What should I use to clean my baby’s teeth?

You might think babies don’t need to brush their teeth, especially when they don’t have any. But by starting good habits like brushing when your child is young, you can lay the foundation for them to continue those good habits into adulthood.


When do I start?
The best time to start brushing your baby’s teeth is before he or she has any. Develop the habit of wiping your baby’s gums with a wet, soft washcloth or gauze every day. There is no need to use toothpaste, just wrap the gauze or cloth around your finger, moisten it with a little water, and gently rub it over the gums.
This helps your little one get used to brushing while it eliminates bacteria in the mouth that can harm emerging teeth. You don’t need to apply a lot of pressure or even take very long: just a quick, gentle rub over the gums will do it.


What do I use?
When your child’s teeth begin to come in, you will need to switch from a cloth to a baby toothbrush. Find one that has a grip big enough for your hand, but a head that is small enough to maneuver easily in your infant’s mouth.
You don’t need to use any toothpaste until your son or daughter is about a year old. Even then, though, you’ll want to use just a tiny amount: about the size of a grain of rice. When your toddler is about two years old, you can use a pea-sized amount.
By around six years of age, your child will probably rinse and spit without your help. At that point, you may want to introduce a child-friendly fluoride mouthwash.


How do I do it?
Your child probably won’t be able to brush his or her teeth alone until about the age of five or six. This means that you will need to do it. To brush your child’s teeth, gently use the brush over all the teeth and gums, even areas where the teeth have not come in yet.
As your child grows and becomes more independent, you can allow him or her to hold the toothbrush while you guide your child’s progress. Make sure you talk to your child while you are brushing, and explain why you brush: what you are doing and how you are doing it.
In addition to regular visits with Dr. Bander and Dr. Baldwin, instilling good oral health habits in your child early on will ensure a lifetime of good dental health.

Stress and Your Oral Health

Stress symptoms—which include high blood pressure, severe aches, and insomnia—may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is the culprit when in fact stress may actually be the reason. While stress can be good for us sometimes, Dr. Bander, Dr. Baldwin and our team know stress can be physically harmful. But what is often overlooked is that stress can also take a toll on your mouth. Here’s how:


Teeth Grinding
It’s not uncommon for people dealing with stress to develop teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. People who grind their teeth at night may do so unconsciously, but the condition requires treatment to prevent the development of headaches, TMJ, and tooth damage. If you’re a night-grinder, talk to Dr. Bander or Dr. Baldwin. They may recommend a night guard.


Mouth Sores
Research suggests stress and depression harm your immune system, making it easier for infections to develop and stick around. That can mean canker sores or a cold sore outbreak. If mouth sores are a recurring problem for you, give us a call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bander or Dr. Baldwin.


Bad Habits
Stress can lead to bad oral health habits such as smoking, drinking, and neglecting your daily brushing and flossing routine. If you’ve been feeling under pressure lately, try to keep up with your oral health routine—it will serve you well when your stress levels return to normal.
Dr. Bander, Dr. Baldwin and our team know there’s not always an easy way to reduce your stress levels, but eating healthy, exercising regularly, and spending time with friends and family are all good places to start.

Teeth Grinding Does More than Make Noise!

Bruxism is, simply put, teeth grinding.  It’s a condition where people habitually clench and grind their teeth without noticing.  In some cases it can occur while sleeping and is given the aptly named diagnosis of ‘sleep bruxism.’  Depending on how severe the bruxism is can determine the level of treatment required, but it is important to be aware of the symptoms to know if this condition affects you!

• It’s not pretty - Bruxism causes dental erosion that affects the look of teeth and flattens them.  And, because teeth are grinding and gnawing, it may also loosen past dental work.  
• No rest for the weary - Sleep Bruxism can cause pain in the head and neck because jaw muscles are not enjoying the rest and relaxation that should be associated with sleep.
• Ouch! - The grinding of your teeth wears them down and causes loss of the enamel.  With that protective layering gone teeth are now painfully subjected to the elements.
• The gums aren’t happy either - After enamel loss causes tooth sensitivity the gums raise the white flag.  A receding gum line often follows enamel loss.  
• Even the cheeks aren’t safe - While your teeth are grinding they may pinch the inside of your cheek and tear at it.  This small wound can lead to ulcers commonly known as canker sores.

If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms please see a dentist for a plan to combat the effects of this condition.  Your dentist may decide your case is light and requires no immediate action but will monitor the progress over your next checkups.  This level of severity is known as ‘mild bruxism.’

If they decide this is a cause for concern be prepared to answer a few questions.  The underlying cause of bruxism widely varies and in order to properly treat your case the dentist needs to know whether you smoke, regularly drink alcohol, or are taking any medication.  Each of those may be the cause of your plight, but the list of factors does not stop there.  Stress and anxiety could be a major component to nighttime clenching and grinding.

Once the cause has been identified, your dental professional can develop the best treatment option for you.  It may be as simple as cutting back on coffee or cigarettes, or the dentist teaching you how to bite properly without stressing your jaw.  In some cases a night splint may solve the problem by spacing the upper and lower teeth and allowing you the rest you deserve!

Do not attempt to self treat this problem if you think you may have it.  Dentists are trained to treat this condition and can bring you the relief you deserve. Call Dr. Samuel T. Bander for more information or to schedule an appointment to identify and treat Bruxism or any other dental concern.

All In a Day’s Cleaning

You keep up with your teeth, that’s good!  Brushing and flossing twice a day is a great routine for the upkeep of good oral health. It also helps to visit the dentist for a routine cleaning at least once a year. Dental hygienists are professionally trained and have advanced tools to get all those hard to reach areas. It takes team and daily effort to keep your smile bright!

There are some conditions that occur no matter how well your dental hygiene is cared for.  Let’s talk about what your hygienists cleans that normal brushing can miss.

Plaque is a clear film of bacteria that is on the tooth and interacts with the sugar in foods to thrive.  

Tartar is what plaque becomes if left unbrushed for too long.  Also called calculus, this white coating is hard and will often form at the gum line, especially in the backs or in between teeth. Once the tartar has formed, it cannot be removed by normal brushing.

When you go in for a routine cleaning you can rest assured you are in good hands. Let the professionals do all the work!  Here’s a brief overview of the cleaning process so you know what is going to happen when you’re in the chair:

The spray is the first step in the process.  A high powered, concentrated water stream is moved along the teeth to break up any stubborn food particles and loosen plaque and tartar.

An ultrasonic cleaner is then used to clean off tartar.  This process uses tiny ultrasonic vibrations to clean off what your toothbrush failed to, but don’t worry - the sound waves are higher than human ears can pick up!  This tool, also called a scaler, shoots a stream of water to clean away the particles once they are free from the tooth.

The hand scaler is the last tool used, and perhaps the most recognizable of the dentist’s toolkit.  This thin metallic hook may be uncomfortable when used to get the remnants of tartar that was left by its ultrasonic cousin, but it is absolutely necessary.  If left unchecked tartar can affect the gums and lead to gingivitis or periodontitis.

Polish it off for good measure. After all the tartar is removed, a polisher is used to get your smile bright.  A small rubber cup holding a specialized gritty paste is spun at high speeds to scour your teeth and deal the final blow to any lingering plaque that may have thought it had escaped the cleaning!

So now that you’re in-the-know a teeth cleaning is nothing to be afraid of.  Let Dr. SamuelT. Bander help you on your road to the brighter smile of tomorrow! Call the office today and schedule your next routine cleaning.