The Short Journey of Baby Teeth

Parents and young children who want to understand their teeth may find this simple guide an easy first step into the world of dentistry. It will make for easy understanding as to what happens or what to expect as your baby gets older

Firstly, when you look at a child’s mouth with a complete set of teeth, you’ll find 20 in all. You would like to refer to them as baby teeth. In dental parlance, they are called deciduous teeth, meaning they are teeth that will be shed later on. They happen to be the first set, so they are also called primary teeth.

The teeth come in sets of 4s. So from the upper arch first, starting from the front, you have 4 central incisors – two on each side of the midline. These are followed in the same order and position by 4 lateral incisors, 4 cuspids or canines, 4 first molars, and 4 second molars. What you find on the upper arch or upper jaw are the same set of teeth on the lower jaw.

When do teeth come out?

Eruption times vary from child to child. Generally, the first teeth begin to break through the gums at about 6 months. The two lower central incisors are the first. And then the top four front teeth emerge. Other teeth slowly begin to fill in, usually in pairs – one each side of the upper or lower jaw – until all 20 teeth (10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower) have come in by the time the child is 2 ½ to 3 years old. You’ll find the complete set of primary teeth in the mouth from the age of 2 ½ to 3 years to 6 to 7 years of age.

You will note that as a general rule of thumb, every 6 months of your baby’s life, approximately 4 teeth will erupt. Lower teeth usually erupt before upper teeth, upper and lower teeth usually erupt in pairs – one on each side of the mouth. Primary teeth are smaller and whiter than the permanent teeth that will follow. And girls generally precede boys in tooth eruption.

After your toddler is past age 4, the jaw and facial bones begin to grow, creating spaces between the primary teeth. This provides the necessary space for the larger permanent teeth to emerge. Between the ages of 6 and 12, a mixture of both primary and permanent teeth are in the mouth.

When do you expect the primary teeth to grow?

That varies again from child to child, but generally, both upper and lower central incisors fall out at 6 – 7 years old, lateral incisors at 7 – 8 years, the cuspids or canines go by 9 or 10 to 12 years of age. The first molar falls out at 9 – 11 and second molar at 10 to 12.

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Counting Baby Teeth in Bellingham

Let’s help you understand and learn more about your baby’s teeth and how you can better take care of their fragile oral health.

Causes of Back Teeth Problems

Anybody who brushes his or her teeth knows that the posterior teeth or the teeth furthest at the back of the mouth are more difficult to reach via tooth brushing or flossing. By design, your back teeth have grooves and ridges that enable you to chew your food. The problem is, these are the same spaces that trap food. If they are not brushed well enough, the food bits are attacked by bacteria and can turn to plaque. Plaque increases risk of cavities which leads to decay and also gum disease.

Molars

The back teeth are called molars. They are the biggest and strongest teeth in the mouth. Adults have 12 molars, in four groups of three at the back of the mouth. The third, rearmost molar in each group is called a wisdom tooth. It is the last tooth to appear, breaking through the front of the gum at about the age of 20, although this varies from person to person.

The large surface area of molars have either four or five cusps each, which are elevations on the surface. Their purpose is to help grind up food. When you eat, your tongue pushes food to the back of your mouth. Then, your molars break up the food into pieces small enough for you to swallow. However, the cusps create grooves and pits on the surface area where food entrapment happens. If cleaning the back teeth is done half-heartedly food debris can build up.

Decay most often occurs in your back teeth, that includes molars and premolars. These teeth have lots of grooves, pits and crannies, and multiple roots that can collect food particles. As a result, they’re harder to keep clean than your smoother, easy-to-reach front teeth.

Though tooth decay doesn’t happen overnight. However, bacteria can convert fermenting carbohydrates (sugars in cooked, starchy foods) into plaque within 20 minutes. So clean around the back teeth with your toothbrush and dental floss every day. If you allow plaque build-up by not flossing properly over many years, bacteria and acids they produce will break down enamel. Tooth decay can progress inward and affect the pulp nerves. Progressive decay can cause pain and swelling symptoms and, in extreme cases, tooth loss.

To remove bacteria and plaque, it’s important to floss around the back teeth. If it is hard for you to reach this area, consider using a flosser, an electric flosser or a water flosser.

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More Helpful Tips for Back Teeth in Bellingham

Need to know more about back teeth and how you can keep them in tip-top form? See our Bellingham dentist for an appointment soon.

Considerations for Missing Teeth

If you have a missing tooth, or teeth for that matter, there are a couple of options you can consider. Dental bridge or dental implant, each of which has its advantages. Both restore the function of missing teeth, as well as bring back the aesthetics of a complete set of teeth. Let’s look at what they offer, their differences, and discover which is best in addressing your unique mouth condition.

Dental Bridge versus Dental Implant

Firstly, how are they constructed? A bridge is made of a false tooth suspended between two crowns that the dentist cements onto prepared natural teeth on either side of the gap. An implant is a false tooth attached to a titanium post inserted in the jaw bone the periodontist or oral surgeon has prepared. The color of the false teeth in both appliances matches the surrounding natural teeth. However, a bridge may be slightly more noticeable because, unlike an implant, the false tooth of a bridge isn’t embedded in the gum.

When deciding between a bridge or implant, the location of the missing tooth is another important consideration. A bridge that replaces a missing tooth at the front of your mouth may not look so natural, unlike if it replaces one toward the back of the mouth. You will be able to smile with more confidence, if so. In fact, the ADA recommends implants for restoring a natural, attractive smile that looks like nothing has been replaced.

Then, unlike bridges, implants also help prevent the jaw bone from deteriorating. We know that the absence of the biting and chewing forces on the bone where a tooth once was there, will cause the inactive bone to shrink and deteriorate. With implants, the titanium post embedded into the jaw will encourage integration and bone growth that will support the false tooth. However, the false tooth in a dental bridge doesn’t contact the jaw bone, so there may be bone loss.

Time and Cost of Treatment

Another consideration is the time and the cost of treatment. If you have the budget for an implant, it might be better. However then, a bridge may take over two visits within a few weeks, but the waiting time for an implant is longer – something like three to six months for the jaw bone to integrate around the implant post. On the other hand, a dental bridge may be better for your budget. Maintenance-wise, both options should be cared for similarly. Good oral hygiene prolongs the life of both options.

Deciding What’s Best For You in Bellingham

Let us help you decide the best option for you when you come see us at Tetrick Family Dentistry. Whether you choose a bridge or implant, what counts is whether your smile is happy and confident.

Caring For Baby’s Teeth

A child’s primary teeth are just as important as their permanent teeth. It’s important to care for them as they are the spaces or positions of the future permanent teeth. Your baby’s teeth help the child chew food and speak. Hence, it is best to introduce good dental care for children during their infancy.

The following tips may help keep a child’s teeth and gums healthy:

• Using a warm, wet washcloth, wipe your baby’s gums every day (including teeth, if any). It removes sugars from the gums and, besides, it will accustom the infant with the feeling of cleaning their teeth.
• Don’t let babies and toddlers go to bed with bottles or sippy cups. Sugar in milk and juice can cause tooth decay if they remain on the teeth for long periods.
• As your baby nears one year old, he should learn to get used to a sippy cup. By that age, he shouldn’t be using bottles anymore.
• You can give toddlers juice or milk at meal times, if not water. In between meals, siping water from sippy cups should be encouraged.
• Using a soft baby toothbrush, brush your one-year old infant’s teeth twice a day. Use only a small amount of fluoride toothpaste no bigger than a grain of rice. In between 3 and 6 years, use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
• Brush your child’s teeth for them until they can clean their teeth well without help. Monitor them to make sure that they spit out the toothpaste. When not in use, keep toothpaste out of their reach.
• Within 6 months of their first tooth appearing or at 1 year of age, whichever comes first. Bring your child to the dentist. This is an ADA recommendation.
• Do not share eating utensils with a child or clean pacifiers by putting them in their mouth. These can pass the adult’s cavity-causing bacteria to the child.

These are common tips and suggestions, and may not be fit for all children. Please advise with our dentist for personalized dental health tips.

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Additional Dental Health Advice for Children

If you have a new baby or a toddler, drop by Dr. Tetrick’s dental clinic in Bellingham for a checkup and see how you can maintain your child’s oral health at home in addition to routine checkups.

The Procedure, Recovery and Complications

What is the procedure for having a dental bridge?

That’s depending on the type of bridged agreed. For a traditional bridge, the teeth on either side of the gap are prepared – removing any decay and grinding them down. Next, an impression of the mouth is taken. The dentist will put a temporary bridge on the grounded teeth for protection.The patient returns for the next appointment after a couple of weeks when the temporary bridge is replaced by the final bridge work.

It is the same process for cantilever bridges, except that only one tooth will need a crown. A Maryland bridge requires less preparation, since no crowns are involved. Both bridges also require at least two appointments. When a person has implants to support a bridge, the process typically begins with implant surgery. Then, the dentist will take an impression of the mouth to create a bridge that fits over the implants seamlessly.

How soon will a patient recover from the procedure?

The patient will feel some tenderness and soreness after teeth grinding; likewise, after the placement of the bridge. The gums may be tender and bleed. After a few days the soreness will subside for most patients. However, the gums may need a few weeks to completely heal.

The patient can return to work or go back to school as soon as they feel well enough, and this is usually the day after the appointment. Those who choose to be sedated during the bridge placement should not drive after the procedure. Similarly, those who opted for implants may feel unwell after waking up from anesthesia and may need assistance for a day or two after the procedure.

Bridges need the usual care afforded to natural teeth. Good oral hygiene is essential. Dental appointments, at least twice yearly, should be observed to check the bridge and clean the teeth.

Are there complications?

There can be bridge failure. It may slip out of place or break which would require another bridge, implants, or other dental procedures. There can be pain or chewing problems. Patients can struggle adjusting to chewing in the weeks after the procedure. The bite may be adjusted if necessary. There can be an infection if the patient has widespread tooth decay or gum disease.

It is possible for a tooth to continue to decay under the crown that anchors the bridge. This is more common in people with serious gum disease or very severe cavities in the teeth that need crowns. To prevent tooth decay around a bridge, it is crucial to practice excellent home care, including brushing and flossing. Some floss products are designed for use with bridges. Working with a knowledgeable dentist and carefully following their aftercare instructions can reduce the risk of serious complications.

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Dental Bridges at Tetrick Family Dentistry

Dental Bridges are a cost-effective alternative to dental implants, and represent a good solution for many people who are missing teeth. Contact our Bellingham office if you have any questions or concerns about dental bridges.

Understanding Dental Bridges

A dental bridge is an appliance that replaces one or more missing or broken teeth with fake teeth that are called ‘pontics’. To hold the pontics in place, the bridge uses one or more real teeth on either side of the gap to serve as anchors. Bridges can be removable, meaning the wearer can take them off when necessary, or they can be permanent or fixed.

What is the purpose of bridges?

Since a bridge replaces missing teeth, it brings back the look and function of real teeth. It restores the person’s ability to smile confidently, eat and speak properly, and have self confidence. Missing teeth can also affect a person’s bite, can cause neighboring teeth to drift or move into the spaces, or ‘elongate’ if there is no opposing teeth. It can also cause some degree of bone resorption where the gaps are.

You can lose a tooth or two in different ways and use a bridge in their stead. You may need a bridge if a tooth is so badly decayed that it falls out or is extracted, a damaged tooth due to accident or injury, a tooth that cannot be saved by fillings or root canal. For some patients, a permanent dental implant is an alternative to a bridge. For others, particularly if many teeth are missing, dentists recommend implants to help secure a bridge.

Types of Bridges

A traditional bridge involves two crowns – called abutments. They anchor the fake tooth or teeth to real teeth. This is the most popular type of bridge, and it can be fixed or removable. A cantilever bridge requires only one crown for support. It’s a good option for patients who do not want to damage healthy teeth. Maryland bridges are more conservative and less invasive than traditional or cantilever bridges.

The bridge is anchored by metal or porcelain frameworks attached to the backs of teeth on either side of the gap. These bridges can preserve healthy teeth, but they are less secure. Then there’s the more invasive, expensive but more secure implant-supported bridges, that use dental implants as anchors.

In our next blog, let’s talk about what to expect when you choose to have a bridge, and a few complications that go with it.

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Bridging the Gap in Bellingham

If you have a tooth or two missing, make an appointment with us at Tetrick Family Dentistry and let’s talk about options.

Surgical and Non-Surgical Choices for Sleep Apnea Treatment

In the realm of sleep medicine, here are some of the treatment options for those with sleep apnea.

Surgical Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Tracheostomy is a cut in the lower throat to bypass the collapsing upper airway. It’s a permanent opening to the windpipe that can be opened and closed. It is the most effective surgical procedure for treatment of the obstructive type of sleep apnea. However, it is not without its downside. The procedure is disfiguring and affects the patient’s quality of life. The valve that can be opened or closed can make the patient susceptible to infection, apart from its needing regular cleaning. Tracheostomy is now reserved for patients with severe apnea or if other medical and surgical modalities fail.

Tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty are surgical procedures available to address pharyngeal obstruction. The surgical removal of the tonsils, or the uvula and part of the posterior palate may be successful in the appropriate patient. However, freeing the airway of these structures involves a lot of cutting inside the mouth and throat. It can also be painful for the patient.

Non-surgical Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP, device is now the most common treatment used for moderate to severe sleep apnea, The person’s airway is splint open during sleep by means of pressurized air. A plastic facial mask is worn that is connected by a flexible tube to a small bedside CPAP machine. The CPAP is a non-surgical approach that uses a breathing mask to stiffen walls of the throat to keep tissue from becoming floppy and blocking the airway. But then, the patient needs to strap on the mask every time he goes to sleep. It takes a lot of getting used to and many patients abandon their masks in only their first year of use. However, perseverance pays and the results can be positively dramatic.

Weight Loss

Weight loss is another type of intervention in the treatment of sleep apnea. While it is possible to be thin and have sleep apnea, obesity multiplies the probability. Excess body weight is thought to be an important cause of apnea. People who are overweight have more tissues in the back of their throat which can restrict the airways especially when sleeping. The lifestyle change involves shedding addictive substances like alcohol or sugar, not to mention high calorie diets. In weight loss studies of overweight individuals, those who lose weight show reduced apnea frequencies.

An important area of consideration for those with sleep apnea is their increased risk for complications arising in surgery. Surgeons are seeing more and more patients going through elective surgery as indicating in their screening questionnaire that they snore in their sleep. Sleep apnea can be a risk factor for poor outcomes, such as pulmonary complications.

Other issues are: changing the anaesthesia based on sleep apnea, medications that can cause the airway to collapse, multiple medications that can build up and cause interactions. Also, after surgery, people with apnea have to be monitored longer and there may be the need for intensive care services, which significantly increase health care costs.

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Sleep Apnea Treatment Options at Tetrick Family Dentistry

Schedule an evaluation with the dentist to see if the sleep apnea appliance could be a therapeutic for you.

Rise of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea affects millions of people around the world and causing its hallmark symptoms – multiple times snoring, stirring, and gasping for air while asleep – to bother most people, including their bed partners. What’s really happening during sleep apnea and why should sufferers seek treatment?

During sleep apnea, your throat muscles relax too much, your airway collapses and gets blocked. Air supply is continually interrupted, causing blood oxygen levels to drop. You are trying to breathe, or you may wake up. This can happen multiple times a night, and the ill-effects are many and severe.

It can put a strain on your heart that races to pump more blood, compensating for the lack of oxygen. Fluctuating oxygen levels cause plaque buildup in arteries, upping the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and stroke. Thousands of Americans die every year of heart disease worsened by apnea. The condition can also affect glucose metabolism and promote insulin resistance and weight gain.

Sleep Apnea can Lead to Other Health Concerns

Many studies and researches correlate apnea with serious aftereffects. Lacking a full night’s sleep is associated with memory loss, anxiety, and depression. Inattention due to lack of sleep can lead to traffic accidents, major absenteeism, and lost of jobs. Those with severe apnea were found to die, 3x more likely, in an 18-year period than those without apnea.

A 2019 study says nearly a billion people worldwide suffer from mild-to-severe sleep apnea. But the condition is largely ignored and studied even less. Many patients are not even aware. A large neck, or large tonsils, a small jaw, obesity, or aging are risk factors. The only way to diagnose it is to monitor someone’s sleep.

The most common method used to diagnose sleep apnea is a sleep study, which may require an overnight stay at a sleep center. The study monitors a variety of functions during sleep including sleep state, eye movement, muscle activity, heart rate, respiratory effort, airflow, and blood oxygen levels. The test diagnoses sleep apnea and determines its severity.

The sleep study is just the beginning of the journey. The next blog will discuss patients’ options.

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More on Sleep Apnea in Bellingham

If you think you’re experiencing sleep apnea symptoms, visit Dr. Tetrick in Bellingham. Let’s discuss it more and explore your options.

What is the color of your tongue?

A healthy tongue is light pink in color. That’s perhaps the source of the expression that one is in the ‘pink’ of health. Yet you might wake up one day finding an unexpectedly weird coloring or texture on your tongue that doesn’t seem normal. There are many harmless things that can change the color and coating on your tongue. It’s good to know what these changes really mean to you and your health.

White Tongue. A thick or heavy white coating on the surface of the tongue, called ‘Leukoplakia’. It may be due to irritation or cigarette smoke from heavy smokers. It’s not to be mistaken with oral thrush, which looks like a while layer of cottage cheese on the tongue, associated with diabetes or suppressed immune system.

Red Tongue. The tongue has a “mapped” appearance. Also called ‘geographic tongue’. The red and white patterns look like a map, like dots of smooth little islands. It’s quite common and not serious. Cause is unknown.

Red Tip of the Tongue. It can signify mental or emotional stress, flaring up during high-stress situations and resolving once the stressors settled down. It can also be the result of psychological medication changing the hydration of the mouth. The mouth is affected, as well as the color of the tongue.

Black Hairy Tongue. This is due to a buildup of bacteria. This is also found in smokers who could use a tongue scraper plus one or two extra cleanings a year at the dentist. A drug called Pepto-Bismol, which contains bisthmus, can also turn the surface of the tongue black.

Yellow Tongue. This may mean a liver or stomach problem. Yellow may mean a disease is just starting, ending up being brown or black as the disease advances. The most common causes of a yellow tongue can be poor dental hygiene, smoking, or certain medications. Improving oral hygiene can treat it.

Brown Tongue. This is usually coming from the food and drinks you take. A brown discoloration can be due to heavy coffee drinking and/or smoking. A permanent brown may mean lung problems due to chronic smoking.

Blue or Purple Tongue. This color can mean that the heart is not pumping blood properly, or if there is a lack of oxygen in the body. Must see a doctor immediately.

Pale Tongue. This can indicate a vitamin B12 and vitamin A deficiency which can be treated with diet change or supplements.

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Visit Our Bellingham Dentist

This may not define the health of your tongue, but as a reference. If you have any questions or see any strange symptoms, please contact our office to make an appointment.

What To Know About Kids’ Oral Hygiene

So you have young kids and a baby at home and you wonder how you can be protective of their oral health. First you must arm yourself with some basic facts to really understand children’s oral care. Here are some tips specifically to encourage good dental hygiene from a young age.

Baby teeth erupt from 6 months to 2.5 years. This phase is generally accompanied by soreness and inflammation of the gums. This makes for some unhappy babies. Nonetheless, train your child about tooth brushing, using only the most gentle of bristles to massage the gums.

Schedule your baby’s first dental exam after she/he turns one year old.

Demonstrate to your toddler the proper tooth brushing technique; that correct brushing takes two minutes at least. Start a routine of a twice-daily brush and oral rinse.
Kids should know that they should not swallow toothpaste, and before you introduce fluoride toothpaste, always consult with your dentist or doctor first. Before the child turns 2 years old, use only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Too much fluoride can be harmful, as can other ingredients in toothpaste.

Know that fluoride toothpaste will strengthen enamel and protect from cavities. So be sure to read facts on the label and follow the instructions when using fluoride toothpaste. Choose a gentle toothpaste that does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS); it is known to cause inflammation of tissues and oral sores.

Know brushing and rinsing alone cannot remove plaque and tartar. Children as well as adults should go to the dentist or hygienist to have professional cleaning done to reduce the risk of cavities. There are toothpastes that slow the regrowth of plaque as well as strengthens enamel. Ask your dentist about that. Also, determine how often how often you should bring your child to visit, as plaque build-up varies from one baby to another.

Help your kids use dental floss and/or interdental brushes between ages 2 to 6. By age 10 years, children should be flossing on their own.

Limit your child’s intake of sugary and starchy foods as well as sweet flavor drinks. The habit can lead to early cavities and tooth decay.

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Dentist for the Whole Family

Our friendly, dedicated, and energetic team is committed to working with you and your family to create a positive experience every time you visit our dental practice in Bellingham, WA.