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What You Need to Know About Pediatric Dental Care | Rancho Santa Margarita Dentist

Many parents believe that the best time to establish good dental hygiene habits is right when their child’s first tooth appears. In actuality, the best time to start taking care of your child’s teeth is the moment that your child is born. Because even without teeth, bacteria can build up on the mouth’s surfaces. To prevent this from happening, wipe your baby’s gums with a soft damp cloth after every feeding. Once your child’s teeth develop and break through the gums, it’s time to start brushing just like you would, but with a few tweaks. Use a soft children’s toothbrush and minimal to no non-fluoride toothpaste. As they reach preschool-age, feel free to start using fluoride toothpaste. You may also want to increase the amount of toothpaste to about the size of a pea. Little humans have a tendency to swallow the toothpaste, instead of spitting it out, leaving permanent stains on the teeth.

Cavities are the resulting holes formed by the acid from the bacteria or germs in your mouth when they’ve consumed too much sugar from your food. Keep sugar to small, regulated treats. But that’s not all; there are other circumstances, like being born with low birth weight or premature, ongoing treatment for any special health care needs, brown areas and white spots on the teeth and infrequent trips to the dentist can all lead to the development of cavities.

To stop this from happening, start teaching your family good dental hygiene habits. Everyone needs to be involved in order to get the habit to stick. Other family members can pass on cavity-causing bacteria to both children and babies, so every family member has to make an effort to take care of their teeth properly.

If you would like more information on pediatric dental care, call Dr. Herd in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA at 949-858-5147 or visit www.gregherddds.com.

Dr. Greg J. Herd proudly serves Rancho Santa Margarita and all surrounding areas.

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What Is Teething Syndrome? | Rancho Santa Margarita Dentist

When we bring a child into the world, we do everything we can to make their lives as painless as possible. But there are some things we can’t control, like teething. And while we know it is a necessary part of life, there are a couple of things that we can do to ease the pain as much as possible. Let’s take a deeper dive into everything that is teething.

According to the American Dental Association, babies start teething when they are between 6 and 12 months old and have the full set by 3. Babies are born with a full set of teeth underneath their gums.

These teeth break through the gums in stages. Typically, the classic bottom teeth — often referred to as pegs — come in first, followed by the top middle teeth. From this point on, the remaining teeth will cut through the gums over a period of three years, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

When it comes to symptoms, every baby is different. Here is a list of the basic signs that your tiny human may experience:

  • Drooling
  • Chewing on solid objects
  • Mild fussiness and crankiness
  • Irritability
  • Loss of appetite
  • Sore and tender gums
  • Red and swollen gums

While teething is a natural process, there are some tried and true methods to help relieve your baby’s discomfort. You can try rubbing your child’s gums with a damp washcloth, have them chew on a teething ring or frozen fruits and veggies when they are able to eat more solid foods, even give a bit of infant acetaminophen or teething gels.

Many parents believe that high fever and diarrhea are also symptoms of teething, but you should contact your pediatrician if they continue to experience discomfort.

If you would like more information on teething, call Dr. Herd in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA at 949-858-5147 or visit www.gregherddds.com.

Dr. Greg J. Herd proudly serves Rancho Santa Margarita and all surrounding areas.

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Halloween Dental Tips for Your Trick-or-Treaters | Rancho Santa Margarita Dentist

Well, we’ve made it back to yet another Halloween night. And while this night is the spookiest of all, it is the days following that are the spookiest for your dentist. Because we want to keep our little smiles healthy and happy, it is time to start to have some handy tips to the trick-or-treat rewards – the candy. Because this is a favorite time of year for your tiny monsters – no need to spoil it with strict rules.

Use Halloween as a way to teach children about moderation. By teaching children to eat sweets in moderation, it is easier to carry it over into your day-to-day lives. After all, Halloween isn’t the only time of year where treats are abundant. Allow your children to choose what they want, but set a limit on the number of pieces, and remove the extras – they can be saved for a future day, frozen for later, thrown away, or donated.

It is also important to know that the effect of sugar is not instant. If children eat candy for a short time period, and then brush their teeth a short time later, the impact of the sugar is fairly minimal. Set a certain amount of time for children to enjoy their Halloween candy, like after school or for dessert. This allows them to prioritize their candy enjoyment, minimize the chances that they’ll consume far too much, and help prevent cavities.

When it comes to brushing, realize that children don’t care about dental health; it’s our job to stimulate their interest. Try swapping a traditional toothbrush for fun one or cranking on a favorite tune and turn it into a family affair. Happy Halloween!

If you would like more information on Halloween dental tips, call Dr. Herd in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA at 949-858-5147 or visit www.gregherddds.com.

Dr. Greg J. Herd proudly serves Rancho Santa Margarita and all surrounding areas.