost per year because of dental-related illness. Without water fluoridation, that number would likely be much higher.

The American Dental Association  supports community water fluoridation as the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay. Even with the widespread use of fluoride-containing products such as toothpaste, studies show that in communities having water fluoridation tooth decay is lower by as much as 20- 40% compared to communities without community water fluoridation.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry also affirms that fluoridation is a safe and effective method of reducing the risk of dental caries and reversing enamel demineralization and encourages public health officials, health care providers, and parents/ caregivers to
optimize fluoride exposure.

However, overexposure to fluoride can cause fluorosis, which is a condition caused by ingestion of excessive amounts of fluoride. It can cause discoloration or mottling of the teeth, especially in children. The following bullets outline some ways to curb fluorosis:

• Do not use fluoride toothpaste until the child is two years old unless advised to do so by a dentist or other health professional.
• When children’s teeth start to appear, brush them with a child-size toothbrush.
• For children age two and older, place one pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on the toothbrush at each brushing.
• Young children should be supervised while brushing and taught to spit out, rather than swallow, the toothpaste.
• You can breast feed. Breast milk is very low in fluoride. Nursing mothers or pregnant women who drink fluoridated water do not pass on significant amounts of fluoride to their child.
• You can use ready-to-feed formula.
• You can use powdered or liquid concentrate formula mixed with water that either is fluoride-free or has low concentrations of fluoride.

Above all, consulting with a pediatric dentist about the use of fluoride for children is important. GrowingSmiles Chicago offers high quality pediatric care, and can knowledgeably answer questions about your child's dental health.

Sugary Foods

Sweet foods such as candy, cookies, cakes and pies abound during the holidays, and can be difficult for anyone to avoid. When you eat sugary foods or drinks, naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugar and create acids as a by-product. These acids then wear down the tooth enamel, weakening it and making it more susceptible to tooth decay and a wealth of other problems, including gingivitis. Snacking on sweets throughout the day or during an extended period of time is especially harmful, since damaging acids form in the mouth every time you eat a sugary snack and continue to affect the teeth for at least 20 minutes afterwards. Moderation along with consistent brushing and flossing can combat the effects of these foods.

Foreign Objects

The gift-giving season approaches, and for most young children(and some adults!), chewing on anything handy is simply irresistible. Ensuring that your child is not at risk for orthodontic damage through exposure from gifts in the form of hard, non-edible objects is crucial. These items may not only chip, crack, or erode teeth enamel, they can also damage Invisalign trays or break braces brackets as well.

Hard Foods

Partaking in a hard crust pizza, bagels, hard pretzels, dinner rolls, or other hard foods could also end in cracked enamel or orthodontic damage. In the case of braces, even though the brackets are molded onto teeth, the adhesive does have its limits. In addition to hard foods, hard candy is plentiful this time of year, but resisting the urge to splurge can save much pain and money. Limitations can be especially difficult for parents of children with braces, but making a sacrifice or providing a substitute is well worth avoiding a mishap.

Sugary Beverages

Drinks filled with sugar or carbonated soft drinks often contain phosphoric acid that can cause enamel staining and cavities. For kids with braces, this can result in staining around braces, resulting in multi-colored teeth. Those using Invisalign run the risk of letting sugary residue on Invisalign trays develop bacteria.

Sticky Foods

When eating sticky food, one runs the risk of getting food bits stuck in the teeth and under braces. This can result in tooth decay or cavities if left unattended. Foods to avoid include caramel, Starbursts, taffy, Tootsie Rolls, Skittles, and other sticky treats. Sticky food tends to be a real mess for both patients and orthodontists. Little food bits will bury themselves anywhere and everywhere. Even people that limit themselves to one treat could be leaving themselves at risk for serious dental complications.

Foods and Drinks to Enjoy

There are many foods available during the holidays aren't only okay for both children and adults to eat, but are encouraged (in moderation, and barring particular circumstances) by dentists:

• Sugarless chewing gum (use depending on the age of the age of the child) increases saliva flow, which helps keep teeth clean. Sugarless chewing gum is ideal, as gums with sugar can build up plaque around teeth.
• Spicy foods can contain important nutrients and vitamins. Just remember to brush well after eating spicy dishes.
• Holiday vegetarian dishes can be healthy choices, and can provide a boost to the immune system. This can also be very beneficial for gum health.
• The best food choices for the health of your mouth include cheeses, nuts (depending on the age of your child and barring any existing orthodontic work), and milk. These foods are thought to protect tooth enamel by providing the calcium and phosphorus needed to remineralize teeth (a natural process by which minerals are redeposited in tooth enamel after being removed by acids).
• Other food choices include firm/crunchy fruits (for example, apples and pears) and vegetables. These foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid).
• The best beverage choices include water (especially fluoridated water), milk, and unsweetened tea.

A Trip to the Dentist After the Holidays

Whether you and your child are able to follow all of these dental tips or just a few, a trip to Growing Smiles after the holiday season for a dental checkup is also recommended. Growing Smiles Children's Dentistry, provides the high quality dental care to patients from infancy through adolescence, including those with special health care needs. A thorough checkup and is a great way to ensure that your child is maintaining their dental health with minimal tooth decay through a sweet holiday season!

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry notes that tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, yet 90 percent of all tooth decay is preventable. Prevention techniques come in many forms, and can be significant factors in achieving optimum dental health for your child.

The following are ways in which parents can combat this preventable tooth decay in children:

Dental visit within Year 1: Dental visits should begin around six months but no later than one year, or with the appearance of a child’s first tooth. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental decay. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily, learn to speak clearly and smile with confidence.

Prevent tooth decay from nursing or using a bottle: To best battle tooth decay, at-will breast-feeding should be avoided after the first primary (baby) teeth begin to appear and other sources of nutrition are introduced. Children should not fall asleep with a bottle containing anything other than water. Drinking other beverages, especially from a bottle, should be avoided as they can damage teeth and lead to cavities.

Fluoride use: Young children require fluoride to help developing teeth grow strong. Fluoride also helps prevent tooth decay in older children when used on a regular basis. Children who drink primarily bottled water may not be getting the fluoride needed to promote healthy teeth.

Healthy eating habits: Parents should ensure their children are eating a balanced diet and limit frequency of snacking on sugary foods, which can increase a child’s risk of developing cavities. In addition, avoiding soda, energy drinks and juices with high sugar content can lead to better dental health and prevent dental decay.

Date to start cleaning a baby’s teeth: It is never to soon to start! Beginning at birth, clean your child’s gums with a soft infant toothbrush or cloth and water. As soon as the teeth begin to appear, you can start brushing two times daily using fluoridated toothpaste and a soft, age-appropriate sized toothbrush. It is important to remember that young children do not have the ability to brush their teeth effectively, so for children under the age of 2, use a "smear" of toothpaste to brush a child’s teeth. For the 2-5 year old, dispense a "pea-size" amount of toothpaste and perform or assist your child’s tooth-brushing.

Other Decay-Fighting Tips:

• Never dip a pacifier into honey or anything sweet before giving it to a baby.
• The best times for your child to brush are after breakfast and before bed. After breakfast removes any cavity-producing elements for the rest of the day. Before bed is essential, because during sleep, the mouth gets drier, which makes it easier for acids from bacteria to attack your child’s teeth.
• Take good care of your own teeth. Not only does it model healthy dental habits to your children, but additionally studies show that babies and small children can “catch” cavity-causing bacteria from their parents.

For more information on prevention of dental decay, or to schedule an appointment, please contact Growing Smiles Children's Dentistry.

Versed is an oral medication that provides moderate sedation, and is used to alleviate a higher level of anxiety. Versed has been proven to be safe, but its effectiveness is short and unpredictable. It is used for small procedures in younger (children less than 6 years old), healthy patients due to its short duration. Longer, more advanced treatment, that must be done, requires general anesthesia.

General anesthesia is a form of deep sedation, and is used when Nitrous-oxide and Versed are not indicated. Longer, more complicated treatment may require general anesthesia. General anesthesia is usually a gas that is breathed in by the child, and is administered by an anesthesiologist. Because the child is placed in a deep sedative state, the child must be continuously monitored. Tonsillectomies, ear tubes, and other surgeries are all done under general anesthesia.