When Should You Take Your Child to the Dentist?

Teaching children to take good care of their teeth should include regular visits to the dentist. Taking your child to the dentist can be a fun experience for both of you if you time it right and make sure that you’re properly prepared. If your baby has started cutting teeth, it’s time to start thinking about when will be best to first take them for a check-up. Family dentists are experts in dealing with children’s teeth and will be able to put both yourself and your child at ease during the visit.

What Age Is Best?

Ideally, your child should pay their first visit to the dentist before their first birthday. Starting your child off going to the dentist early not only makes sure that they’re in with the best chance of having any potential dental problems spotted as soon as possible, it’ll also help them to get used to dental visits from a young age. Taking your child to the dentist before their first birthday also helps you to get information about the best way to clean your child’s teeth and learn as much as possible as soon as possible when it comes to your child’s dental needs.

Preparing for the Visit

Before you take your child for their first visit to the dentist, it’s a good idea to ask the dentist about what to expect during the procedure so that there are no nasty surprises for either you or your child. It’s a good idea to plan a course of action for either reaction that your child may exhibit, whether it be co-operative or not. Most family dentists such as Dr. Russell Cureton DDS at Salinas Family Dentist will allow your child to bring a favorite toy such as a teddy bear into the dentist surgery with them or may even provide toys to keep your little one occupied. If your child is showing any anxiety regarding going to the dentist, the best thing to do is treat it like a game and explain how much fun it can be.

What to Expect

Many children’s first visits to the dentist are nothing much more than an introduction and getting to know the dental staff. The dentist will introduce themselves to your child and let them see the chair and equipment used for dental treatment. If an oral examination takes place and the child is under three years old, it may be necessary for you to sit in the chair and hold your child during the procedure. This can help to calm any nerves that your child may have as well as allow you to distract them by talking to them. Scheduling appointments for early on in the day when your child is awake and fresh is often the best idea. If your child is showing signs of fear or anxiety when you arrive, it may be necessary to re-schedule. Short introductions over time are usually the best way to introduce young children to going to the dentist.

How did your children react when first visiting the dentist? What would you advise other parents to do? Let us know in the comments.

7 Steps to a Beautiful Smile for that All-Important First Impression

If asked, most people would gladly tell you that the very first thing they notice when meeting anyone for the first time is his or her smile. Not only is it important to smile with sincerity but it is also essential to boldly show those pearly whites. This is why it is essential to keep your teeth as white and healthy as possible, enabling you to offer up a smile sure to dazzle anyone you encounter. There are just 7 steps to a beautiful smile that can give you the best first impression  ever.

1. Quit Smoking

Not only is smoking bad for your health and known to cause any number of diseases and illnesses, it is also devastating for your teeth. Have you ever seen anyone who has smoked for any length of time? Their teeth are sure to be that ugly shade of yellow-brown and even worse, the skin around the mouth also tends to discolor from smoking. Want to bring those nasty teeth up several shades of white? Quit smoking!

2. Limit Foods and Beverages that Stain

Just as smoking cigarettes is known to discolor your teeth, so too are there some common beverages that stain the enamel on the upper layers. Coffee, tea, wine and even grape juice are common culprits but even some foods such as curries and beets can cause a hard-to-get-rid of discoloration if you are not careful.

3. Drink Plenty of Fresh Water

Instead of those beverages that are known to contain way, way too much sugar for good oral hygiene, it is recommended by dentists such as Dr. Russell Cureton DDS, a renowned Salinas family dentist, that you drink plenty of fresh water daily. Not only does this help to flush toxins from the body that can promote tooth decay, but drinking several glasses of fresh water also helps to keep them clean of any particles of foods left behind even after brushing.

4. Practice Proper Brushing Techniques

Speaking of brushing, there are proper ways to brush your teeth and unless you are careful to follow a few commonsense rules, you could be doing just as much damage as good. Did you know that dentists are now recommending that you avoid using abrasive toothpastes? There was a time when these were thought to literally ‘scrub’ debris from the surface of your teeth but research and experience have proven that abrasive toothpastes also scrub the enamel off the surface as well.

5. Floss Regularly

In addition to proper brushing techniques, it is recommended that you floss regularly. Flossing helps to remove food particles that lodge themselves in the spaces between your teeth, causing a buildup of bacteria that leads quickly to decay.

6. Avoid Certain Drugs

There are both legal as well as illegal drugs that are known to promote tooth decay, the leading substance is methamphetamine that leads to something often referred to as ‘meth mouth.’ The highly acidic composition of this illegal street drug quickly causes the teeth to literally rot out of the mouth but meth is not the only drug with devastating effects like this. Some often-prescribed pharmaceuticals are also known to accelerate tooth decay so it is incumbent upon you to learn the side effects prior to agreeing to take any medication/drug whatsoever.

7. Regular Cleanings and Dental Exams

Finally, it is recommended that you have your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year but if that is financially unfeasible, then once a year is the bare minimum. A dental hygienist could be the professional to do the procedure but you should visit your dentist annually for a thorough exam and perhaps a set of x-rays if indicated during the exam.

These seven steps to a beautiful smile should put you on the road to the most winsome smile imaginable for that all-important great first impression. This may be the only opportunity you have to impress a potential boss on a job interview or the only chance to strike up a conversation with that good looking guy at the local club. Take these steps seriously and soon you’ll be smiling your way to success.

Dental Care Tips for Summer

  

The weather is heating up, the days are getting longer, and summer vacation is just around the corner.  Nothing says summer like a dazzling, joyful smile on your child's sun kissed face.  Here are some tips from your Salinas Family Dentist, Dr. Russell Cureton, for keeping your child's smile looking and feeling great all summer long:

Schedule a dentist appointment

Get the summer started out on the right foot by taking a trip to see your Dr. Cureton before you fill up your vacation calendar.  With the kids out of school, there is no better time to schedule an appointment than early in the summer season.  Getting a check-up in ensures that you and your kids are on track for healthy smiles all summer long.  There is nothing worse than when a child gets a toothache or other dental emergency while on vacation or away at camp, but taking the kids in for a cleaning and oral exam can help to prevent any problems from arising.

Keep up the routine

During the school year, brushing and flossing is likely part of your family’s daily routine, but when the summer months hit and schedules change, even the healthiest of habits often get forgotten.  Don’t let oral hygiene practices be ignored, regardless of the season of the year. Give your kids frequent reminders to brush their teeth throughout the day and to floss each night.  If you find that your kids are resistant to brushing, consider using music or a timer to turn the oral hygiene process into fun all summer long.

Plan ahead

Summer is a time when you and your kids will likely be on the go, so keeping your kids’ teeth healthy can require some planning.  Going on a trip or away to camp often means stocking up on travel sized toothpaste, grabbing a few extra toothbrushes, and refreshing the floss supply before you even leave the house. Last minute trip?  Keep a few travel toothbrushes in your car just in case a toothbrush gets forgotten at home.  For those fun filled day trips, grab a pack of disposable toothbrushes, like Colgate Wisps, to keep the whole family feeling fresh and clean no matter where the day takes you.

Go for healthy alternatives

Summertime always means lots of snacking- but it is possible to keep those snacks healthy for your body and your mouth.  Sugary foods might have great crowd appeal, but they also attract bacteria that can lead to tooth decay.  Instead of grabbing a cookie or candy bar for a snack, encourage your kids to select a refreshing piece of fruit or a handful of fresh vegetables.  Sodas and sports drinks might sound like a great way to quench your thirst on a hot, sunny day, but they are also highly acidic. Foods and beverages that contain lots of acid can cause tooth erosion, so switch out the soda for a glass of cold water.  Healthy snacking can keep your family healthy and happy throughout the summer months.

Prevent problems

As the summer heats up, kids tend to get a whole lot more active.  Between pool time and soccer practice, bike rides and playdates, a lot of fun and a few accidents are likely to take place and could put your child’s teeth at risk.  Many summertime dental problems are preventable, so be sure talk to your kids about how to stay safe while enjoying themselves throughout the summer.  A large number of tooth-related accidents take place in or around pools, so be sure to remind children to always follow pool rules.  Children should be careful not to run in a pool area, refrain from diving in shallow water, and be sure to be aware of the space they are playing in to keep from knocking out or chipping teeth.  Kids who are participating in sports that involve contact might consider wearing a mouthguard to keep their teeth intact.  Lastly, any time a tooth is cracked, chipped, or broken, you should contact your dentist immediately to ensure that no further damage is able to take place.

The summer is a great time to get some extra time in with the kids, but make sure that it is also a time in which your whole family maintains a healthy routine for dental health.  By keeping up on oral hygiene, making smart food and beverage choices, visiting the dentist, and playing it safe, your family will be all smiles all summer long.

To schedule a summer cleaning for you and your kids, or for help answering any of your other oral hygiene questions, call your Salinas Dentist, Dr. Cureton today.

What are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars, and the last set of teeth to develop. They get their name from the time they erupt: typically in the late teens and into the twenties. A small part of the population will never get their wisdom teeth, but most individuals do.

If wisdom teeth fully develop, they can have a negative impact on your beautiful smile. Often times, wisdom teeth cause crowding which can be painful. If this is the case, your dentist may suggest to have some or all of your wisdom teeth extracted.

Continue reading to find out why wisdom teeth can become so bothersome.

Why do we have wisdom teeth?

Anthropologists believe that evolution is to blame. Eons ago, man used his wisdom teeth to chew through coarse plants and meats. Today, wisdom teeth are no longer necessary, because humans have learned to use utensils to cut their food.

Impact on the mouth

Most of the time, wisdom teeth have a negative impact on the mouth. They can be painful should they break through, and they can also cause the teeth to crowd. Additionally, wisdom teeth can be hard to keep clean and your chance of getting gum disease increases. A fully developed wisdom tooth can also cause recession around the adjacent tooth. 

Such as they are, wisdom teeth should be closely monitored by your dentist.    

Should you have them removed?

In some cases, when the wisdom teeth have no effect on the rest of the mouth, there is no need to remove them. Yet, often a dentist will recommend a tooth extraction on one or all of the wisdom teeth.

A tooth extraction is a standard procedure, in which a tooth is removed from its socket in the bone tissue. The timing for removal is critical. It is better to have them removed at a younger age before the risk of periodontal disease increases.

Care after removal

After the extraction of you wisdom teeth, it is important to take care of yourself.

Keeping the area around the tooth clean is crucial to prevent infection or dry socket. Dry socket happens when the blood clot that covers the bone and nerves dissolves. This leaves that area of the mouth exposed to anything that goes through: water, air, food, etc. For these reasons, dry socket can be painful and lead to serious infection.

Fortunately, dry socket is treatable.

Your dentist will want to remove any food debris that may have gotten into the hole. Next, they will fill in the hole with a special paste that will help heal the area.

To learn more about wisdom teeth, contact Dr. Cureton at 831-449-8363. One of our staff members will be ready to assist you.

What is Plaque?

A routine trip to the dentist will likely involve a cleaning. What are they cleaning? Most people tend to develop a build-up of plaque on their teeth that doesn’t just go away with standard brushing and flossing. Of course, brushing and flossing your teeth regularly is a great way to minimize plaque, but getting a teeth cleaning in Salinas helps ensure that plaque doesn’t turn into something worse.

What exactly is plaque? Read on for a detailed explanation of what plaque is and why having your teeth cleaned by a dentist is necessary.

What is plaque?

Do you ever run your tongue over your teeth and feel a soft or fuzzy coating? That’s plaque. It contains a ton of bacteria that will, if left to their own devices, attack your tooth enamel. It’s highly important to brush and floss your teeth every day to remove plaque and prevent it from building up.

What happens if plaque builds up?

If you don’t brush and floss thoroughly enough, the plaque on your teeth hardens into tartar. This tartar tends to collect around your gums, and often behind your teeth. It’s very difficult to get rid of. If you have a build-up of tartar around your gums, the easiest way to get rid of it and ensure your oral health is to schedule a teeth cleaning in Salinas. If your tartar build-up is severe, it can lead to gingivitis and eventually periodontitis. These are serious gum issues that can, in turn, lead to worse effects. The best way to prevent them is to get rid of plaque daily.

How do I get rid of plaque?

It’s easy to recommend brushing and flossing, but many people do take care of their teeth and still see plaque build-up. Your Salinas dentist can give you the best guide for oral care, but what if it isn’t enough? When brushing and flossing, be very thorough. Make sure to floss between each and every tooth and don’t neglect the back of your teeth, as that is where plaque (and subsequently tartar) builds up the most. Avoid overly sugary foods, as the sugar forms acids when it comes into contact with the bacteria in plaque.

What’s my next step?

It’s almost impossible to prevent all plaque and tartar build-up. For that, you should schedule a regular teeth cleaning in Salinas. Not only is this a good idea for getting rid of plaque, but it also gives your Salinas dentist the opportunity to assess further oral health. If you are finding it difficult to rid your teeth of plaque even when brushing and flossing thoroughly and regularly, talk to your dentist about other causes. You may need to switch toothpastes or schedule more frequent teeth cleaning in Salinas. Plaque by itself is normal, and can be adequately controlled at home, but for more stubborn tartar and the initial signs of gum disease, you will want to visit the dentist.