Category Archives: Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric Dentistry

My Child Is Sucking His Thumb

We finally got rid of my son’s pacifier, but now he is sucking his thumb. We can’t throw that away! Should I be worried about this? His baby teeth have already started coming in.

Alexi

Dear Alexi,

Young boy smiling holding his toothbrush

I’m glad you wrote. One of the most prominent emotions of good parents is worrying. The good news is that your son sucking his thumb at this age won’t really matter. It is not until his permanent teeth are in that you have to start worrying. In my experience it is best that you don’t make a big deal out of the thumb sucking. Most children give it up on their own by the time they are school age. If they don’t their peers sort of encourage that.

If his permanent teeth are coming in and he is still sucking his thumb you could try using something called Thum. It is a liquid that you can paint on her thumb that tastes bitter.

Those children who continue to suck their thumb after their permanent teeth will likely need some type of orthodontics. Your best bet it is make sure he sees a pediatric dentist regularly. Don’t wait until he has a dental problem. You want his first experience at the dentist to be a positive one. If you wait until he has a dental emergency, then he will always associate the dentist with pain and fear. If the dentist isn’t scary to him, then they will have a healthy relationship and he’d be more willing to listen to advice about handling his teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.
Click here for dental tips for parents.

Pediatric Dentistry

Do I Need to Get My Baby Tooth Pulled?

I have a baby tooth that never came out. Now I have an adult tooth that is sort of coming out just in front the baby tooth. Do I need to get it pulled? If so, will it hurt? I haven’t been to the dentist because my parents do not have a lot of money. I just need to know what to do and what to expect.

Emma

Dear Emma,

happy girl in a dental chair

I’m sorry you are faced figuring this out on your own. Yes, this baby tooth will have to come out. The good news is that baby teeth come out much more easily than adult teeth. If you don’t get it extracted, then the adult tooth is going to come in very crooked. If you go to a pediatric dentist, they are used to doing things for young children and will likely have ways of making things easier.

They should put a numbing medication on your gum before giving you the shot that numbs out the gums deeper into the tooth. Most people hardly notice. However, if your nervous, which you probably will be because you haven’t been to a dentist before, then ask them to give you some nitrous oxide. This is administered by a nose piece and it is a special medicine you just breathe in. It will relax you so that you won’t be tense during the numbing process.

So, your parents know, there are affordable dentists out there who are willing to work with patients in difficult financial situations. You may have your parents look some of them up and see if one of them is willing to work with you.

You may find that you have more work that needs to be done with your teeth, but don’t stress about that. You can have that done a little at a time.

I really appreciate your maturity and how you are proactive about taking care of your oral health. This type of responsible attitude will serve you well in many areas of your life.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

Discolored Baby Tooth?

My four year old son took quite a tumble. Now one of his front teeth is chipped and discolored. Should I whiten it or is there something else I should be doing? If he loses the tooth, do I need to get a space maintainer?

Elsie

Dear Elise,

Young boy smiling holding his toothbrush

I am glad you wrote. I can tell that you are a good mother and want to make sure you are doing the best for him. In this case, there is no need to do anything. Teeth whitening will not work on a tooth discolored from trauma. Even if it would, I wouldn’t recommend it for a child. They’re not likely to keep the trays in and that tooth will not last long anyway.

Unlike the rest of us, young children are not bothered by things like a discolored tooth. In fact, on the school yard, an injury is like a badge of honor, especially for boys. The grosser the better.

If the tooth falls out, you will not have to worry about a space maintainer. It is close to the time in which he would lose that tooth anyway, so you don’t need the added, unnecessary expense. The one time that your son would need a space maintainer would be if he lost a back molar. These have to stay in his mouth until he is around twelve years old. If that tooth was lost, you’d have to keep the space reserved. Otherwise, in the amount of time until his permanent molars come in, the other teeth will drift or tip into the opening causing overcrowding.

Unless the tooth develops an infection, I’d just leave it alone. If it does get infected, his pediatric dentist can just remove it.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.
Click here to learn about affordable dental care.

Pediatric Dentistry

Can Teething Cause a Fever?

My baby is a little over 8 months old. She keeps getting fevers. The doctor never finds anything wrong with her and I’m spending a fortune that I can’t afford to spend. Her gums are swollen, too. I was asking a friend about it who has two children and she said that teething can cause a fever and I should slit my baby’s gums so the teeth can come in more easily. Is this accurate? I’m not sure how to slit the gums? Does a dentist do this?

Kathleen

Dear Kathleen,

I’m glad you wrote. Being a mom can be stressful. You want to make sure you are doing the best for your child. Suddenly, you’re expected to be an expert on so many things.

The first thing I would say, emphatically, is to NOT slit your child’s gums. Your baby’s body has a very natural way of dealing with teething. The teeth will break through as they develop. If you ease the way for them, you will find the teeth can come in prematurely which will mean the roots do not have time to fully form.

This is especially important when it comes to your daughter’s back teeth. They have to stay in place until she is around twelve year’s old. With malformed roots, it will difficult for that to happen.

As for your question about whether teething can cause a fever, the answer would be yes. However, it would only be a mild fever. In addition to the fever, you may also notice more drooling than normal, general fussiness, pulling on the ears, and a diminished appetite.

If your daughter is having a hard time with it, there are over-the-counter medications that can be used to ease the discomfort she is in.

After she is able to sit up well for an extended period of time, you should look into getting her established with a pediatric dentist. One of the most common issues I see with young children is that parents tend to wait until there is an urgent dental issue to take them to the dentist. This almost always leads to some dental fear in the children that impacts their view of the dentist for years, sometimes for a lifetime. Getting them to the dentist before there is a problem gives them a positive feeling with the dentist and helps prevent anxiety.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. HIllary Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

My Son is Sick; What Do I Do About His Toothbrush?

I am a new mom and I never realized how much I did not know until my son was born. He’s got his first real illness and needed a prescription for antibiotics. I’m not sure what to do about his toothbrush. It’s probably got the infection on it. But, he’s still sick so buying a new one might reinfect him, right? Help! What do I do?

Fanny

Dear Fanny,

I can tell you are a great mother. Some of the best moms are constantly trying to learn more to do everything they can for their precious child. You are caring and attentive to your son. Take a deep breath. You are doing much better than you think.

You will often see toothbrush companies promoting the idea that any time you are sick you need to replace your toothbrush or you will reinfect yourself. There is actually no real scientific evidence for this. In fact, the only study on the topic I was able to locate actually said the opposite. It was a 2013 study at the University of Texas that was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The results showed that transmission of strep throat via toothbrush did not happen.

The fact of the matter is that, even if you caught a cold just after another cold, it would not be the same cold. It would be a new strain. This is because your body develops antibodies to the strain you had.

If you are still worried, you can clean his tooth brush head with some ordinary household bleach. This will kill any germs and then you will rinse it off thoroughly and it will be fresh as the day you bought it.

One of the best things you can do for your son is start him off with a good pediatric dentist at a young age. It is important he goes to the dentist before there is a an actual problem. This way he associates the dentist with pleasant, fun experiences. Too many parents wait until there is a problem. However, then their first experience is a scary, painful one which will taint his view for years to come. You don’t want to introduce him to the dentist through a dental emergency.

I am sure you are going to do just fine as a mother. You’ve got this.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

Baby Teeth Didn’t Come Out

Can you help me? I am 16 years old and most of my adult teeth have come in behind my baby teeth. This makes me look hideous. Is there any way to fix this? I’m tired of everyone’s comments and want to be able to smile without feeling like a freak.

Tara

Dear Tara,

teenager smiling with braces

I am sorry this happened to you. I’m a little frustrated on your behalf that your pediatric dentist never took care of this. Maybe you haven’t gotten to go to a dentist? That’s the only legitimate reason I can think of for this type of neglect on the part of a dentist. The good news is that this can be fixed.

First, if you have all your permanent teeth, the baby teeth will need to be removed. Don’t try to do this yourself. It needs to be done by a dentist. Then, the adult teeth can be moved into their proper place with orthodontics.

Whenever an adult tooth is erupting and the baby tooth is still in place, it is always best to remove the baby tooth as quickly as possible. This way you can minimize any misalignment. It doesn’t guarantee the teeth will come in properly aligned but does greatly increase the chances.

Sometimes a baby tooth doesn’t come out because of congenitally missing teeth, which simply means the adult teeth didn’t form and all you have is the baby tooth. In that case, you try to keep the baby tooth as healthy as possible and then, when all your teeth have erupted, you can have the baby tooth removed, open up the space for a replacement tooth and you are ready for a prosthetic tooth.

I hope this helps. You can get the smile you want.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck, an affordable Scottsdale Dentist.

Pediatric Dentistry

Tooth Infection and Fevers

I called our pediatric dentist’s office to schedule an emergency appointment because my daughter has a fever and has been saying her tooth hurts. They said that a tooth infection will not be the cause of her fever and they don’t think she’ll need an emergency appointment. I tried to ask some more questions but they didn’t seem to want to answer them. Am I confused? I thought any infection could cause a fever.

Yoon

Dear Yoon,

happy girl in a dental chair

I hope there is just some miscommunication here. Yes, you are correct, any infection can cause a fever. That includes tooth infections. While most do not, it would be foolish to write it off. Any time a tooth hurts it is a good idea to check it out.

The bigger issue I have here is the way they blew off the questions you had. A good pediatric dentist is willing to talk to parents and make sure they are comfortable and understand the need or lack of need for a treatment.

If they’re blowing you off and acting too rushed, they may have too many patients to adequately serve your daughter well. If this continues, I recommend looking into another pediatric dentist who has more time for their patients.

I don’t know the age of your daughter, but cutting teeth can also cause a fever and tooth discomfort. If you’re concerned, I suggest you call them again and tell them you really want her seen. If they don’t agree, there are general dentists who work with children that also do emergency dental appointments. They can probably schedule her in more quickly.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

Child Restraints in Dental Care

I just read an article online about a dentist who was strapping down children during their dental appointments. Is this a common practice? It seems pretty barbaric to me, especially in this day and age. I don’t have children myself. I’m just curious.

Len

Dear Len,

I wish I new the article you were talking about. There are a couple of kinds of legitimate restraints that are used in pediatric dental care, but without seeing the article I can’t tell you if that was one of them. What I can tell you is what is commonly used and why.

Mouth props used in dental care

The first type of restraint is pictured above. These are mouth props and are designed to prevent patients, including children from closing their mouth or biting down during a procedure. This is for their protection as much as the dentists.

I have a colleague who, while attending dental school was observing a classmate perform a filling on a child. He did not use a mouth restraint and, at some point, the child bit down which caused the drill to go into her jaw. He told me he never forgot that and has always used a mouth restraint ever since.

Papoose board

Another type of restraint is called a papoose board. These are not as commonly used. In fact, most dentists that I know only use them in the most serious of circumstances.

A good pediatric dentist knows how to put most children at ease. Every once in a while, however, you get a child whose fear causes them to get out of control. In some cases, using just a little nitrous oxide helps. But, if you have a child with a dental emergency and they are completely uncooperative a papoose board can save them.

Almost every dentist I know that has had to use one, said the moment the child was wrapped in the board, it helped them feel more secure and they calmed down enough to get the work done they desperately needed.

I hope this helps clear some things up. It’s great that you care about kids.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.

Pediatric Dentistry

Five Years Old’s Teeth Rotting

I need some advice, My five year old daughter has some problems with her molars. Two of them have small cavities and two of them have lost about 30% of their structure. I want some advice of what to do about this before I take her to a pediatric dentist. Will they have to be removed? She’s awful young to have to lose teeth. She is saying that it hurts when she chews so I know I need to bring her in.

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

young boy smiling with toothbrush

I love that you are trying to figure out the best thing for your daughter. At her age, all of her teeth are all baby teeth and she needs them for many years to come. It is important you get her to see a pediatric dentist as soon as possible. This is especially true for her back teeth. They need to stay in her mouth until she is about twelve years old.

The molars with the small cavities will definitely be able to be saved. The ones where you estimate there is 30% loss of structure, I hope can be saved with a dental crown.

If they cannot be saved, it will be imperative that your dentist place a space maintainer there. If the molars are just removed, the remainder of her teeth will drift into that open space. then, when her twelve year old molars try to come in, there will not be enough space. This will lead to crowding and expensive orthodontics.

The extent of her decay is a little unusual for her age. It may be time for a bit of tough love on your part. She can brush her teeth twice a day just like she is supposed to, but if she is a frequent snacker it will sabotage her oral health. This is because one of the biggest proponents of oral health is our saliva, which contains bacteria fighting minerals. If she is a frequent snacker or drinks a lot of juice, does not give her salvia enough time to do its job.

I would limit her to one or two snacks a day and make sure she is not drinking a lot of juice or sodas.

One other thing. I know you are trying to get all your ducks in a row before seeing the pediatric dentist, which is admirable, but don’t put it off. These cavities can easily turn into a tooth infection, which will be a dental emergency.

This blog is brought to you Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.
Click here to read our Dental tips for Parents.

Pediatric Dentistry

Broken Front Tooth in Child

My seven year old daughter broke a front tooth after a fall. The dentist said it is not anything to worry about and he can schedule me for six weeks from now. I really want this taken care of immediately and asked him for a referral. Instead, he told me that the nerves needed time to settle before anything could be done and no one would see me sooner. Is that accurate?

Karen

Dear Karen,

No, there is no reason to wait. My only guess as to why he said that is he wanted to keep you at his practice. That being said, I do want to check something. Did he do an x-ray and tell you everything is fine and he can do the repair in six weeks or did he just tell you everything was fine when you tried to schedule an appointment without actually seeing her? If he didn’t examine her, I would feel more at ease if she at least had an x-ray done to see what you are dealing with.

If there is no damage to the pulp, then a cosmetic fix is all she will need. This can be solved with dental bonding, but you’ll want to go see a cosmetic dentist for that.

If the pulp was damaged, there may be a point where she’ll need a dental crown because the tooth will start turning gray. However, that is a wait-and-see situation.

Find a different pediatric dentist for your daughter. You can even see a general dentist who treats children. They all did a pediatric rotation and she will be in safe hands.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Hillary Peck.