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What You Need to Know About Pregnancy and the Dentist

Expecting a child is an exciting and nerve-wracking time for parents, especially first-time parents. The list of foods to avoid, medications to stop, and vitamins to start can feel overwhelming. Every parent wants a healthy, happy pregnancy and baby. However, with the overwhelming amount of information and daily physical changes, moms and dads sometimes forget about maintaining good oral health. Family Dental Health has some answers to questions expecting parents might have about oral health while pregnant. 

Question: If I have ‘soft teeth’ or get cavities easily, will my child too?

Answer: While ‘soft teeth’ is not a medical term, there is a genetic component to cavities. Researchers are still learning, but one of the greatest risk factors for children getting tooth decay is if their parents have cavities. If you suffer from tooth decay, be sure your child has their first dental appointment 6 weeks after their first tooth erupts. 

Question: Can I have dental work done while pregnant?

Answer: If it is a dental emergency and you have an infection, get the dental work done immediately. Most other dental procedures are safe during pregnancy. However, the Family Dental Health recommends that elective procedures be done during your second trimester (weeks 14-20), as there are fewer risks of side effects. No matter what, contact your prenatal care provider to discuss any treatment you are considering. 

Question: Are pacifiers, thumb-sucking, or bottle nipples bad for my baby’s growing mouth?

Answer: The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry states that most children stop using pacifiers, bottles, or sucking their thumb on their own. However, if the behavior continues past the age of three, your dentist might suggest intervention.   

Question: Can I skip my dental appointments during my pregnancy?

Answer: You should not skip your dental appointments. Seeing the dentist during pregnancy is very important. Because of the change in hormones, you are at higher risk for periodontal disease. Make sure you alert your dentist to any medication changes or dietary changes during your pregnancy. 

Question: Does what I eat during pregnancy affect my baby’s teeth?

Answer: Yes! Your baby’s teeth develop around the 3rd month of pregnancy. Eat a healthy diet with enough calcium and other nutrients to ensure teeth develop well. 

Question: Is there anything I can do to make sure my mouth and my baby’s mouth is healthy during pregnancy?

Answer: There are several things you can do to stay healthy during pregnancy. 

1. See your dentist regularly
2. Eat a well-balanced diet 
3. Avoid sugary snacks
4. Maintain a good oral hygiene routine
5. Add Xylitol gum or lozenges into your daily routine

Pregnancy is an exciting time. It is also a great time to think about taking great care of yourself. Don’t forget to keep your mouth and gums healthy while pregnant. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, schedule an appointment at Family Dental Health. We would love to see you and make sure you feel good about your oral health while pregnant.

“The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.”

What Can Your Teeth Tell Scientists?

There are a lot of things teeth can tell you about yourself, even more that dentists can determine during examinations, and even more that scientists can discover. For example, you can often feel when you have something stuck between your teeth, or when plaque is starting to build up, and you could use some quality time with your toothbrush. Dr. David Case can examine this, too, and with the assistance of our technology, we can also see cavities forming, enamel wear, the density of your jawbone, and more! 

These details are key when it comes to helping you maintain a healthy smile for life, but if we wanted to compare the difference in size between your jaw and the jaws of our ancestors from 4 million years ago, we’d need to consult scientists. 

Why would we be interested in obtaining this information? Partially because we find it fascinating, but also because it explains things like why our third molars (wisdom teeth) frequently cause issues when erupting or attempting to erupt.

The Jawbone’s Connected to the…

Did you sing “Dem Bones” or “The Skeleton Dance” in elementary school? If so, you might remember that your jawbone is connected to your skull. Fossilized skulls and teeth can tell us things like what kind of food our ancestors ate through what some scientists call a “foodprint”. Scientists can even use teeth to determine if someone moved to and from places with dramatically different foods or soils.

As your Portland dental team, we’re dedicated to learning all we can about teeth, past and present, so we can keep yours healthy and beautiful for a lifetime. To talk teeth and science with us, or just schedule a routine checkup and cleaning, contact Family Dental Health today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Does Your Child Have Painful Sores in Their Mouth? This Virus Could be the Cause

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Open mouth, insert foot,” to describe a moment in which someone’s said something they wish they hadn’t, but have you heard of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease? 

Despite it being a relatively common virus, it makes a lot of parents furrow their brows in confusion. Maybe the awareness won’t come in handy (no pun intended), but we think knowledge is power and want you to be informed. So, ready to dive in?

First, Let’s Wash Our Hands

Much like the importance of a solid oral hygiene routine for the prevention of gum disease and tooth decay, the importance of handwashing can’t be overstated, especially because there is no vaccination for HFMD. 

Hand, foot, and mouth disease can present with a fever, low appetite, a rash with blisters primarily on the hands and feet, and small sores in and around your child’s mouth. The virus that causes HFMD is called the Coxsackie virus, which spreads through microbes that can live on the body and frequently touch surfaces for several days. 

If you have an infant or toddler, you know many objects end up in their mouths, including unwashed hands, which then go on to touch other objects and could infect you, too. To protect them and yourself, wash often and well! 

Because HFMD is a virus, it has to run its course and can’t be treated with an antibiotic. There are ways to treat the symptoms that can provide relief, though, so don’t hesitate to contact Family Dental Health today if your child has been diagnosed with HFMD and you need recommendations. Your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, wishes your little one speedy healing and hopes to see you both soon!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Benzocaine is Not Safe for Teething!

Benzocaine has been an over-the-counter local dental anesthetic for people of all ages for many years. It is available in most drugstores, often under product names such as Anbesol®, Orajel™, Hurricaine®, and Baby Orajel™. 

Recently, the use of benzocaine has been linked to a rare but serious condition called methemoglobinemia, a disorder that reduces the amount of oxygen being transported through the bloodstream to such low levels that it may even prove fatal. As a result of these findings, the U.S.  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that benzocaine products not be used to treat children under the age of 2 without close supervision by a medical professional like Family Dental Health. 

Methemoglobinemia symptoms may present from minutes to hours following ingestion, including:

• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, and nail beds
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Headache
• Lightheadedness
• Rapid heart rate
  

If you think your child is suffering from methemoglobinemia, take them to the emergency room immediately.

If your child is experiencing discomfort while teething, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you try soothing their mouth with a chilled teething ring or massaging the gums with your fingers. Chamomile drops have also been used by some parents as a natural remedy.

If you want to know more about benzocaine, the FDA provides consumer updates from time to time, and you can always ask us if there has been any new information as well. If you have any other questions or need to schedule a visit for your tiny tot, get in touch with Family Dental Health today!

Disclaimer: The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. Individual results may vary.

Does Your Child or Teen Experience Chronic Headaches? Chewing Gum Might be to Blame

Do you remember your first time chewing gum? If you’re like some of us at Family Dental Health, you might even recall hearing that swallowing gum would result in it staying in your stomach for up to seven years! 

There are a lot of myths that still float around these days, so if you hear that chewing gum may be the cause of headaches, you might be inclined to declare that false, too. However, doctors have found a link between the two, and we think it’s an important one to examine because of how many children and teens love to chew gum.

Chompers Need Rest

Before we discuss why chewing gum can cause headaches, we do want to state that plenty of Portland folks benefit from the way it can increase saliva production, which in turn helps fight enamel erosion. But if your child or teen chews gum frequently, their jaw might want a break, specifically their temporomandibular joint, or TMJ.

The constant pressure of chewing can stress the TMJ, and if your child happens to be a nail-biter or nighttime teeth grinder, even more trouble can ensue. To help their teeth and jaw relax, suggest they limit their gum chewing to one piece a day, perhaps after lunch, to help them reduce acidity in their mouth!

One more thing to note: some doctors believe artificial sweeteners like aspartame may be the cause of headaches. For this reason and because of its enamel-strengthening benefits, we recommend Xylitol-gums!

If you have any questions about gum chewing or other habits you’re unsure of when it comes to your child’s dental health, Dr. David Case would love to answer them for you. Contact Family Dental Health today to schedule a visit!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Lidocaine is Not for Kids

Oral viscous lidocaine is used to relieve pain from mouth irritation in adults as a result of chemotherapy and other medical procedures. In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to caregivers that this type of lidocaine should not be used to treat teething pain in infants and young kids, warning that the drug could cause serious harm or even prove to be fatal.

The FDA feels, and Family Dental Health agrees that topical pain relievers applied to children’s gums are not useful because they wash out of the baby’s mouth within minutes, and some, such as benzocaine, are harmful or even fatal to young children. Oral viscous lidocaine falls into the same category as benzocaine; if too much is ingested by a young child, the results can range from seizures and brain injury to death.

By the time children turn 3, most of them have had 20 baby teeth pushed through their gums, so they will have had sore or tender gums. Rather than use a topical pain reliever, try gently rubbing their gums with a cool spoon, a moist gauze pad, a clean finger, or a chilled teething ring. 

As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, it’s time to schedule a dental visit. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends a child’s first dental visit take place within 6 months after the first tooth appears, but no later than the first birthday.

Getting children started with regular preventive care and oral hygiene at Family Dental Health helps them develop healthy habits at a young age. Get in touch with Family Dental Health today to make an appointment for your child!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

A Dental First Aid Kit for Kids

Most homes have a standard first-aid kit, and with the demanding schedules of the average American family today, it’s smart to keep one in your vehicle, too. Whether at home or away from home, active kids like to run, play, climb, and jump off things, and sometimes emergency dental injuries follow. Family Dental Health thinks it’s a great idea to prepare a dental first-aid kit for kids to accompany the standard version and keep it in a similar location for easy access.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a dental first aid kit for kids should include:

• Gauze
• Small cup
• Mouthwash
• Cold compress
• Tooth storage device and fluid

Whenever your child sustains an oral injury, it’s important to have Family Dental Health check that no teeth have been damaged or loosened. Quick dental attention can mean the difference between keeping and losing a tooth, preventing infections, and controlling bleeding. Even if a dental visit isn’t necessary, keeping a dental first-aid kit at the ready and knowing how to use it can help prevent more serious dental concerns down the road.

If you have more ideas for the perfect dental first-aid kit or just want to schedule an appointment with Family Dental Health, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

This Tool Can Help Your Child Floss Like a Boss!

Hey Portland parents, how diligent are you about flossing once a day? Unless you’re an avid flosser, you probably hate this question. However, we don’t ask to shame you, so keep that in mind when we ask how much you help your young one floss.

We know it’s not particularly easy to get string in between their little teeth, especially because it usually isn’t comfortable for them to open wide while you try to make sure you don’t snap the floss roughly up and down. That’s why we’re excited whenever we get to share with parents that there’s another way to remove up to 99.9% of plaque, one that your kid is likely to enjoy much more, too!

What’s the Secret?

It might not be much of a secret considering the first model was invented in 1962, but water flossers have come a long way since then and can help children remove debris and plaque from their gumline and between teeth, too! There are even models made specifically for children that they can decorate and make their own.

Introducing a water flosser can make your child’s oral hygiene routines less of a struggle. They may even ask you, “Is it time to brush and water floss yet?”

If you have any questions about water flossers, or you’d like to schedule a checkup for your child so they can show off how well they’re water flossing, contact Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Could the HPV Vaccine Decrease My Child’s Risk of Oral Cancer?

At Family Dental Health, our bad news is usually limited to the diagnosis of a dental infection that we can treat without much difficulty. We’d like to keep it that way, which is why we may broach more sensitive subjects at times, specifically around the ages of 11 and 12, when doctors might recommend a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.

What relevance does this subject have when it comes to dentistry? Family Dental Health performs oral cancer screenings during each examination, and HPV has been named the #1 risk factor of oral cancer in recent years. While it’s rarely diagnosed in children, we practice prevention and want Portland parents to have all the information they need to ensure their child is healthy and happy for many years to come!

Does the HPV Vaccine Prevent Oral Cancer?

There are over 100 strains of HPV, and currently, 14 of them are known to cause cancer (also called high-risk strains). The most common type of cancer diagnosed with the high-risk strains is cervical, and while the vaccine was created to halt its prevalence, it may also prevent head and neck cancers.

Please contact Family Dental Health if you have any questions or concerns about oral cancer risks or any other dental topic. We’re here to be a source of knowledge and support for you and your loved ones, and we hope to smile with you soon!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Kids, Candy & Dental Health

Holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter bring extra candy and homemade goodies along with them. Sadly, the bacteria in your child’s mouth are always ready to start producing the acid that contributes to cavities, but candy still can be enjoyed in moderation! Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, has the skinny on some common types of holiday candy:

• Chocolate is one of the most popular candies, no matter what the occasion, and it’s one of the safest for your child’s teeth; it’s more conducive to good oral hygiene because it washes off teeth fairly easily. A bonus: dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate.
• Sticky and gummy candies are one of the worst types of candy for your teeth. Sorry, we know how yummy they taste! Since they are harder to remove from the teeth, the bad bacteria have more time to cause damage.
• Hard candy needs to be enjoyed with great care. Biting down on hard candy can break teeth, and its sugary contents mingle with the saliva. Since hard candy tends to be held in the mouth longer, bacteria have more opportunities to congregate and cause problems.
• Sour candy can be very acidic, and that acidity can weaken tooth enamel.
• Popcorn balls are brought out at many holiday parties, but keep floss handy; they’re yummy, but also sugary and sticky. 

Developing a habit of rinsing your mouth with water after sugary treats is a good practice for kids from 2 to 122. If you have any questions about pediatric oral hygiene and dental health, get in touch with Family Dental Health today.

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.