The Laser Dental Group

It's undeniable that fluoride has played a major role in the decline of dental cavities in the United States.  However what isn't so clear to many parents is whether or not fluoride treatments are safe and/or beneficial for children. After all, children receive fluoride on a regular basis from many different types of foods and even water.  Through these sources alone, minerals lost due to plaque, bacteria and sugars are  remineralized on teeth. So, is an additional fluoride treatment at the dentists necessary and if so, at what age are the treatments most beneficial? Read on to find out. Why You Should Consider Fluoride Treatments For Your Child While it's true that fluoride found in foods and water can replace lost minerals, it sometimes isn't enough to strengthen teeth and protect against cavities.  In fact, if you don't consume enough natural fluoride, demineralization will occur much more quickly than remineralization, leaving enamel at risk and causin...

Tooth Decay As you might guess, the number-one dental problem among preschoolers is tooth decay . One out of 10 two- year-olds already have one or more cavities By age three, 28% of children have one or more cavities By age five, nearly 50% of c hildren have one or more cavities Many parents assume that cavities in baby teeth don't matter, because they'll be lost anyway. But that's not true. Dental decay in baby teeth can negatively affect permanent teeth and lead to future dental problems. Teaching Good Dental Habits The best way to protect your child's teeth is to teach him good dental habits. With the proper coaching he'll quickly adopt good oral hygiene as a part of his daily routine . However, while he may be an enthusiastic participant, he won't yet have the control or concentration to brush his teeth all by himself. You'll need to supervise and help him so that the brush removes all the plaque—the soft, sticky, bacteria-...

In February, the American Dental Association updated its recommendation to caregivers of young children.  The old recommendation was using water to brush the teeth of children younger than 2 years old and to brush the teeth of children 2 to 6 years old with a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.  The Council on Scientific Affairs (CSA) is updating its guidance to caregivers that they should brush their children’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth comes in.  To help prevent children’s tooth decay, the CSA recommends that caregivers use a smear of fluoride toothpaste (or an amount about the size of a grain of rice) for children younger than 3 years old and a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste for children 3 to 6 years old. The new guidance is intended to provide children with the full benefit of cavity protection while limiting their risk of developing fluorosis, which is a mild discoloration of teeth usually appearing as faint lines...

Every February the American Dental Association sponsors National Children's Health month.  It's a good time to make sure that the children in your life see a dentist for regular cleanings and checkups.  All children should also be taught to brush their teeth 2x a day for 2 minutes at each time. With the new Obamacare laws, medical insurance will now be required to provide pediatric dental care so make sure you take advantage of this benefit.  Even if you don't have dental, your children may be covered.