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Parenting
quidditchcapn1120
member
Ask a 27 year old dentist who is also a reformed ex-Republican, wife, and mother of 1
quidditchcapn1120
member
in Parenting
I mean, cuz I knows things I knows you wants to knows.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Ask a 27 year old dentist who is also a reformed ex-Republican, wife, and mother of 1
LOL, that was confusing. I am the dentist (pediatric dentist). My husband is a restaurant manager.
really, when should toddlers go to the dentist? i hear 1, 2, 3!
AAPD says age 1 or within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth, whichever is earlier!
I LOL'd!
Length of time is less important than effectiveness. We give time guidelines because otherwise people would literally just swipe the bristles across the teeth once and call it good. Brushing should consist of small circular motions with the toothbrush bristles pointed toward the gums. If you are having trouble getting him to cooperate to the point that brushing might be unproductive, enlist the help of an adult and do the knee-lap technique (quickly!). Have the other adult hold the child in their lap facing them so that the child's legs are around the other adult's waist. Have the other adult hold the child's hands with their hands and hold their legs with the other adult's forearms. Have them lean the child's head into your lap and you brush.
HTH!
I wanted to be an OBGYN or pediatrician but once I started shadowing at offices, I realized I am unequipped emotionally to deal with bad outcomes. It is a very rare situation when the dentist has to deal directly with the death of a patient, thank goodness. It was a good alternative for still wanting to work with kids and be in healthcare.
Hmmm, can you really do any kind of meanigful exam on a kid so young? My dad (a dentist) and the pediatiric dentist I take my kids to think this recommendation is horsesh!t and mostly a money grab. Most kids under 18 months will not sit and let you look in their mouths for any length of time. My kids didn't start until after 2.
We use the knee-lap technique that I talked about in the toothbrushing question above. Usually the kiddo starts crying, which typically means their mouth is open. Sucks we have to make them cry, but it's effective!
About the Republican thing. I grew up in a very conservative, Bible-Belt type town. I thought I identified with their stances on social issues, but the more I have been out on my own I realized that I do not agree at all. It started with changing my stance on gay marriage and then my stance on abortion (partially because of a woman's story on here). I still identify with the fiscal conservatives though.
Unfortunately, this is actually how we identify possible sexual abuse cases.
Also, please see aapd.org to find a board-certified pediatric dentist in your area. Some dentists that advertise "dentistry for children" are general dentists who just like kids.
Oh my! I never would have thought of that. How sad! Have you ever been involved in identifying a case?
It's hard to tell without actually seeing radiographs and the actual clinical presentation. If they are interfering with adult teeth or damaging the baby teeth below, they may wiggle them out. The good news is if they are truly extra (we call them supernumerary), they will typically be easier to wiggle out. If they aren't bothering anything, it's possible they may let them be and let them fall out on their own. Good luck and I'm sure it will be fine!
Good one! And what about "extended" bottle use?
Yes, I do think it is a good recommendation. AAPD recommendations are evidence-based not anecdotal. And I do examinations on children this young all the time and find all sorts of weird things that need to be taken care of (mobile supernumeraries that might be an aspiration risk, mucoceles, early childhood caries, etc). The only thing I might not be able to assess in a toddler that I can assess in an older toddler is sometimes their bite (molar relationship), but this isn't something I would address at that age anyway.
Also, every single pediatric dentist I know does this for free. It is a way to get the child used to the dentist, identify dietary or oral hygiene concerns, and possibly evaluate for early intervention in some syndromes that might have oral symptoms and that haven't been identified by the pediatrician (dentinogenesis imperfecta, autism, even osteogenesis imperfecta at times). I don't understand how that could be a money grab if most pediatric dentists do it for free?
My kid uses adult toothpaste and has since age 1. I recommend a smear (not pea-sized like the instructions say) until they can really effectively spit the toothpaste out at the end of brushing. This is what a smear looks like:
Here is the original post about this subject from earlier in the year. It's quite long but it covers paci use, bottles, nursing past one year, etc.
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/61373864.aspx
Not based on this standard. I have reported several families based on conflicting stories of how serious injuries occurred and due to obvious neglect of the child's welfare, but thankfully I have only learned about this in "the books" so to speak.
Nah.
Don't worry about it! I work with a very high risk population so I am more adamant about it here than I was back in dental school where most of the kiddos that came to see me were lower risk. Based on the general population of the bump, I am sure you don't put your kid to sleep with apple juice in a bottle and you probably brush his teeth at least once per day. That being said, just hop on over to aapd.org and type in your zip code to find board certified pediatric dentists near you.
Thank you!!!
Yes, dentists get cavities. I have not had one but I do have sealants on my top second molars. I have friends that are dentists who have had to have root canals and such. I would say the average rate of cavities in dentists is much lower than the general population, however.
Technically, caries is the disease process including bacteria, acid, and demineralization of the hard tissue of the tooth. However, since that clinically is a "cavitation" in the tooth, we use the lay-term "cavity" to describe it when we are talking to patients or non-dentists.
I really just LOLed!
I completely understand. Please try to be as positive as possible in front of your child though! It's really hard to have a good appointment with a patient who has been "prepared" by the parent. I have had parents tell their kids "you're going to get a shot" or "they are going to yank your tooth out". It makes it so traumatic for them. I always say "we're going to put your tooth to sleep, let's listen for it to start snoring!" and "I'm going to help wiggle your tooth so the tooth fairy can come" (with the parent's permission on that one). And usually it turns out to be so easy. With wiggling teeth out, I usually get "when are you going to pull my tooth out?" after I've already finished.
With proper supervision, I have no problem with them. When parents ask "what is the best toothbrush for my child" I just say, "whatever they will use". If a electric toothbrush makes brushing easier for your kids, go for it. That being said here's a couple points:
1) Electric toothbrushes can do the same thing manual ones can, it just makes it a little easier depending on how easy you can access/see your child's mouth.
2) A rule of thumb on when kids are ready to brush their teeth by themselves is that assisted brushing should continue until the child can consistently tie their own shoes. I used to say until they can write in cursive, but I guess they don't teach that anymore. In any case, manual dexterity is very difficult for young kids and an electric toothbrush doesn't change that.
3) Be careful not to push too much on the gum tissue or to brush in a straight line with any type of toothbrush, but especially an electric one. Gum tissue can be damaged by them and it really is difficult to get that back once it is gone.
HTH!