Keeping Baby Teeth Healthy

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Some parents don’t realize how important it is to keep baby teeth healthy, since they are not permanent teeth. There are certain ways to keep the baby’s teeth healthy, such as not putting the baby to bed with a bottle and brushing the gums gently after feeding.

(CBS News)  Since your baby’s first set of teeth are not permanent, some parents don’t realize the importance of keeping them healthy. Jessica Hartshorn, Senior Lifestyle Editor for American Baby, tells you how to keep your baby’s teeth in good shape.

It’s important to take care of primary teeth until they are naturally lost and put under the pillow for the took fairy. Although you can’t see them at birth, there are 20 primary teeth under an infant’s gums. As the child gets older, these primary teeth make way for 32 permanent teeth.

Even before the first little tooth comes in, it’s important to pay attention to your baby’s mouth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) suggests that you gently brush your Baby’s gums after each feeding.  You can use water on a soft-bristled baby toothbrush or wipe them with a clean washcloth. This puts good dental health habits in practice from the very start.

A baby will usually start to get her first teeth at about 6 months. When the first few teeth appear in your baby’s smile, it’s important to clean them at least once a day. You can wipe the… continue reading

Looking for the best orthodontist in Lawrenceville, GA? Contact us today for more information.

More People Visiting ER For Tooth Problems

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While people who need assistance with healthcare can receive treatment for a range of problems, dental is often not covered. Programs like Medicaid vary from state to state on the amount of coverage they provide for dental care.

When a man recently visited an emergency room here with a toothache, consulting physician Alan Sorkey quickly diagnosed the dental infection was serious and even potentially fatal.

The patient was on more than 25 medications and scheduled for a major surgery — not dental related — all covered by government health care programs, Sorkey said.

Those same programs wouldn’t cover the estimated $70 to pull the rotting tooth. The patient didn’t have the money for it, and a local low-cost oral surgery clinic had a wait of as long as a year for an appointment, he said.

“All of this care the patient had received would have been for naught because these programs generally do not cover dental-related problems,” said Sorkey, who ultimately persuaded the clinic to see the patient sooner. “In his immune-compromised situation, this infected tooth threatened to take his life without immediate treatment.”

While government-managed health care programs such as Medicaid pay for emergency room visits for adult enrollees seeking temporary relief from toothaches, tooth abscesses and other dental emergencies, coverage of outpatient dentist office treatment for… continue reading

Looking for an orthodontist in Lawrenceville, GA? Contact us today for more information.