Category: Children’s Dental Health

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Have you noticed how busy teens are today? In addition to school and a few hours of homework every night, they’ve got soccer practice, dance lessons, and marching band. On weekends, the stress continues with all-day tournaments and a packed social calendar. While being so on-the-go, it’s easy to see how good eating and oral health habits get pushed down the priority list. We’ve definitely seen it with our own teenage boys Peter and Luke!

But building a healthy mouth and body during adolescence is one of your teenager’s most important jobs. The habits they build now will last long into adulthood. That’s why Dr. Elizabeth and Dr. Jeff encourage their teen patients to take the time to slow down, make healthy eating choices, get enough sleep, and of course carve out time at the beginning and end of their days to brush and floss.

Here are a few healthy tips to share with your teen.

You Are What You Eat (and So Is Your Mouth)

Food is the fuel our body uses to build muscle, grow healthy bones, and help the brain to function optimally. Your mouth is ground zero for the food you eat. If that food is high in sugar and very acidic, it wreaks havoc on your teeth and gums. It’s not that great for the rest of your body, either, since sugary foods provide little or no nutrition.

The great news is that the foods that are healthy for your teeth and gums are also healthy for your entire body. Whole foods rich with fiber and protein provide excellent nutrition without leaving sugars behind on your teeth. Drinking lots of water helps your brain and body stay hydrated and working efficiently. It also helps wash away any food left in your mouth after eating.

Take the Time to Eat Breakfast and Brush and Floss Your Teeth

Think about it—when you get up in the morning, your body has not eaten for hours! It needs fuel to wake up and get moving. Fiber and protein-rich breakfasts provide great nutrition and keep you feeling full all morning. Try a breakfast burrito or egg sandwich on a whole-grain English muffin.

Morning breath is usually enough of a motivator to brush your teeth in the morning. But after a full day of school, homework, and practice, it’s tempting to collapse into bed without brushing and flossing.

Think about it—all the sugar and food particles from the entire day will sit in your mouth for hours if you don’t brush and floss! All that sugar is a feast for bacteria that causes tooth decay. Yikes!

We encourage our teen patients to create and stick to a bedtime brushing and flossing habit. It only takes a few minutes and goes a long way toward maintaining a healthy mouth. Dr. Elizabeth or Dr. Jeff may also recommend sealants to support your good habits. Sealants fill in the grooves in the top of your back teeth. These areas are hard to clean and are prone to decay. Sealants help make your job a lot easier.

Has it been awhile since you’ve seen us? Schedule your recare appointment with Dr. Elizabeth or Dr. Jeff today.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Summertime can make it hard for people to take good care of their teeth. Vacations, summer camp and days at the pool interfere with everyone’s schedule and unfortunately, brushing routines may suffer. Both kids and grownups may face the temptation of extra sugar, from donuts in the car on the way to the beach, to a cooler full of pop, to late night s’mores around the campfire.

Here are some tips for ensuring that when September comes, your teeth are in better shape than they were in June.

Remind kids to keep to their regular brushing and flossing schedule–and remind yourself, too.

Start summer with a fresh toothbrush for everyone, and a fresh travel brush too. Get travel-sized toothpastes for the whole family, and a few backup brushes for guests and to cover misplaced toothbrushes.

Keep the kitchen and cooler stocked with healthy snacks. Think fruits and vegetables instead of sweets. Sugar encourages bacteria and acidity in your mouth, which causes plaque to form and damage to easily occur with your enamel and gums. Every time you eat sugar, your mouth will boost acid production for up to 20 minutes.

Soda is especially harsh on teeth, containing phosphoric acid and citric acid, which weakens tooth enamel  and makes it more susceptible to cavities. Instead of soda and juice, choose iced tea or water perked up with sliced berries, citrus or cucumber and a few mint leaves.

Book check-ups before school starts again.  It is important that all members of your family see us at least  twice annually. This will also help reduce the chance that someone in your family will suffer tooth pain on vacation.

Quit tobacco. Nicotine and tar damage your gums, and encourage bacteria and plaque. Tobacco can also lead to oral cancer. Smoking and chewing are bad news for your oral health.

Have both kids and grownups wear the proper protective headgear and mouthguards for contact sports.

Enforce the rules around the pool–they’re ubiquitous for a reason! According to the Academy of General Dentistry, summer oral injuries often take place around the pool. Shallow-water dives, running on slippery pool decks, and bumping the pool ledge can easily chip or fracture a tooth or even knock one loose.

Put together a dental emergency kit for sports and vacations. Include a clean handkerchief, gauze, a clean small-lidded container, ibuprofen and our office’s contact information.

If you are around a dental injury, get the patient to our dental office ASAP. In the meantime, clean the area with warm water and apply a cold pack to reduce swelling. Use gauze to stop bleeding. If a permanent tooth has been knocked out, place it back in the mouth if possible. Otherwise, place it in salt water or milk to keep it moist and bring all fragments into our office with you.

We at Eggert Family Dentistry look forward to seeing you! Please come in for your summer checkup, and take good care of your teeth, mouth and gums so you can enjoy uneventful checkups for years to come.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Since the 1960s, communities across Minnesota and the United States have added fluoride to their community water supplies. Fluoridating water is an easy and cost-effective way to improve residents’ oral health. Though some consumers find the practice controversial, many scientific studies back up the health benefits of fluoridated water. Here are a few of our favorite reasons to love the fluoride in your water.

1. Fluoride prevents cavities in kids and adults.

Fluoride can reduce tooth decay by 25 percent for kids and adults alike across all education levels and socio-economic statuses. It’s no wonder the Centers for Disease Control has called fluoridation of water one of the 10 greatest public health achievements in the 20^th century.

2. Fluoride is safe for your family.

Fluoride is an element found in most natural water sources, just not necessarily in amounts that prevent tooth decay. The Environmental Protection Agency strictly regulates the amount of fluoride in community water supplies to keep it safe and healthy to drink. Compared to other sugary beverages such as soda and fruit juice, fluoridated water is a great choice for your family.

3. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel of permanent teeth.

Fluoride helps strengthen the enamel of permanent teeth, which protects the rest of the tooth from decay and disease. For kids under age 8, fluoride can even strengthen permanent teeth that have not erupted yet, reducing the chance kids will develop cavities or require fillings.

4. Fluoridated water saves money.

Yes, it does cost money to fluoridate your community’s water. But your community’s investment in fluoridated water reaps a strong return as families and your city’s health care system spend less money on treating tooth decay and related oral diseases. The Centers for Disease Control estimate towns of 5,000 people or fewer save $4 per person and larger cities save $27 per person.

5. Fluoride supports regular brushing, flossing, and recare visits at our office.

Fluoride in your tap water helps support the good oral health habits you and your family already practice. In addition, we offer in-office fluoride treatments to children and adults alike to increase cavity prevention.   The varnish is quick, painless, and will protect all the teeth in your family.

Want to learn more about fluoride or schedule your family’s summer recare visits? Contact Eggert Family Dentistry today.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

By age two, your child should have a complete set of primary teeth that will stay put until the first tooth is lost, around age six. But well before then, around age four, your child’s jaw and facial bones start to develop to make room for the permanent teeth, which develop under the primary teeth. It’s important that your child has good oral health habits starting early in development so the primary and then permanent teeth are healthy and serve well into adulthood.

Age Six to Age Eight

The tooth fairy usually makes her first visit to most households near the age of six. That’s when children lose their first primary teeth and the first permanent teeth appear. The permanent first molars erupt behind the primary teeth and are usually the first to come in, followed by the lower front teeth and upper front teeth. It’s completely normal for your child’s teeth to be different sizes, look uneven, and even appear missing. But don’t worry: by early adolescence, your child’s smile will come into place.

As permanent teeth appear, it’s important to continue the good oral health habits you started with your child’s primary teeth. The health of your child’s permanent teeth affects the ability to chew foods, speak, and smile. Encourage your child to avoid sugar and develop healthy eating habits to support his or her oral health.

Continue to brush and floss your child’s teeth until they are at least six years old. By age eight, most kids can brush their own teeth with supervision, but you should continue to floss your child’s teeth until they turn 10 or 11. Until these ages, children really don’t have the ability to fully clean all the teeth surfaces.  Only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Ask us for a recommendation for child-safe options.

Age Eight to Age Thirteen

Between ages eight and thirteen, your child’s permanent cuspids, bicuspids, and second molars will appear. As they do, we recommend sealants to protect teeth from cavities and tooth decay. Sealants are protective substances that we apply to your child’s teeth and is as easy as a regular dental checkup. The material bonds to your child’s teeth and fills in the pits and grooves that naturally appear on a tooth’s surface. This painless process can protect your child’s teeth for years before needing to be reapplied.

During this time, your child can take responsibility for more aspects of their health, including brushing, flossing, and making healthy eating choices. As more permanent teeth come in, it may become apparent that your child will need braces or other dental appliances to fix misaligned teeth or a bad bite. We can help you identify when and if these issues arise and will recommend an orthodontist.

If your kids are active in sports, it’s important to protect the permanent teeth from injury. A mouth guard protects teeth from being broken, knocked out, or from injuring your child’s lip or tongue during contact sports. There are many over-the-counter versions, but even better is to have us make a custom-fit mouth guard for your child.

Eggert Family Dentistry can help you and your child build good oral health habits that will keep the permanent teeth healthy well into adulthood. Schedule your child’s next dental recare visit with our dental team today.

By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert

Did you know your child’s teeth start developing 6 weeks after conception? While baby teeth may not appear until your child is 6 months old, a lot of oral development occurs well before your child reaches that milestone. Here’s what you need to know about your child’s teeth from birth to age six.

Birth to Two Years

Your child is born with a complete set of baby, or primary, teeth under the gums. Typically around 6 months of age, your child’s lower central incisors—their lower front teeth—erupt as a pair, followed approximately a month later by the upper central incisors. Lateral incisors, cuspids, and first and second molars erupt in pairs over the next 18 months until your child has a complete set of primary teeth before the age of three.

As parents know well, erupting teeth can make for cranky kids. Gums are often tender and sore, and the discomfort can cause your child to become irritable, have trouble sleeping, and can increase drooling, chewing, and sucking. You may notice your child rubbing their face or grabbing their ears, too. Gently rubbing your child’s gums with a clean, damp cloth or gauze or a chilled teething ring can be comforting.

Two Years to Six Years

Your child’s primary teeth serve several essential purposes, which is why it’s important to keep them clean and healthy. Primary teeth serve as placeholders for the permanent teeth forming below them. Keeping primary teeth healthy helps your child’s permanent teeth develop appropriately. Primary teeth also help your child chew and process healthy foods, promoting good nutrition and eating habits.

It’s important your child receive regular dental recare visits while they have their primary teeth. Schedule your child’s first appointment as soon as you see the first tooth appear and no later than their first birthday. At their first visit at Eggert Family Dentistry, we’ll give your child a complete oral exam, clean their teeth, and discuss teething, pacifier use, thumb-sucking, and tips for keeping your child’s teeth clean and healthy between visits.

Home Care for Primary Teeth

Care of your child’s primary teeth begins before they even start to erupt. After each feeding, wipe your infant’s gums with a clean, damp cloth or gauze. When teeth appear, switch to a child-sized toothbrush to clean the teeth and ask us for a recommendation for an infant-safe toothpaste, generally a fluoride-free toothpaste until your child can fully spit the excess toothpaste into the sink. Begin flossing for your child as soon as two or more teeth touch. Most children cannot floss properly by themselves until age 10 or 11.

Just like permanent teeth, primary teeth are susceptible to decay when they come into contact with sugary, sticky, or acidic substances such as juice, soda, and honey. We recommend you avoid giving your young children sugary drinks and transition your children to small, open cups after their first birthdays. Replace sweet snacks with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

The Eggert Family Dentistry team is passionate about developing healthy habits in young children. Our team members are trained to provide safe, fun, and educational dental appointments for children and their parents. Schedule your child’s first or next dental appointment today.