Dr. Nazli Keri is a Dentist and who has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Pediatric Dentistry.
Q. When should parents take their children to have their first checkup?
A. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a pediatric dentist see your child by his or her first birthday.
Q. What should be used to clean a baby’s teeth?
Thoroughly cleaning your infant’s gums after each feeding with a water-soaked infant cloth. This stimulates the gum tissue and removes food.
Q. What is a Pediatric Dentist?
A. Pediatric dentistry is the specialty of dentistry that focuses on the oral health of young people. After completing a four-year dental school curriculum, two to three additional years of rigorous training are required to become a pediatric dentist. This specialized program of study and hands-on experience prepares pediatric dentists to meet the needs of infants, children and adolescents, including persons with special health care needs.
Q. What should a parent do if their child has a toothache?
A. There are different reasons that can cause tooth ache. So finding the source is important in order to treat the toothache. If your child is at teething age you may use chilled teething ring to alleviate the pain. But if this accompanied by fever, make sure to consult with your pediatrician.
If the pain is caused by dental infection, warm salt water swishes are helpful as long as child is able to expectorate. Meantime you can use pain relievers, such as Tylenol, until you see your pediatric dentist. However, if the child has pain and he/she is at teething age, you can use chilled teething ring to alleviate the pain but if your child has fever accompanied by pain, please consult with your pediatrician to find out about the cause
Q. Are thumb sucking and pacifier habits harmful for a child’s teeth?
A. Thumb, finger and pacifier sucking all affect the teeth essentially the same way. However, a pacifier habit is often easier to break. Any kind of habit that is kept more than 3 years may cause unfavorable changes to the shape of developing jaws and dentition.
Q. How can a mom prevent decay caused by nursing?
A. By avoiding continuous feeding habits at nights and have a wash cloth available to wipe teeth and gums right after eating. When bottle feeding, avoid any sweetener or flavoring additives.
Q. How often does a child need to see the pediatric dentist?
A. At least twice a year to check for any cavities in the teeth and for possible developmental problems.
Q. How to contact Dr. Keri if we have further questions?
A.
Address:
2226 Otay Lakes Road
Chula Vista, CA 91915
Phone: 619-216-7336
Email: info@thesuperdentists.com
Website: http://www.thesuperdentists.com/
