Vivinavi : Orange County : (United States) Orange

Q Is there anything to keep in mind when giving treats?

A It is important to reduce the amount of time spent eating and the frequency of eating. It is important not to be so lazy that you always have food in your mouth or do not know when you are eating. For example, stop eating snacks while doing something （ watching TV or reading a book … ）. Also, stay up late and stay up long enough to go to bed, so you have more chances to eat snacks. Snacks are not limited to sweet foods, but also try to find a variety of tastes and textures, such as vegetables and small fish.

Q What is a sealant? These grooves are where food debris easily accumulates, are difficult to brush, and are prone to cavities. Sealants" coat these grooves with a special plastic material.
Sealants are used to prevent cavities, but in most cases, a liquid plastic is poured into the grooves of the teeth and allowed to harden without grinding the teeth. In this way, the adhesion of food debris is reduced and cavities are prevented.

However, this procedure is mainly applied to the chewing surfaces of the teeth and does not prevent other cavities such as those between the teeth. Therefore, please do not feel relieved after applying sealants, but always brush and floss your teeth.

Q Dental Floss

A Dental floss is used to clean stains between teeth, which a toothbrush cannot reach. When contact points are formed between teeth, dental floss should be used in conjunction with toothbrushing.

Children's teeth are not like permanent teeth in that the contact between the teeth is not a point but a surface, and food can easily accumulate. Since it is difficult for children to use dental floss, parents should help them with it.
It is around 10 to 11 years old that children can start flossing their back teeth by themselves. If contact between teeth is too tight, use waxed dental floss.

Q When do baby teeth come in ？

A Some babies may already have teeth at birth. Others have their first teeth when they are about one year old. Usually, this is about six months after birth. If teeth do not erupt by the age of one year, see your pediatric dentist.

Usually, the two lower front teeth come in at about six months of age. Wipe them with gauze after eating.7 ～ At 8 months, he will have two upper front teeth and four lower front teeth. This is a good time to get him used to the toothbrush as he wants to put everything in his mouth.
By about 18 months, 6 each upper and lower ， 12 total, and by age 3, generally all 20 baby teeth have erupted.

Q When should bottle-feeding be stopped? It is best to stop by about 1 year of age, and completely by 1.5 years at the latest. Special care should be taken regarding the use of bottles, as well as not giving the baby a bottle containing anything other than water as a pacifier when the baby sleeps.
If a bottle is filled with juice or other liquids, it can dissolve the baby's teeth, especially the upper front teeth, while the baby sleeps, creating cavities.
The same can be said for milk and breast milk as well as juice, so it is best to avoid putting the baby to sleep while giving these foods.
Saliva secretion also decreases during sleep, so after feeding, wipe the teeth with gauze to keep them clean.

Q Is it true that baby teeth have already started to form ､ when you know you are pregnant ？

A Baby teeth start to form in the 21st week or so, right around 2 ～ 3 months gestation. In other words, when you wonder if you are pregnant ？, your baby teeth are already being formed. These baby teeth are made from the nutrients that the mother eats every day, so it is important to keep a well-balanced diet in mind.
It is often said that "having a baby weakens the teeth," but the calcium needed by the baby is not transmitted from the mother's teeth. Rather, it is because the mother's diet becomes irregular or she neglects brushing her teeth due to morning sickness. Also, hormonal imbalances can cause inflammation of the gums.
In addition to protecting the mother's own dental health, we should also protect the health of the child's teeth.

Q When should I start brushing my teeth ？

A Start when the teeth come in. Wipe his teeth with gauze after breast milk, formula, and after eating.
Around the age of 7 ～ 8 months, it is important to start brushing his teeth after he eats, and at around 2 years of age, he will want to do it by himself, but his mother should always brush all his teeth again.
It is not until the child is around 8 years old that he or she is able to brush his or her teeth on his or her own. Until then, the mother should brush the teeth by hand.

Q What should I pay attention to in order to prevent cavities from forming ？

A Be careful how you give treats. Be careful. Schedule a time to give him treats so that he doesn't always have food in his mouth. Also, brush your teeth. Brush your teeth after eating.

It is important to maintain a proper rhythm of eating, sleeping, and playing. More and more children are staying up late at night. Although staying up late is not a direct cause of tooth decay, the longer the time between dinner and bedtime, the more food they eat, the more acidic their mouths become, and the more likely they are to develop cavities.