Baby Teeth: These aren’t replaced. Broken ones are filed down to smooth rough edges, repaired with a composite material, or removed completely if the break is bad. Baby teeth that get bumped out of place can in most cases be shifted back.
Permanent Teeth: Act quickly. Don’t clean the tooth; put it in a glass of milk, and go to the dentist right away. Call first to say you’re coming, because the sooner the tooth is back in its socket, the more likely it will “take.” If it can’t be saved, your child will probably be fitted with a false tooth attached to a retainer; he/she can get a dental implant when he/she’s older and done growing, at around age 18. A broken tooth can be covered with a crown or restored with a cosmetic bonding. Source: Parents Magazine, May 2011

FDA Warns of Complications with Teething Gels Containing Benzocaine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received reports of methemoglobinemia, a rare but serious blood disorder that is associated with pain relievers, including teething gels, that contain benzocaine sold under the brand names Anbesol, Hurricaine, Orajel, Baby Orajel, Orabase and generic brands.

Methemoglobinemia is a serious blood disorder that reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood stream and, in severe cases, can lead to death. Symptoms, which could possibly follow a single application of benzocaine with concentrations as low as 7.5 percent, include pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips, and nail beds; shortness of breath; fatigue; confusion; headache; lightheadedness; and rapid heart rate .

The FDA is advising health care professionals to refer to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for teething, which recommend giving infants and toddlers a chilled (not frozen) teething ring or gently rubbing or massaging the gums with a finger instead of using benzocaine to relieve the symptoms.

For more information, visit the FDA website at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm250024.htm and the ADA website at http://www.ada.org/news/5731.aspx.

There is No Need to Prolong the Pain….Let us Heal your Canker Sores in Seconds!

Do you recall noticing a painful open sore with a red border and a white or yellowish center developing in your mouth? Have you ever felt a tingling or burning sensation inside your mouth or lips? It is most likely by now that you know we are talking about canker sores or oral ulcers. Diamond Dental has the perfect solution for these uncomfortable sores!
Why do canker sores appear?
Even though the exact cause of canker sores is unknown, their appearances have been correlated with the excessive consumption of citric fruits (oranges and lemons), sudden weight loss, stress, physical trauma (tooth brush abrasion or accidental biting) and low levels of vitamin B12, folic acid and iron.
How long do they last?
If is it a minor oral ulcer, with a size of 3 mm to 10 mm, it will go away in about one week. A major canker sore, which is greater than 10 mm and is extremely painful, will last for about two weeks. However, the worst kind of canker sore, called herpetiform ulcerations, is characterized by multiple 1 to 3 mm lesions that form clumps and may take around a month to heal.
Does this mean you have to bear the pain for that long?
The answer is NO! At our Diamond Dental, we attend all kinds of oral needs, including canker sores. We count on the newest technological devices, such as our Soft Tissue Laser to make the canker sore healing process faster and less painful.
These are some of the benefits of using our NEW Soft Tissue Laser:

• Almost instant relief from pain and discomfort.
• Faster healing. The ulcer actually heals in 24 to 72 hours.
• Painless procedure that requires no anesthetic.
• Less bleeding.
• Less swelling.
• Reduction of recurrence of lesions.
• Substitutes for treatment.
• Eliminates the need for invasive procedures.
If you are suffering from oral ulcers, contact Diamond Dental’s team for an appointment now, and get rid of the pain. Our Soft Tissue Laser not only cures canker sores, but it also helps treat periodontal (gum) disease, sterilizes canals in endodontic procedures and aids in teeth whitening. Improve your oral health in a Faster, Less Painful and more Effective way!

Sept. 7, 2010 — Parents worried about mercury in amalgam dental fillings now have a new bugbear: BPA from dental sealants and “white” fillings.

Bisphenol A — BPA — is a resin used in many kinds of plastics, including some water bottles and metal food can liners. Emerging evidence suggests, but does not prove, that BPA can have harmful effects on human health, particularly on child development.

Dental sealants and fillings don’t contain BPA, but many of them contain compounds that turn into BPA on contact with saliva. Is this a problem? That’s what one mother recently asked in a letter sent to Children’s Hospital, Boston.

To answer the question, pediatric endocrinologist Abby F. Fleisch, MD, and colleagues performed an exhaustive review of the scientific evidence. They came to two conclusions:

• BPA does indeed form in the mouth after some dental sealants and fillings are applied. BPA can be found in the saliva three hours after dental work is completed. It’s not at all clear whether this poses a health risk.
• A quick wipe and rinse of the completed dental work vastly decreases whatever risk there might be.

“We believe the high preventive benefits of sealants far outweigh the risk. So until the dental industry creates alternative materials, we recommend their continued use,” Fleisch tells WebMD. “But we do recommend precautionary application techniques.”

Fleisch and colleagues had hoped to be able to recommend BPA-free brands of dental sealants and composites. But manufacturers are not required to disclose all of the ingredients in their products. Moreover, many use little-studied compounds such as triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) that may or may not pose risks of their own.

Fortunately, scrubbing and rinsing sealants and fillings after they are applied removes 88% to 95% of the compounds that can become BPA.

How hard is that to do? It’s simple, says pediatric dentist Dorota Kopycka-Kedzierawski, DDS, MPH, associate professor at the University of Rochester’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health.

“If you spend 30 minutes placing a filling, scrubbing it for 30 seconds more is not going to kill you,” Kopycka-Kedzierawski tells WebMD. “I would agree it is something we can do to protect our children.”

Fleisch and colleagues report their findings in the Sept. 7 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

This is an article from a recent WebMD posting. If you have any concerns regarding sealants or composite (white) fillings, please call our office. Dr. Diamond will be happy to discuss your concerns with you. Our office happens to use a NON-BPA SEALANT for the past several years.  You can reach us at (562) 430-1013 or (714) 828-5951 or email us drd@mydiamonddental.com or visit our website www.MyDiamondDental.com  for more information.

1. Visit your dentist during pregnancy. Dental treatment is safe.

2. Wipe baby’s gums twice a day, in the morning and right before bed.

3. Clean pacifier and bottle with soap and water, not spit.

4. Each family member uses his or her own toothbrush, spoon, fork or cup.

5. Give only milk or water in the cup or bottle.

6. “Test” baby’s food by tasting it with your own spoon or fork.

7. Only use a dab of fluoride toothpaste every time you brush your baby’s teeth.

If you have any questions or comments about this or related subjects, please reply back on our Blog here or Website, www.MyDiamondDental.com

When And How Often You Consume Acidic Foods Or Beverages Affects Dental Health
ScienceDaily (2008-02-10) — Sugar isn’t the only enemy of teeth. Acids found in diet and regular soda, energy drinks, juice and wine can erode tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay. There are a few ways to minimize the risk of damage from acidic foods and drinks such as timing consumption: Eating acidic foods as part of a meal helps neutralize and eliminate acids. Before bedtime is the worst time to consume acidic foods, because saliva production decreases during sleep. Saliva helps neutralize and dilute acids. Brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste 30 minutes before consuming acidic foods or drink is most beneficial. Brushing immediately afterward should be avoided. … > read full article

Whether children receive regular dental care is strongly associated with their parents’ history of seeking dental care, according to a new study in Pediatrics (February 1, 2010). The report is the first to analyze the relationship between parents’ and children’s dental visits in a nationally representative sample.

“When parents don’t see the dentist, their children are much less likely to see the dentist,” said lead author Inyang Isong, M.D., of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, in a press release. “We also found that the children of parents who have put off their own dental care for financial reasons are more likely to have their care deferred due to cost as well. It looks like strategies to promote oral health should focus on the whole family.”

Earlier investigations of the impact of parents accessing dental care focused on particular demographic groups. To see whether associations from those studies applied more broadly, researchers of the current study analyzed data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and its Child Health Supplement, which are designed to collect basic health and demographic information, along with answers to questions on health topics of current interest, from a cross section of the U.S. population.

Survey responses including data regarding dental visits for both a child and parent in the same household was available for more than 6,100 matched pairs. Overall, 77% of children and 64% of parents had a dental visit in the previous 12 months. Among parents who reported seeing a dentist during the preceding year, 86% of children had also seen a dentist; but only 64% of the children of parents with no recent dental visit had seen a dentist during the previous 12 months.

In addition, among parents who put off their own dental care because of financial considerations, 27% of their children also had dental care deferred. In contrast, only 3% of children whose parents had not put off their own care had their dental care deferred.

“Even when children are covered by medical insurance, it appears that financial barriers are influencing parents’ decisions about accessing dental care for their children,” Dr. Isong stated. “We’re now in the process of looking at the impact of dental insurance — something not addressed by the NHIS — and other enabling resources on the relationship between parents’ and children’s receipt of dental care.”

Copyright © 2010 DrBicuspid.com

In a series of three articles and videos during February — Children’s Dental Health Month — DrBicuspid.com is exploring what dental professionals can do to make early childhood visits pleasant and productive for patient and provider alike.

Even if they understand directions, toddlers often refuse to follow them. They squirm, cry, puke, and wet their pants during dental visits. What teeth they have will fall out no matter what you do. So it’s no wonder that many dental professionals don’t want to deal with them.

“The general practice community may find it very intimidating,” said John Rutkauskas, D.D.S., CEO of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). The AAPD recommends that children see a dentist by the end of their first year or within six months of the eruption of their first tooth. But surveys suggest most kids aren’t making it to the dentist that early.

What’s stopping them?

The ADA supports the first-year or first-tooth recommendation, as does the American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

One study of Medicaid children in North Carolina found that the earlier a child’s first dental visit, the less likely the child was to need restorative or emergency dental visits over the next five years and the lower the cost of caring for the child’s oral health during that time (Pediatrics, October 2004, Vol. 114:4, pp. e418-e423).

But the policy first promulgated by the AAPD in 2001 has yet to take hold. In September of 2009, only 36% (± 3%) of 914 of Americans with children younger than age 12 agreed with the first-year or first-tooth recommendation, according to a Delta Dental survey.

One reason may be that primary care physicians aren’t completely with the program. Despite the Pediatricsstudy, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) only recommends that kids at high risk for caries see a dentist in the first year. Kids at low and moderate risk can wait until age 3, according to the AAP.

But most people aren’t even following this recommendation. University of Iowa researchers writing in Pediatric Dentistry (January/February 2002, Vol. 24:1, pp. 64-68) reported that only 31% of children whose caregivers they surveyed had seen a dentist by age 3.

Other research suggests that children’s fear is the biggest reason general dentists refer patients to pediatric specialists (International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, November 2007, Vol. 17:6, pp. 407-418). So how can you ease that anxiety?

The distracting dentist

Practitioners who specialize in treating children make their practices welcoming by letting the kids and their parents know what to expect, said Brian Quo, D.D.S., M.A., a Palo Alto, CA, pediatric dentist. Some pediatric specialists even offer a dental appointment without an examination, just to make friends.

Dental practices can decorate walls with posters of cartoon characters and furnish the waiting room, or even the operatory, with child-sized furniture, books, and toys. All this can make the office feel more inviting and familiar to its youngest visitors.

During the appointment, pediatric experts employ three key techniques: distraction, praise, and “tell, show, do.”

With distraction, the idea is to take the child’s mind off a procedure that might feel uncomfortable or frightening. Some dentists now employ electronic entertainment by using such devices as iPods, Game Boys, video goggles, or TV screens.

But when the entertainment comes from a human being, it’s more likely to build rapport. Distraction can be as simple as asking a child to find his or her belly button just before you inject an anesthetic, asking about the child’s interests, or suggesting that the child count how many seconds a procedure is taking.

Leticia Mendoza-Sobel, D.D.S., a pediatric dentist in Piedmont, CA, and an assistant professor at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, has made a name for herself by telling her patients stories, singing songs, and playing games.

The approach helps her as much as it does the patients. “I love children. They let me be myself and act silly,” she said.

Next week: Perhaps the simplest, yet most powerful, technique for calming kids is “tell, show, do.” The second article in this series will demonstrate how to make this approach work in your practice.

Copyright © 2010 DrBicuspid.com

Tooth decay is caused by certain types of bacteria that live in your mouth. When they stick to the film on your teeth called dental plaque, they can do damage. The bacteria feed on what you eat and drink, especially sugars (including fruit sugars) and cooked starches (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc.). Within approximately 5 minutes after you eat, or drink, the bacteria begin making acids as they digest your food. Those acids can break into the outer surface of the tooth and melt away some of the minerals.

Your saliva can balance the acid attacks if they don’t happen very often. However, if: 1) your mouth is dry, 2) you have a lot of these bacteria, or 3) you snack frequently, then acid causes loss of tooth minerals. This is the start of tooth decay and leads to cavities.

Tooth decay is caused by certain types of bacteria (germs) that live in your mouth. When they stick to the film on your teeth called dental plaque, they can do damage.

The bacteria feed on what you eat, especially sugars and starch (bread, crackers, cookies). Within about 5 minutes after you eat, or drink, the bacteria begin making acids as they digest your food.

Those acids can break into the outer surface of the tooth and melt away some of the minerals. Your saliva can balance the acid attacks if they don’t happen very often. However if : your mouth is dry, you have a lot of these bacteria, or you snack frequently, then acid causes loss of tooth minerals. This is the start of tooth decay and leads to cavities.