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Your infant’s first teeth will begin to appear around six to 12 months of age. You might wonder how important these primary teeth really are--we get questions all the time about why baby teeth matter when they are destined to fall out within a few years and be replaced by a full set of permanent teeth. However, baby teeth have important functions, and proper care can set the stage for excellent oral and overall health.

The truth is, baby teeth (known as primary teeth), allow children to chew, speak, laugh, and grow. Importantly, they hold space for adult teeth before they come in!  Early loss of baby teeth due to cavities can lead to more severe crowding of the adult teeth. Beyond this, however, keeping your child's teeth healthy can prevent pain and infection and also gives them the best chance of remaining cavity-free into adulthood!

How to Take Care of Baby Teeth

Your baby’s primary teeth are already in his or her mouth at birth; they are just invisible because they have not broken through the gums. Since they are already present, your baby can get cavities if you do not practice proper oral hygiene from the beginning.

• Do not let your baby fall asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth.
• Brush your child’s baby teeth twice a day as soon as they come in.
• Floss your child’s teeth as soon as he or she has two teeth that touch.
• Visit Carolina Pediatric Dentistry for your baby’s first checkup when the first tooth arrives.

Is your child nervous about visiting Drs. LaRee Johnson, Clark Morris, Gentry Byrd, Anne Baker, Amanda Allen, and our team at Carolina Pediatric Dentistry? Today, we put together some tips to help ensure your little one relaxes before his or her next dental checkup!

1. Start early. The earlier your child visits our Raleigh and Wakefield office, the better. This will provide your child with a familiarity and ensure that he or she is comfortable with our team, office, and surroundings, whether it’s for a preventive visit or an emergency. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child first visit the dentist at age one or when the first tooth is visible.
2. Choose your words wisely. When preparing for a visit, go easy on the details. Over-explaining and adding more information about treatment such as a filling will lead to more questions as well as add unnecessary alarm. Remember to keep a positive attitude! Our friend and Charlotte, NC orthodontist Dr. Chad Johnson has explained that vocabulary is very important for children.
3. Bring a distraction to your child’s appointment. Bringing along music is a great idea. Just plug in those earphones, have your child close his or her eyes, and get lost in the tunes.
4. Consider a “pretend visit.” Before your child’s appointment, try role playing with him or her—you be the doctor and your child is the patient. All you'll need is a toothbrush. The key is getting your child familiar with the routine so that he or she is more relaxed once it’s time for the real visit with Drs. LaRee Johnson, Clark Morris, Gentry Byrd, Anne Baker, and Amanda Allen
5. Stress the importance of good oral health. Instill in your child that visiting the dentist is a necessity, not a choice, and that visiting the dentist will lead to a lifetime of smiles. Healthy visits are happy visits!

After hours of juggling a wailing baby, you’re probably desperate to address teething pain. If your baby is irritable, drooling, and chewing on hard objects, he or she is likely teething. Although some discomfort while your baby is teething is inevitable, learning a few basic approaches can ease painful gums and soothe your frazzled nerves.

• Use a teething ring. A firm rubber teething ring allows your child to gnaw, and alleviates pain. If your baby seems to like sucking on a bottle, replace the milk or formula with water during teething periods. This reduces sugar intake and decreases the risk of tooth decay.
• Cool it down. Stick a clean, moist washcloth in the freezer (place it on a tray for cleanliness) and offer that to your baby. The cooler temperature of the chilled cloth eases the pain of teeth erupting through the gums.
• Use medications. If your baby seems to be especially uncomfortable, over-the-counter medications may be appropriate. Giving an age-appropriate dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) may reduce discomfort. Make sure you check with your child’s pediatrician or our office first to ensure the medication is safe.

Remember that your child is likely putting a lot of items in her mouth as she is seeking comfort and exploring the world around her. While some fussiness and discomfort is expected, a fever, upset stomach, nausea, and diarrhea are not.  In the event that any of those signs occur, you should contact your child's pediatrician immediately.

For more information about teething, or to schedule an appointment with Drs. LaRee Johnson, Clark Morris, Gentry Byrd, and Anne Baker, please give us a call at our convenient Raleigh and Wakefield office today!

Drs. LaRee Johnson, Clark Morris, Gentry Byrd, Dr. Amanda Allen, and our team at Carolina Pediatric Dentistry know that periodontal disease isn't something exclusive to adults. It can affect adolescents as well. Gingivitis, which is a milder form of periodontitis, is a form of periodontal disease, and a warning that more serious problems may arise. Untreated gingivitis can develop into full-blown periodontitis.

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) explains that research proves that younger people may develop more severe forms of gingivitis. Gingivitis is linked to periodontal disease. Children and adolescents who have type 1 diabetes or immune deficiencies are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease.

Parents may suspect that their adolescent has chronic gingivitis if he or she shows or complains of symptoms such as redness, swelling, or bleeding gums. Early treatment may prevent gingivitis from developing into a more severe form of periodontal disease

Once called thought only to affect adults, periodontitis can occur in people in their early teenage years, and progress throughout their teens. One of its distinguishing characteristics is bone loss following chronic inflammation of the gingiva. This can be due to oral hygiene concerns and also genetics.

In more severe periodontal disease, the overall gum structure may change. The severity of these changes may alter gum strength enough to loosen teeth, or even worse, cause them to fall out.

The success of any treatment is largely contingent on early diagnosis. Drs. LaRee Johnson, Clark Morris, Gentry Byrd, and Anne Baker should conduct a thorough periodontal exam as part of an adolescent’s twice-yearly complete dental examinations.

The mouth is full of bacteria. Some of it is necessary for food digestion. Diseases are more likely to develop if bacteria travel to open places in the mouth, such as exposed gum pockets or cavities. Proper dental hygiene is essential for a healthy mouth, and a healthy mouth offers greater protection against painful dental diseases.

Be sure every member of your family has a complete dental exam and cleaning twice a year, and contact Drs. LaRee Johnson, Clark Morris, Gentry Byrd, Anne Baker, and Amanda Allen when you or your young kids or adolescents complain of pain, sensitivity, or other oral problems. Early detection at our Raleigh and Wakefield office leads to treatment of oral problems and prevents them from turning into serious periodontal disease and potentially irreversible problems.