Advice from Dentists in Chicago on Your Child’s Dental Care

This article provides key advice on the care of your child’s new, developing teeth.

By the age of three, most children have grown 20 teeth, which are then replaced by 28 permanent adult teeth by the age of 12. It’s only around 21 or so that the third molars - your wisdom teeth - emerge. “But just because your child gets a brand new set of teeth, doesn’t mean you don’t need to help them look after their old ones,” say dentists in Chicago. “It is vitally important that their baby milk teeth are properly looked after, or it will affect their dental health for life.”

Chicago Dentistry and Child Dental Care: Infants

Your baby should have his or her first appointment with the Chicago dentist at the age of six months and definitely by their first birthday. The development of your baby’s teeth is a critical time and it should be overseen by a professional to make sure that his or her teeth are erupting properly and without any problems. “Problems that could develop during this time of child dental care include thumb-sucking and gum irritation,” say Chicago dentists. “It may seem innocent enough, but constant sucking can actually change the way the mouth forms, resulting in a mal-occluded bite and badly formed teeth.”

Another typical child dental problem is baby bottle tooth decay. Owing to prolonged exposure to the sugars in fruit juices, formula and even breast milk, some infants can develop bacteria decay of their newly emerged teeth. It is vital that any signs of decay be immediately treated by your dentist to avoid any potential problems with the healthy development of permanent teeth.

Feed your baby during one sitting and do not leave them with a bottle to suck on for prolonged periods of time. If they are crying for their bottle and they have already been fed, give them water instead. You should never put your infant to bed with a bottle of juice or formula. Overnight, their new teeth will be saturated in sugar, encouraging bacteria activity and decay. Dentists in Chicago also encourage parents to wean their children off bottles and onto cups as soon as possible.

Child Dental Care: Pacifiers, Teething and Thumb-Sucking

During teething, your infant’s primary teeth will be emerging and pushing through the gums. This can be quite uncomfortable and even sore for them. Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do: Chicago dentists generally advise that you gently rub their gums with the back of a spoon, your finger or a square of moist gauze. You could even invest in a teething ring, which generally helps relieve some of the discomfort.

Above the age of four, sucking implements, such as pacifiers, teething rings and even thumb-sucking should be greatly discouraged as it can cause problems with the healthy development of your child’s teeth. Overcrowding and crookedness are common problems caused by prolonged sucking.

Chicago Dentistry Emergencies

When it comes to Chicago dentistry, prevention is always better than cure. Try to teach your child how to behave appropriately and safely in the playground environment. Admonish them for putting foreign objects in their mouths or for using their teeth as tools. Try to make your children more aware of their surroundings so that they don’t just walk out in front of a swing or under a see-saw. Simple awareness and “look where you’re going!” could help prevent a lot of child dental care accidents! If your child is ever involved in a dental emergency, rush them to your dentist immediately.

Advice from the Dentist in Chicago IL on Fluoride and Oral Health

This article presents useful information on fluoride and its importance to our oral health. It also addresses some important health concerns over fluoride.

We’ve all grown up with our dentists emphasizing the importance of fluoride to the health and longevity of our pearly whites. You may have gone for periodic fluoride treatments as a child, what happens now that you’re fully grown? Where do you get your fluoride from and are you getting enough?

Advice from the Dentist in Chicago IL: The Problem with Bottled and Filtered Water

You may not have known this, but one of our primary sources of fluoride is the public water drinking system!

“Public water systems provide you with the fluoride you need to keep your teeth strong and healthy. Bottled water, on the other hand, tends to be filtered and contains none of the essential minerals your body needs,” explains the dentist in Chicago IL. “Bottled water has become somewhat of a trend, which is not entirely surprising considering that tap water can taste strongly of the chemicals used to purify it.”

“Even home water treatment systems can remove much of fluoride that is essential for good oral health,” say Chicago dentists.

If you do not like tap water or if your community’s water source is not suitable for drinking, then make sure that you opt for mineral or spring water instead; not filtered and/or bottled water. Chicago dentists recommend that you check the labels of bottled water, which will list the various minerals in them. Make sure fluoride, calcium and magnesium are indicated.

Chicago Dentists: Some Important Notes on Fluoride

• Fluoride poisoning: Thanks to the ominous warning labels most fluoride toothpastes come with nowadays (required by the FDA), many parents have become unnecessarily frightened for their children’s safety.  “Even if your child accidentally swallows his or her toothpaste or even half a tube of toothpaste, their body cannot absorb enough fluoride to cause any serious health problems,” explain dentists in Chicago. It still is not advisable to swallow toothpaste, but its excellent safety record speaks very much for itself; and against the regulations imposed upon it by the FDA.

• Fluorosis: “Fluoride is an essential ingredient in strengthening dental enamel and promoting overall oral health. But too much of a good thing can be bad,” warn Chicago dentists. Enamel fluorosis is caused by over-exposure to fluoride during a child’s developmental years. The results of this condition are unsightly white marks on the teeth and defects in the dental enamel. Speak to your dental health care professional about the frequency with which your children should receive fluoride treatments, if at all.

• My Community’s Water: If you’re interested in finding out whether your community’s water system has been fluoridated, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website and click on the “My Water’s Fluoride” page. This resource provides comprehensive information on water systems around the country, including the amount of fluoride in the water.

• Optimal fluoridation level: “For cooler climates, you’re looking at 1.2 ppm (parts per million) and 0.7 ppm for warmer climates. This is because people tend to drink more water in hot weather,” explains the dentist in Chicago IL.

Chicago Dental Health Watch: About Dental Fillings

This article discusses what fillings are before moving on to explain the different alternatives there are available to traditional silver amalgam.

What are Dental Fillings?

Fillings are restorations used by dentists to repair minor damage and cavities in dental enamel. Once the dentist has ensured that there is no sign of infection or decay – or once all infection and decay has been successfully removed and/or treated – a filling material is applied to the surface of the tooth. This is subsequently cemented in place using the heat generated by a special dentist’s hand-held light.

There are many different kinds of filling materials. Traditionally, dentists have always used silver amalgam or gold to repair light damage to the tooth structure, especially on the biting surfaces of the molars and pre-molars. This is because silver amalgam and gold are exceptionally strong and won’t fracture under the intense chewing and grinding stresses that are found there. However, few patients are amenable to the idea of having their visible front teeth covered with silver! Few people, if any, can pull off a metallic smile!

Thankfully, many advances in dentistry in Chicago have seen the development of dental filling materials that are both durable and can convincingly mimic the color and appearance of natural dental enamel.

Alternatives to Silver Amalgam Dental Fillings

Chicago Dental Info: Composite Fillings are natural tooth-colored fillings composed of a blend of glass-like particles and acrylic resin. They’re durable, resistant to wear-and-tear and require less natural tooth structure to be removed during preparation than amalgam. Composite dental fillings do, however, take longer to place.

Chicago Dental Info: Ionomers are tooth-colored fillings composed of a mixture of fine glass powder and acrylic acids. They are recommended for cavities that occur near the roots of the teeth or between the teeth, where the chewing forces are small. Owing to their construction from glassy materials, ionomers are highly aesthetic, but have a low fracture resistance, which is why they’re only applied to the tooth surfaces that receive little stress.

Chicago Dental Info: Ceramic Fillings: These dental restorations composed of porcelain or ceramic include veneers, crowns, inlays and onlays. This material is most popular for its ability to mimic the optical properties of natural dental enamel. Ceramics are also very strong and durable, but can fracture when subjected to impact or extreme tension.

Dispelling the Myth about Amalgam Dental Fillings

Many patients are worried about the health implications of amalgam dental fillings because, amongst a mixture of other metals, they contain a tiny amount of mercury. The inclusion of mercury in the alloy is necessary to make the material pliable.

While mercury is known to be toxic, there is no scientific evidence indicating amalgam fillings to be harmful to patients in any way. This is after much investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other Chicago Dental institutes. Amalgam has been used by dentists for over 100 years to fill flaws and cavities in teeth and after the extensive investigations performed by the FDA, no reason has been found to limit its use. The only exception to this would be patients that are allergic to this restorative material, although cases of this are rare.

About Chicago Dental Implants: Modern Day Solution to Age Old Problem

This article provides an overview of dental implants: what they are and why they are considered so beneficial to one’s oral health.

Take a look at your teeth in the mirror. Whether it takes much imagination to picture yourself with a missing tooth or not, the fact of the matter is that your smile quality is very much dependent upon you having a full set of teeth! “It just takes one missing tooth to completely alter your appearance,” says the Chicago implant dentist, “making it very distracting for your audience".

Unfortunately, there are a great number of factors that can cause tooth loss, some of which are completely avoidable (poor oral hygiene and smoking) and some of which aren’t (certain chronic illnesses and genetic heritage). Thankfully, modern Chicago dental implant science has a comprehensive answer for patients that are missing one or more of their natural adult teeth; an answer that is as yet unsurpassed in its sophisticated and long term benefits… Chicago dental implants!

What Are They?

“Chicago Dental implants are essentially tiny titanium screws that are placed in the jaw bone at the site/s of the missing tooth or teeth,” explains the Chicago implant dentist. “An abutment or collar is screwed on to the top of the base post, which is used to firmly secure an artificial tooth crown in place". This is the only component of the Chicago dental implant that is visible above the gum line and its careful fabrication from high quality and durable ceramics ensures that it functions and looks just like a natural healthy tooth.

The overall result is a tooth replacement that is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing! Not even your closest friends and family will be able to tell that you’ve lost a natural tooth and had it replaced with a Chicago dental implant!

Chicago Dental Implants: Long Term Benefits

Choosing Chicago dental implants over traditional tooth replacement technology - such as removable dentures or dental bridges - not only gives patients a new tooth that functions, looks and feels like a natural tooth, but it also lasts decades if cared for properly. “There simply is no other technology designed to replace the entire missing tooth, from the root to the crown,” says the Chicago implant dentist.

The fact that Chicago dental implants replace the fundamental function of the tooth root in keeping the underlying jaw bone healthy is one of the key benefits afforded by this tooth replacement technology. It’s also what enables Chicago dental implants to remain stable and rooted in place for as many as 20, 30 and more years; in most cases, without the need for restoration.

An Important Note from Chicago Implant Dentists: Don’t Wait to Replace Teeth!

If you have lost one or more of your original adult teeth, the key to maintaining a healthy and youthful smile is to seek the attention of a qualified and experienced Chicago implant dentist immediately. Missing teeth pose a great number of risks to your oral health, including destabilization of the dental arch, jaw bone atrophy, further tooth loss and oral bacterial infection. Never wait to have a tooth replaced with a Chicago dental implant. Timely treatment is as important to the longevity of your smile as it is to your oral and general health.