Children & Infants

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Welcome to Rainbow Dental Center

Cosmetic Dentistry • Children's Dentistry
  General Dentistry • Sedation Dentistry

• Mouthguards
• Preventing tooth decay
• When should I bring my child in to the dentist for their first visit?
• Should I be concerned about thumb or finger sucking?

Mouthguards
Why wear a mouthguard? You should wear a mouthguard during any activity that could result in a block to the face or mouth. A properly fitted mouthguard can help prevent broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw. It will stay in place while you are wearing it, making it easy for you to talk and breath.

Anyone who participates in a sport that carries a significant risk of injury should wear a mouth protector. This includes a wide range of sports like football, hockey, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and volleyball.

Mouth protectors, which typically cover the upper teeth, can cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to the soft tissues of the mouth. If you wear braces or another fixed dental appliance on you lower jaw, your dentist may suggest a mouth protector for these teeth as well.

There are three types of mouth protectors

• Stock: Stock mouth protectors are inexpensive and come pre-formed, ready to wear. Unfortunately, they often don't fit very well. They can be bulky and can make breathing and talking difficult.
• Boil and bite: Boil and bite mouth protectors also can be bought at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than stock mouth protectors. They should be softened in water, then inserted and allowed to adapt to the shape of your mouth. If you don't follow the directions carefully, you can wind up with a poor-fitting mouth protector.
• Custom-fitted: Custom-fitted mouth protectors are made by your dentist for you personally. Because they are customized, they offer a better fit than anything you can buy off of the shelf.

Please call us for your custom-fitted mouthguard, and "play it safe"!!

Preventing Tooth Decay
Among children who are 6 to 18 years old, the percentage of decayed permanent teeth has decreased by about 57 percent since the 1970s. Part of this can be attributed to good preventative measures; follow these steps to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

• Make it a habit to brush your teeth after eating, using a toothbrush with soft, round bristles.
• MUse a toothpaste with fluoride to help prevent tooth decay and repair tooth enamel.
• MBuy a new toothbrush every 3 or 4 months. Bacteria can grow on toothbrushes, and the bristles wear down and become ineffective.
• MBrush your tongue to freshen your breath and remove bacteria, or use a tongue cleaner.
• MUse dental floss and fluoride rinse after brushing your teeth.
• MTry an herbal rinse that contains goldenseal, echinacea or tea tree oil to prevent and heal inflamed gums and kill bacteria.
• MSnack on raw vegetables, fruit or unsweetened yogurt, and eliminate or reduce consumption of sugar and sugary foods.
• MEat foods high in calcium such as broccoli, sardines, milk and fortified orange juice.
• MGet regular dental exams and cleanings every six months

If you have any questions or need more information, please don't hesitate to call us.

When should I bring my child in to see the dentist for their first visit?
Your child's first tooth will begin coming in between three and sixteen months (usually around six months). According to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the first visit to the dentist should be "when the first tooth comes in." The American Academy of Pediatrics used to recommend that the first visit to the dentist be at age three. Now, because so many children have cavities by the time they start kindergarten, the AAP states that high-risk children should be seen by a dentist six months after their first tooth erupts or before they are 12 months old.

Should I be concerned about thumb or finger sucking?
Thumb-sucking or finger-sucking is a habit that occurs with many infants. Your child will usually give it up naturally by the age of four. If the sucking habit continues beyond the time when permanent teeth start to erupt, your child may develop crooked teeth and malformed palate (roof of the mouth). There are many suggestions we can give you to encourage your child to stop thumb or finger sucking, so be sure to discuss this with one of our dentists!