Dental Sealants

February is the official National Children's Dental Health Month, as recognized by the ADA. Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry will be rolling out weekly topics relating to pediatric dentistry all month long. Make sure to check back regularly to catch all the great information. 

While Dental Sealants are appropriate for patients of all ages, they are most commonly placed on kids and teens to maximize their preventative ability. The pit and groove patterns of the chewing teeth create near-perfect food traps. In fact, they are often so deep and narrow that toothbrush bristles cannot reach the furthest depths. Bacteria can then grow in these areas undisturbed and fueled by a constant food source. This is the general pattern behind cavities on the biting (occlusal) surfaces of teeth.  

Sealants interrupt this process by physically filling in the deepest parts of these pits and grooves. With the space gone, the risk of developing cavities in these areas is significantly decreased. The process of placing a sealant takes about 45 minutes (depending on the number of teeth) and does not require a shot. We start by cleaning the teeth with gentle air abrasion. Once the teeth are free of saliva, bacteria and food, we place the material into all deep grooves. The procedure is finished by checking the patient's bite and making sure the sealant is well bonded to the tooth. 

It is important to understand that sealants only protect against decay on the biting surfaces of the teeth. Cavities between the teeth (another common area) are only prevented by proper brushing and flossing. Additionally, it is worth noting that sealants can fall off over time and are much more likely to fail if the patient's home care is insufficient. As always, the key is brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily. If you have any more questions about sealants, what they do or why we place them, please give our office a call!

National Children's Dental Health Month!

February is the official National Children's Dental Health Month, as recognized by the ADA. Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry will be rolling out weekly topics relating to pediatric dentistry all month long. Make sure to check back regularly to catch all the great information. 

For our first topic, we would like to discuss your child's first dental appointment. This visit should take place place at one year of age or when the first tooth erupts (Usually the mandibular incisors at 6-12 months). The first appointment serves as an important introduction for future dental care. Our office reserves this time to examine the mouth for any developmental problems and have a discussion on oral health with the parents. There are typically no x-rays or cleanings at this visit- just a checkup!

Just as important as the actual examination, this type of appointment sets the stage for a lifetime of positive dental experiences. Many less fortunate children will first see a dentist when they have a toothache and will forever associate the pain, confusion and anxiety with dental offices. We hope to start your children off with a fun and easy appointment that gets them excited to return for cleanings and exams! If you would like to know more about the dental services we provide for children or to book an appointment for your young ones, please give our office a call!

Dental Sealants

According to a recent report from the CDC, dental sealants could potentially prevent 80% of cavities in school aged children. They also add that sealants generally save money over a child's lifetime and prevent the eating, speech and learning problems associated with cavities and dental pain. Could your child benefit from a sealant? What is a "sealant" anyways? Keep reading for the full story. 

A dental sealant is a thin layer of filling material placed in the pits and grooves of the back teeth. By blocking out these hard-to-clean areas, we can prevent food from sticking and eliminate spots that are difficult or impossible to clean with a toothbrush. First, the tooth is prepared using gentle air abrasion or an acid etch. We then flow the sealant material throughout the tooth and use a special light to harden it. Finally, we check to make sure the final product is completely smooth and doesn't interfere when your child bites or chews. The entire appointment takes about thirty minutes (varies with number of teeth to be sealed and cooperation) and doesn't require a shot. 

In the past, sealants received bad press for possibly "sealing in" decay or (if improperly placed) creating a catch to trap food. Recent research has shown that placing sealants over small areas of decay actually arrests bacterial grown and has the same effect as removing the decay. Likewise, we use a number of techniques to make sure our sealants are properly placed on clean, dry teeth. We wont let anything but the best leave our office!

Would your child benefit from sealants? Statistically, most children have at least one tooth that has pits or grooves that would qualify for this treatment. However, a complete dental examination is necessary to tell for certain. If you would like to know more about sealants or any other procedures offered at Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, please give our office a call!

Pediatric and Orthodontic Offices We Work With

Providing care for children is one of the most challenging and sensitive aspect of dentistry. Kids react to the office setting within an entire spectrum of behavior; from eager and inquisitive to scared and frustrated. We have designed our office to be as welcoming as possible for your young ones with toys, cable TV (Nick, Nick Jr., Disney, etc.) and even a dedicated kid's room (seen in the background of the title photo). Still, there are times that we need to rely on our network of specialists to best meet the needs of your individual child. 

We are proud to work with Dr. Ahsan Raza of 1000 Oaks Children's Dental Group. On top of specialized behavioral management techniques, Dr. Raza prides himself in being an extremely communicative and personal pediatric dentist. He uses a number of techniques, ranging from education to sedation to ensure the best possible dental outcomes. Your kids will love his spaceship themed office too!

In terms of orthodontic offices, we are proud to work with Doctors Nagel Sr. and Nagel Jr. of Nagel Orthodontics and Dr. William Hang of Face Focused Orthodontics. Norm and Jeffrey Nagel bring together over 40 years of experience in orthodontics and pride themselves in combining the best parts of digital and hands-on dentistry. Likewise, Dr. Hang has spent his career developing the Face Focused program, an orthodontic system that develops straight teeth while respecting posture and opening airways. 

If you would like to know more about our fantastic network of specialists, please give us a call. We want our patients to know they are in good hands, whether with us or one of our specialists.

Link to Dr. Raza's office

Link to Dr. Nagel and Nagel's office

Link to Dr. Hang's office

Jonathan's First Birthday

What a time to celebrate! Our office manager Michael's son Jonathan turned one this week. Michael and his wife Katie definitely had their hands full with planning and preparing for the event, but it all payed off. Happy birthday Jonathan, we hope you got everything you wished for!

Adrienne And Her Daughters

At Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, we always love seeing our staff's children at the office. This week, our hygienist Adrienne's daughters Kamdin and Rylin came in to see their mom at work (and get some cleanings out of the way). Be sure to give us a call when you or your little ones are ready to stop by!

Dental Library Review- Franklin and the Tooth Fairy

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over Franklin and the Tooth Fairy by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark.

This book follows the characters and storyline of Franklin the Turtle and his animal buddies. In this tale, Franklin’s best friend, Bear, loses his first tooth. Startled by his friend’s joyous response, Franklin contemplates how and why he doesn’t have any teeth to lose. As he learns about the tooth fairy, he becomes apprehensive about not being able to “grow up” and get adult teeth. However, his parents clear up the confusion, and leave him a small present to celebrate him growing up, since he can’t get a visit from the tooth fairy.

We love this book because it deals with using lost teeth as a measure of “growing up.” Children typically lose their first tooth between ages 5 and 6, a range that can seem like an eternity to young minds. This book helps reassure children that although their friends may be losing teeth before them, they are all getting older every single day. Kinds tend to use lost teeth as a measure of age as it is a very visible milestone. This book is here to remind them that everyone grows up at their own pace, regardless of lost teeth.

Given the content and word count for this book, we would recommend it as a bedtime story or a guided reader for slightly older children. As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!

Dental Library Review- Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy

Welcome to The Dental Library Review! In this feature, we will be reviewing and highlighting different children’s books we have collected at our office. Our staff have personally used these books with their own children and have had great reception. Today, we will be going over Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy by Marc Brown.

This book follows the characters and basic plot line of the popular Arthur books and TV show. In this story, Arthur looses a tooth and wakes up to some money from the Tooth Fairy. His sister, D.W., is both confused and jealous that she hasn't lost a tooth yet. After much deliberation (and a few attempts to prematurely remove teeth), she comes to the conclusion that she can trick the Tooth Fairy into visiting her. After catching wind of his sister's plan, Arthur decides to entertain D.W. by swapping her decoy tooth for a few dollars. 

In addition to being a great story, this book is a part of the Step into Reading learning program. This system categorizes books into five levels to encourage gradual development of reading skills. Being a "step 3" book, Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy is generally appropriate for first through third graders who can read on their own. It introduces some new vocabulary and has a fun set of stickers to match the words. A second set of stickers is also included, with instructions on writing your own story about Arthur and his friends. 

We love this book because it is an excellent story with fun additional content. We also feel this book would be great for younger siblings experiencing some "tooth fairy jealousy." As with all the stories we review, feel free to check it out at your next appointment. We are always happy to do anything we can to get your family excited and educated about dental health topics!

Dentistry Through the Ages- Toddlers and Young Children

Greetings and welcome to our on-going blog series, Dentistry Through the Ages. In these blog posts, we will cover age-group specific dental needs and concerns. Your life is constantly changing, and we want to equip you with the best information possible to keep your teeth healthy!

Today, we want to take a look at the special dental needs and concerns of toddlers and young children. During this time period, your young one will undergo rapid growth and development, both physically and mentally. At Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, we want to give you the best tools to keep up with their changing needs!

There are a number of milestones that can help you best gauge your child’s dental development. Typically, the first primary teeth to erupt will be the central lower incisors at around 8 months. These will be followed shortly after by opposing teeth, the upper central incisors at about 10 months. Likewise, the last primary teeth to be shed are the upper canines and second molars, which are lost as late as 12 years.

A chart showing the eruption and shedding ages for primary teeth. 

It becomes apparent that although the primary teeth will all be eventually be shed and replaced, they need to last a long time- from 5 to 10 years depending on the specific tooth. During this period, these teeth will serve as both mechanical tools for chewing and as placeholders for the adult teeth. It is important that primary teeth are lost naturally and not due to facial trauma or decay. If a tooth must be removed prematurely, we recommend placing a Space Maintainer retention device to hold spacing. Without this appliance, the adult teeth can come in crooked or unevenly, requiring extensive orthodontic intervention later in life.

A typical space maintainer on a model. The final appliance is gently cemented to the rearward tooth. 

Beyond the development of primary teeth and adult teeth, there are a number of ways you can give your young child the best start on their dental health. At 1 year of age, we recommend stopping the use of bottles and pacifiers. Studies show that the prolonged use of these products can cause improper oral development, including an open bite. You can limit pacifier use using the “snip” method, where a small amount of the pacifier base is cut off periodically, limiting your child’s ability to create satisfying suction with the device. Thumb sucking needs to be limited as well, although behavioral interventions required to stop this are usually unsuccessful until the age of 3.

We recommend brushing your child’s teeth as soon as the first teeth begin to erupt. You can brush with water, fluoride-free toothpaste or even xylitol wipes. However, avoid fluoridated toothpaste and supplements until age 2, as the fluoridated water in Southern California will provide enough remineralization power alone. Any extra dosage of the ion can cause a condition called fluorosis, where white spots of “over mineralization” arise on the still-developing adult teeth.

At about three years of age, adjacent teeth in your child’s mouth will begin to touch. At this time, it is crucial to start flossing once a day. Childhood diets are full of tooth decay causing foods and habits- constant snacking, sticky and carbohydrate heavy foods and milk instead of water for beverage. While brushing will manage the risk of decay on most tooth surfaces, only flossing can remove bacteria and food from in-between teeth, where 70% of childhood tooth decay occurs. Additionally, keep in mind that brushing and flossing can be difficult tasks for children. As a rule of thumb, children not possess the motor skills to brush their own teeth until they can tie their own shoes.

We typically recommend children come in for their first dental visit at 1 year of age or when their first tooth comes (around 6-12mos). This visit is less of a traditional exam, and more of a “primer” for future dental visits. We will introduce your child to our various tools and ease them into what can be a very stressful setting. Depending on patient compliance, we will do a quick check of the mouth, followed by a health history review and educational discussion (for parents). All this is conducted in our fun and imaginative children’s room!

Undoubtedly, your child’s specific developmental patterns, needs and concerns will vary from the information in this article. With this in mind, it is imperative that they come in for regular dental examinations and check-ups. Many problems- from tooth decay to some developmental issues, can be corrected easily if caught early on. We hope to see you and your loved ones at our office- to make sure everyone is on the right track for dental success!