It’s important to try to save primary teeth until they are ready to fall out on their own. Primary teeth are important for several reasons:

• Chewing food
• Allowing speech to develop normally
• Maintaining spaces for the permanent teeth
• Guiding the permanent teeth into position

A cap is one way to treat severe tooth decay. If decayed primary teeth are not treated, the infection can spread in the mouth. Pain and infection can lead to other health problems as well.

Molars
Molars are the teeth in the back of the mouth. They are used primarily for chewing. There are eight primary molars. Dentists will use a crown on children’s primary molars in several cases:

• When a primary or young permanent tooth has extensive decay, often on three or more surfaces
• When a filling would be very large, because large fillings can weaken the tooth and make it more likely to break
• When a primary tooth has not developed normally
• When a child with high levels of decay is also disabled or has poor oral hygiene habits. In this case, the crown will protect the tooth from further decay.

Come join us at the puyallup Spring Fair April 18-21. Stop by our Booth and show us your SMILE!

talk to your dentist about having dental sealants

applied to protect teeth from tooth decay.

What is a dental sealant?

A dental sealant is a coating applied to the  chewing

surfaces of back teeth. Grooves in these teeth are so narrow

that a   toothbrush cannot fit into the spaces to remove plaque.

Dental sealants prevent dental decay in the grooves.

Why are they important?

Sealants  provide  protection from dental decay or

“cavities” on the chewing surface.

Are they safe?
Sealants are simple, painless, and require no drilling

What else can parents do to prevent cavities?
Encourage your child to brush and floss every day. Take your child

to the dentist for regular check-ups & Advise. Give your child healthy

foods and avoid candy and foods with lots of sugar.

Join Rock your Smile Dental Health Month (ADA)

Take the time to talk to your children about the importance of brushing and flossing their teeth. Teach them which foods are good for their teeth and which foods are bad for their teeth. Read books about going to the dentist or taking care of your teeth. schedule regular check-up’s.

                                                                                                                                                         If you have a small group that would like to visit us please call us to schedule.

How can I avoid baby bottle cavities?

Once your baby’s teeth begin to appear, you need to take extra care that these new teeth do not develop cavities. Babies can develop teeth cavities through “nursing bottle mouth,” which is caused by extended nursing on milk, formula or juices, especially at bedtime or naptime. You should not use a feeding bottle as a pacifier. If you must give your baby a bottle at bedtime or naptime, make sure it contains plain water. You should not give a baby a pacifier that has been dipped in honey or sugar

Good dental health should begin at birth. after each feeding, gently wipe the baby’s gums with a soft, clean and damp washcloth or gauze pad.

What is a pulpotomy  (Childs Root Canal)

(nerve treatment)?

The pulp of the tooth is the hollow inner core of the tooth. The pulp contains nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue, and reparative cells. The purpose of pulp therapy in pediatric dentistry is to maintain the integrity of the affected tooth, so that your child’s tooth is not lost, until his/her permanent tooth is ready to erupt.

Dental caries (cavities) and traumatic injury are the two main reasons for your child’s tooth to require pulp therapy. Pulp therapy is often referred to as a “nerve treatment,” “baby or children’s root canal,” “pulpotomy.

  pulpotomyis a dental procedure that is performed when the decay in a child’s tooth reaches into the pulp (nerve) tissue. The infected part of the nerve tissue within the crown portion of the tooth is removed to prevent further inflammation and spread of disease (caries). Next, a sedative material is placed within the tooth to prevent bacterial growth and to calm the remaining nerve tissue.

After the pulpotomy is finished, your child’s tooth is restored with a stainless steel crown (SSC) on the back molar teeth to re-establish normal chewing function and to continue to hold the space until the permanent tooth can take its place. On the upper front teeth, either a regular stainless steel crown or a white esthetic stainless steel crown can be placed. This is performed in one visit and causes no more discomfort than placing a routine filling.

 so make Halloween an occasion for getting your child a new brush.