Thumb sucking is a natural reflex for children. Sucking on thumbs, fingers, pacifiers or other objects may make babies feel secure and happy and help them learn about their world.

Young children may also suck to soothe themselves and help them fall asleep.

How Can Thumb sucking Affect My Child’s Teeth?

After permanent teeth come in, sucking may cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and alignment of the teeth. It can also cause changes in the roof of the mouth.

Pacifiers can affect the teeth essentially the same ways as sucking fingers and thumbs, but it is often an easier habit to break.

The intensity of the sucking is a factor that determines whether or not dental problems may result. If children rest their thumbs passively in their mouths, they are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs. Some aggressive thumb suckers may develop problems with their baby (primary) teeth.

How Can I Help My Child Stop Thumb sucking?

• Praise your child for not sucking.
• Children often suck their thumbs when feeling insecure or needing comfort. Focus on correcting the cause of the anxiety and provide comfort to your child.
• For an older child, involve him or her in choosing the method of stopping.
• Your dentist can offer encouragement to your child and explain what could happen to their teeth if they do not stop sucking.

Pacific dental group suggest, if these tips don’t work, remind the child of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night. Your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe a bitter medication to coat the thumb or the use of a mouth appliance.

Find out how you score in your knowledge about a product you use daily. The correct answers are listed below.

True or False? 

1. All toothpaste brands use the same ingredients.
2. All toothpastes are more effective after a professional dental cleaning.
3. All forms of toothpaste (gels, powders, pastes) are okay as long as the brand contains fluoride.
4. Children should use the same brand of toothpaste as adults.
5. Parents should be brushing their child’s teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride when the child is two.
6. How you brush is more important than the toothpaste you use.

Answers

1. Toothpaste ingredients can differ significantly from brand to brand, and each ingredient performs a different function. Ask your dentist which toothpaste he or she recommends; if you don’t have time to consult a dentist before buying, look for a brand that contains fluoride, which makes teeth less susceptible to decay.
2. A professional dental cleaning allows the toothpaste ingredients to make contact with a clean tooth surface, which makes brushing more effective.
3. As long as your toothpaste contains fluoride, it doesn’t matter if it is in paste, gel or powder form, or if it contains flavoring. The important point is that the toothpaste contains fluoride, which prevents tooth decay. (Please note, however, that powder toothpaste can be abrasive; check with your dentist before using toothpaste in a powder form.)
4. The American Dental Association advises parents to have children use toothpaste that contains fluoride. However, too much fluoride can cause fluorosis, a condition that can stain, or even affect the formation of, permanent teeth. Very young children often swallow toothpaste; they also receive fluoride in sources other than toothpaste, including drinking water, formula and juice. To prevent children from developing fluorosis, adults should buy toothpaste specially designed for children, particularly those under four years of age, and supervise them when they brush their teeth. Encourage toddlers to spit out toothpaste and rinse after brushing, especially if they’re using toothpaste with flavoring agents (which young children may decide is edible). If, at any time, you’re considering giving a child toothpaste or any other dental health product (such as mouthwash) that is not specifically designed for children, be sure to consult your dentist first.
5. Toothpaste with fluoride may also be used earlier, if the child’s physician or dentist recommends it.
6. Both the toothpaste and correct brushing work together to remove plaque. Here’s one way to correctly clean your teeth (unless recommended otherwise by your dentist): Put a pea-sized dab of toothpaste on a soft-bristled toothbrush and, using gentle pressure, brush at a 45-degree angle, inside, outside and between the teeth, in small circular motions.

Take this quiz, and see if you are picking the right toothpaste for you and your family, Pacific dental group hope you always have the beautiful smile and healthy teeth.

Source from deltadental.com

Looking for a caffeine boost? Consider swapping out your daily coffee for a cup of green tea. The brewed drink may improve your oral health.

Regularly drinking green tea can protect against cavities, gum disease and bad breath according to a 2016 study that compiled research on the beverage’s oral health effects. The study indicated that green tea may reduce oral bacteria which, in turn, can promote the health of teeth and gums.

What’s more, drinking green tea may lower your chance of developing oral cancer. Researchers also noted a significantly lower risk of oral cancer among individuals who drank green tea.

Pacific dental group remind you that before you load up on green tea, don’t forget to skip the sweeteners. Sugar and honey still promote cavities, even when you drink them with green tea.

As more oral health product manufacturers introduce dental instruments to the consumer market, more patients are seeking treatment as a result of misuse of these devices, reports the Academy of General Dentistry.

Some dental instruments advertised in magazines and sold in pharmacies resemble scalers – instruments used by dentists and dental hygienists for removing tartar and other deposits from the tooth surface. The improper use of these products can easily harm your gums and teeth, leading to sensitivity, gum recession, infection of the gums, tooth chipping and other problems. Misuse of the devices can also lead to periodontal (gum) abscesses when tartar is pushed under the gum line.

Dentists and hygienists have had years of education and training in the proper use of these instruments to clean teeth and remove tartar, and trying to clean your teeth with these instruments at home will most likely do more harm than good. Rather than attempt to advise patients on proper use of these devices, dentists and hygienists usually tell their patients it is safest to avoid using them at all.

Pacific dental group suggest you that Regular professional cleaning is more effective than using over-the-counter dental instruments to pick at your teeth. In between dental visits, the best way to clean your teeth is by brushing and flossing.

That simple act of sharing a toothbrush can compromise your health in more ways than you might imagine.

“Your mouth is the gateway to your health,” Moldovan says. “Unfortunately, when you share a toothbrush you are opening that gateway to a lot of problems you’d be better off avoiding.”

Many of those problems, she says, are serious and some come with long-term implications. Among the reasons not to share:

• Bleeding gums. A toothbrush can easily spread blood-borne illnesses. Why is that? “When some people brush, their gums bleed,” Moldovan says. “That can result in exposure to bacteria and viruses that can enter the bloodstream.”
• A toothbrush can harbor streptococcus mutans — the same bacteria responsible for MRSA infections, flesh-eating bacteria and tooth decay.
• Food particles. A toothbrush can expose you to what someone else ate for dinner, possibly even the day before. That is especially true when that person fails to rinse or brush properly.
• Viruses such as the herpes simplex type one can be spread with toothbrush use. This is the same virus responsible for oral and genital herpes. Another virus that can spread with toothbrush sharing is HPV (human papillomavirus). That virus is linked to esophageal, oral and cervical cancers.
• Maybe you don’t think of a toothbrush as a potential petri dish, but fungi such as candida (the fungus responsible for diaper rash and yeast infections) can live on toothbrushes.
• Periodontal disease. One of the most common oral infections, periodontitis, can be spread via the toothbrush. There are a lot of implications to that, such as the potential loss of teeth, Moldovan says. “In this case, it’s also not just a problem that’s limited to the mouth,” she says. “Periodontal disease can affect the whole body.”

Pacific dental group remind you that there are many things in the world you can share, keep your own toothbrush and it doesn’t need to be one of the things you share.

Source from Dentalproductreport.com

It’s that time of year when coughs, colds and flu can make your life miserable. And like most people, you’ll probably reach for an over-the-counter medication to ease your symptoms. But did you know that spoonful of medicine could add tooth decay to your list of side effects?

• Ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and sucrose contribute to decay when the bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugars, breaking them down and forming acids that attack the enamel of your teeth.
• Ingredients such as citric acid can wear down the enamel of your teeth. In addition, some antihistamine syrups contain low pH levels and high acidity, which can be a dangerous combination for your teeth.
• The addition of alcohol in some popular cold and cough syrups also has a drying effect on the mouth. Saliva helps to naturally rinse the sugars and acids away from your teeth – so with less saliva present, the sugars and acids remain in the mouth even longer, leading to greater risk for decay.

These risks can be magnified if medication is taken before bedtime. The effects of taking liquid medication before bedtime aren’t much different than drinking juice or soda before bedtime – because you produce less saliva while you sleep, sugar and acids remain in contact with the teeth longer, increasing your risk for decay.

What’s the remedy?

There are things you can do to lessen the effects of the sugars and acids in liquid medication.

• Take liquid medication at meal times instead of bedtime so that more saliva is produced to rinse away the sugars and acids.
• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after taking medication.
• If you can’t brush, rinse your mouth well with water or chew sugar-free gum after taking liquid medication.
• Take calcium supplements or use topical fluoride after using liquid medication.
• If it’s available, choose a pill form of the medication instead of syrup.

Many cough drops and liquid medications contain a variety of ingredients that make your teeth more susceptible to decay, Pacific dental group remind you to brush your teeth or clean your mouth after taking sweet cough drops.

Doing some spring cleaning? While you’re busy beating rugs, cleaning curtains and organizing cabinets, don’t forget to check your bathroom counter! Add these four items to your checklist to include dental hygiene in your battle plan.

1. Replace old or worn toothbrushes

Get in the habit of changing your toothbrush every three months. The ability of a toothbrush to reach small crevices decreases as its bristles wear down. Bacterial and viral infections are another reason to switch out an old toothbrush for a new one. Infectious agents can thrive among the bristles, with the potential to reinfect you, so make sure to toss your toothbrush after every cold.

2. Check the expiration date on your mouthwash

Most mouthwash has a shelf life that should be indicated on the bottle. Using mouthwash past the expiration date can affect not only its taste but also its effectiveness, so double check that yours is still good to go.

3. Replenish your floss supply

The recommended length of floss is 18 inches per flossing session. With a daily flossing schedule, that adds up to roughly 45 feet of floss a month! Stock up to avoid running out.

4. Schedule a dentist appointment

With cleanings recommended for every six months, regular visits to the dentist should already be a part of your schedule. If you’ve been skimping on these visits, or a new problem has popped up, call your dental office to set up an appointment. Seeing your dentist regularly is a good way to spot – and stop – problems before they become bigger, pricier and painful.

Pacific dental group remind you that spring and fall are excellent times to book cleanings, as these seasons may be the least likely to conflict with potential vacation plans.

Keep your smile in mind year-round by including dental insurance in your financial plan and allotting a budget for dental care.

Know Your Plan

Before your dentist begins any type of treatment, make sure you know what your dental benefits plan covers and what your out-of-pocket costs will be. Ask your dentist for a pre-treatment estimate, which will overview the services covered by your dental plan, as well as those limited or excluded. By knowing what your plan covers, you will be able to make better-informed decisions about your treatment.

Get on a Schedule

Next, make and keep regular dental appointments. Doing so can help your dentist spot problems early, before they become more serious and expensive.

The “In” Crowd

One of the easiest ways to save money is simply to visit an in-network dentist. In-network dentists have a contract with Delta Dental that prevents them from billing you for the difference between Delta Dental’s maximum allowed fee and the fee they usually charge for covered services. Find an in-network dentist in your area by using our find a dentist tool.

Start a Dialogue With Your Dentist

Discuss treatment options with your dentist after you know what your plan will cover – in some cases, you may be able to opt for a less expensive alternative. Remember that dental benefits are primarily designed to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. That’s why procedures such as exams, X-rays, cleanings and fluoride treatments are usually covered with low or no coinsurance and deductible. Sealants for children and routine periodontal treatments for adults are also usually covered.

Pacific dental group also recommend you take good care of your teeth! Simple preventive care, such as brushing teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and flossing at least once daily, will help prevent bigger problems and bigger bills.

Tooth decay is making a comeback, abetted by an unlikely culprit — bottled water.

“It’s not the water that’s causing the decay,” said Jack Cottrell, DDS, president of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) in MedPage Today. “It’s the lack of fluoride.” A natural mineral, fluoride is an established way to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride is absorbed easily into tooth enamel, especially in children’s growing teeth, and once teeth are developed, fluoride makes the entire tooth structure more resistant to decay. The lack of fluoridation in bottled water was raised at the World Dental Congress in Montreal, as part of a general discussion about the sudden rise in tooth decay among children.

The usual suspects — snack foods, soft drinks, lack of parental supervision of food consumed — were acknowledged by the World Dental Congress as still playing roles in children’s tooth decay. But, in 2004, Americans drank nearly 6.8 billion gallons of bottled water, a nearly 9 percent increase over the previous year.

As more consumers sip bottled water, fewer of them ingest enough fluoride to prevent cavities. According to the American Dental Association, if bottled water is your main source of drinking water, you could be missing the decay-preventive benefits of fluoride.

Now celebrating its 60th year, community water fluoridation has become recognized as a key intervention:

• Most tooth decay can be prevented when fluoridation is combined with dental sealants and other fluoride products, such as toothpaste.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks water fluoridation among the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century. The American Dental Association and Delta Dental, among other industry leaders, actively support the use of fluoride to prevent and reduce the incidence of tooth decay.
• Tooth decay among children (4 to 17 years old) decreased an average of 29 percent after water fluoridation, according to studies conducted by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, an independent group appointed by the CDC director.

How to get enough fluoride

If you or your children don’t drink much fluoridated water, here are some ways you can add more fluoride to your diet:

• Commercially prepared foods and beverages that are fluoride-fortified. (Currently, 20 U.S. water-bottlers offer fluoridated products.)
• Fluoridated toothpaste and/or professionally-applied gels or varnishes. These products can help strengthen teeth by hardening the outer enamel surface.
• Dietary fluoride supplements (tablets, drops or lozenges). Supplements are available only by prescription and are intended for children ages six months to 16 years living in areas without fluoridated water in their community.

Still drink bottle water as your main water source? Mixed with natural water sometimes to balance for your teeth healthy, Pacific dental group wish you always have a beautiful smile with your beautiful teeth.