More than likely you’ve been to a bi-yearly dental appointment, but for others it may be their first time, or maybe they’re coming back to the dentist after a long time and have forgotten what all is involved in the visit. This article will take you step by step through all the things involved in a bi-yearly checkup.

First up is the physical exam. These exams are mostly performed by dental hygienists and not the dentist themselves. This step involves the hygienist examining your mouth using a tiny mirror to check for inflamed gums, bleeding, sores, and signs of gingivitis. If nothing it found, they proceed to the next step. If there is something that concerns them, they will often call the dentist to take a look as well before proceeding. Depending on how long it has been, your dentist may also want to take x-rays to update your file before they begin the cleaning.

Second comes the cleaning, also performed by the hygienist. The hygienist will use the same mirror to look around your mouth while they use a scaler to clean the spaces between your teeth and around your gum line. This is often the most uncomfortable part of the cleaning process, but you can help to lessen it with proper brushing and flossing as this step is merely to get rid of the tartar and plaque that has built up in your mouth.

Third comes the polishing and cleaning with a gritty toothpaste. Combined with a high powered brush, this will both scrub your teeth clean, polish them, and remove any excess tartar left behind.

Fourth comes flossing, another unpleasant part for those who do not floss daily. If you do floss at home, this part will be simple with no bleeding or irritated gums, and will remove anything left behind by the two previous steps.

Lastly, the hygienist will rinse your mouth for one final sweep to get rid of anything lying around, then give you a toothbrush and a small container of floss and you’ll be ready to go.

When your child reaches the age of one, or at least 6 months after their first tooth emerges, it’s time for them to visit the dentist for the first time. Why this early? Well, it’s to check for a couple of things: to see if you’re doing to proper cleaning care at home, and to diagnose any problems that may have already started occurring. It’s also good to get your child used to the dentist as this is something that they’ll have to continue doing for years to come. 

In the subsequent years, x-rays may be taken to see how the teeth are going to come in and if any intervention is needed, or will be needed in the future. In most cases, however, crooked teeth are not an issue and will more than likely sort themselves out as the child’s jaw grows and develops, making room for new teeth.

The one thing that is most common with children is cavities which mostly form on the molars. As the molars come in, your dentist may discuss the option of sealing the molars as this makes bacteria and germs less likely to develop.

In the event of a cavity, your dentist may recommend a filling. Some parents will frown at this suggestion as the baby teeth will eventually fall out, so why bother with a costly procedure? While it is true that baby teeth will all fall out, your child will most likely still have a few left by the age of 12 and if the cavity develops at 5 years old, it is a possibility that the affected tooth could still be in your child’s mouth for another 7 years.

Broken, chipped, or infected teeth should also be treated, even if they will fall out in the future. Your oral health has the potential to affect the rest of the body, and it is no different for your child. Taking care of their teeth ensures they stay as healthy as can be.

To schedule your child’s first appointment, visit our website at newburysmiles.com/contact.

It’s common knowledge that we aren’t born with our adult teeth right away. We first start out gumless with our baby teeth hiding just beneath the surface. It isn’t until we grow older that our teeth emerge and begin maturing till we finally get all of our adult teeth. So what is the best way to get to a healthy adult smile? Let’s take a look at all the life stages to find out the best way to care for your teeth along the way.

Teeth are actually formed in utero when the baby still hasn’t been born yet. They don’t make their appearance until around the age of 4 months, but depending on the child, they could come earlier or later. The average time it takes for a baby to have all of their teeth emerge is around the age of 3. They will then begin losing their baby teeth around age 6 and will continue to lose and grow all their adult teeth up until the age of 21. 

Preventive measures at this stage of life to ensure healthy teeth include:

• Regular brushing and flossing
• Dental sealants if your child really struggles with oral care
• Getting enough fluoride
• Limit sugar intake

Problems and challenges that can occur at the baby stage include:

• Tooth decay: this mainly occurs when the parents give their baby milk or juice before bed rather than water and don’t clean their gums afterward. The sugar found in both of these drinks can break down the teeth and lead to many problems.

Challenges that occur at the toddler stage include:

• Establishing a routine: Toddlers are not self-starters and will not willingly go and brush their teeth when you ask them to. Set an example for your child and do your oral health care routine together as a family. If they see that their caregivers are doing it, they’re more likely to do it as well.
• Dental Fear: Make going to the dentist a positive experience. This experience is very new to a toddler and a little nerve-wracking.
• Tooth decay: Like with a baby, giving a toddler a sugary drink rather than water will wear down the new tooth and make is susceptible to decay and other problems.

Problems that occur during the childhood stage include:

• Consumption of sweets: Kids have a massive sweet tooth and it’s up to the caregivers to make sure there are healthier options available like vegetables, cheese, and other alternatives, rather than having the children go straight for the sweets. This can lead to cavities and other problems down the road.
• Oral injuries: Kids are also very playful, but not always the most careful. Chipped or lost teeth can occur when safety is not a top priority.

Express the importance of good dental habits early on and you’ll set your child up for success in the future! Remember to visit the dentist every 6 months to maintain healthy teeth and continue good practices at home to make each visit easier than the last.

Flossing is an important part of your daily oral hygiene routine, and yet many people skip it altogether, sometimes on accident, but more often than not, it’s purposeful. Why? Maybe it’s because it’s a tedious activity, or maybe the motion of moving the string around your teeth is bothersome and difficult to do. However, there is an alternative which might make this task easier and more enjoyable. An electric flosser.

Currently, two electric flossers are available for consumers to buy: air flossers and water flossers. Water flossers work by producing a stream of water to clean between the teeth and around the gumline, while air flossers use small bursts of air combined with water droplets to achieve the same task. 

How does this work? Well, both air flossers and water flossers use a small motor that sends the water up from the attached reservoir to the tip of the flosser. This motor can either be battery operated or require the use of am outlet. The latter has a separate water tank that is not built-in, unlike the battery-operated ones, making it less portable than the former.

But are these electric flossers just as effective as their traditional counterparts? According to the American Dental Association, they may be even more effective, particularly those who use the water flossers. In fact, compared to those who use string floss, water flosser users had considerably less plaque in their mouth and less gum bleeding than those who opted to use the string floss.

Electric flossers can also be incredibly beneficial to several groups. For example, string floss is unable to be used when the individual has braces, so an electric flosser is an excellent alternative. Those who suffer from arthritis and other mobility issues may find that an electric flosser is considerably easier to use.

If you’re wanting to make the switch, but unsure which one to choose, contact your family dentist to ask any questions you may have in relation to electric flossers.

Canker sores, otherwise known as mouth ulcers, are painful pits that can be located on the gum or tongue. Ulcers are caused by a number of things including stress, improper brushing, and eating an unbalanced diet that results in a lack of essential vitamins and minerals. Diagnosing a mouth ulcer is fairly easy as they are usually either white or yellow in color and painful to the touch. It’s very common to get repeat ulcers throughout your life and affect nearly 20% of the general population.

Although ulcers generally heal by themselves over the course of a few days, some require medical intervention such as soft laser therapy treatment which can only be provided through your dentist. Soft laser therapy is completely painless and high effective and the quickest fix for those who have either multiple or extremely painful mouth ulcers.

Soft laser therapy works by promoting tissue healing as well as reducing inflammation and pain in the area where it is applied. The lasers make the procedure completely non-surgical, therefore not requiring the patient to be under any form of anesthesia. Biostimulation, promoting blood circulation to the area, and vasodilation are all mechanisms used in order to treat the mouth ulcers.

Biostimulation is a process where lasers are used using photon energy to stimulate the tissue. The lasers are set to a specific wavelength to promote rapid wound healing and instant pain relief to the area. Biostimulation also promotes collagen growth to speed up the healing process. With the pain gone, the patient will not even know that the ulcer exists in their mouth anymore and it will be completely gone within 4 days, if not sooner.

To learn more about soft laser therapy and biostimulation, schedule a consultation with Newbury Smiles by calling +1 805-499-3691 or by visiting our website at newburysmiles.com/contact.