Dentistry – Page 2 – Summerville Pediatric Dentistry

4 Animals With Unusual Teeth

ANIMALS MIGHT NOT BE as concerned with maintaining their oral health and hygiene as we are, but that doesn’t stop some of them from having very interesting teeth! Like our teeth are adapted to an omnivorous diet, animal teeth are adapted to the foods they eat. In some cases, the results can get pretty strange. Today, we’re going to focus on four of the weirdest sets of chompers we could find.

The Tusks Of The Babirusa

Babirusas are pigs native to Indonesia, but these pigs aren’t quite like the farm animals we’re used to. No, these pigs have a serious dental problem in the form of their multiple pairs of very large tusks. These tusks are actually the babirusas’ canine teeth, which continue to grow through their lives. The males’ upper canines grow right through their upper lips and keep growing, sometimes so much that they end up curving all the way back around towards their skulls! Yikes!

The Icepick Teeth Of The Payara

The payara is a carnivorous fish from the Amazon Basin whose lower fangs have earned it nicknames like “vampire tetra” and “saber-tooth barracuda.” These long, thin fangs range from four to seven inches long, and the payara uses them to impale its prey, including piranhas! Payara can grow to up to four feet long and 80 pounds!

The Serrated Bill Of The Goosander

At first, you might think a goosander looks like any other duck, but if you catch one yawning or chomping down on food, you’ll notice its rows of tiny, razor-sharp teeth! These European birds are members of the Merganser genus, also called sawbills — so named because of the 150 teeth lining their bills, which are designed to saw through whatever they eat, such as small mammals and sometimes even other birds!

The Red Fangs Of The Triggerfish

Triggerfish are a group of about forty different species of brightly colored fish marked by the lines and spots in their scales, but don’t let their beautiful scales distract you from their teeth! Triggerfish have very powerful jaws and teeth that they use to crush the shells of crustaceans. The redtoothed triggerfish is perhaps the weirdest species of the group, with bright red fangs protruding from its mouth!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlmWckxsynQ

Taking Care Of Your Teeth

Do you know of any other weird teeth out their in the wild? We’d love to hear about them! In the meantime, make sure you continue taking great care of your own pearly whites by brushing and flossing regularly. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!

We love helping our patients take care of their teeth!

4 Questions about Invisalign Answered

THE TIME WHEN getting braces meant spending years with a mouth full of metal that hooked to bulky headgear is long past. These days, traditional wire braces are more streamlined and discreet, but the option that has become increasingly popular for orthodontic treatment is the invisible aligner. How can you know if this option is right for you or your teen? Here are a few questions you can ask to find out.

1. What Orthodontic Problems Do Invisible Aligners Correct?
Invisible aligners are great for correcting issues with dental crowding or spacing. However, because they are removable and not anchored to any of your teeth, they can’t do much for problems with the bite or with jaw alignment. For those, Dr. Katie may recommend additional appliances or elastics attached to the aligners to overcome this issue. With a little creative ingenuity and a dedicated patient, Dr. Katie is able to treat a wide variety of cases with aligners.

2. How Long Will Invisible Aligner Treatment Take?
Treatment time with invisible aligners tends to be about the same as with traditional braces. How long it takes depends much more on what kind of issue is being corrected than what type of orthodontic treatment you’re using. Some problems simply take more time to correct, but no matter what, it’s worth it in the end!

3. Do Invisible Aligners Work For Teens?
Invisible aligners are a great option for teens and adults seeking to straighten their smiles. Invisible aligners are barely noticeable and can be removed for GREAT oral hygiene care.

See a Smile Success Story Here!

4. What Should I Expect With My Treatment?
Invisible aligners work in stages. You’ll receive a series of custom designed aligners that each move your teeth closer towards the final goal. Similar to how traditional braces patients come in on a regular basis to have their progress assessed and their braces adjusted, invisible aligner patients will receive their next set of aligner trays each time until they’re done. For either type of treatment, it’s important not to miss those appointments!

Still Have Questions? Just Ask Us!
Anyone who is seriously considering getting orthodontic treatment — invisible aligners or traditional wire braces — surely has more than these four questions to ask, but that’s what we’re here for! Simply schedule an initial consultation appointment with us and together we’ll be able to find out which type of treatment is perfect for you!

We can’t wait to help you get the smile of your dreams!

Karate Kick Those Sugar Bugs!

BRUSHING OUR TEETH is something we can get so used to doing that we don’t really think about it, but are we doing it the right way? It can be easy to get into some bad tooth-brushing habits, and the result can be that your teeth aren’t getting cleaned properly and you could be doing damage to your gums. So let’s take a moment to go over good brushing technique.

What To Avoid When Brushing Your Teeth
A few of the things we should avoid when we brush our teeth are brushing too hard, only brushing up and down or side-to-side, and always starting in the same place. Brushing too hard can damage our enamel and our gum tissue, which is why we should also avoid hard-bristled brushes.
When we only brush up and down or side-to-side, we tend to miss the spaces between teeth, which allows plaque to build up and leads to tooth decay. Because brushing our teeth is such a routine thing to do, it can be very easy to do it the same way every time, but when we always start brushing in the same place, we tend to pay unequal attention to the first teeth we brush compared to the last. Try mixing things up so that your whole mouth can get the same level of attention!

Brushing Your Teeth The Right Way
The first rule of good brushing is one you’ve likely heard all your life: brush twice a day every day for at least two minutes. Do whatever you need to do to make brushing your teeth an unskippable part of your morning and evening routines. You could even play music so you know how long to keep brushing!
However, brushing isn’t just about quantity; it’s also about quality. Make sure to LOOK with your eyes to make sure all of the food and plaque from the day has been brushed away!! For the best cleaning action, hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle and focus on the gum line. Use gentle circular motions to brush the outsides, insides, and chewing surfaces of every tooth. And don’t forget to brush or scrape your tongue before you’re done! Like daily flossing, tongue-scraping is another crucial step for getting rid of harmful bacteria (and it will help keep your breath fresh!).

Timing is also important. Our teeth often feel unpleasant after a meal, but as much as you want to clean them, make sure you wait at least half an hour after eating before you brush. The acids in our food and produced by oral bacteria soften our enamel right after we eat, and it takes about half an hour for our saliva to restore a neutral pH. If we brush too soon, we can actually brush away some of our enamel!

Check out these videos with tips and tricks straight from our doctors!

Your Dentist Is Your Greatest Resource
If you’d like more tips on tooth brushing techniques, just ask us! We can make sure your oral health routine is on track for keeping your teeth healthy for life. And don’t forget that an essential component of having healthy teeth is scheduling regular dental appointments!

Now set that timer and slay those sugar bugs!

Where Are My Child’s Teeth?

Isn’t it amazing the way our teeth arrive as if on cue? Nature is so smart! Our baby teeth are designed to carry us through the first twelve years when our jaws are too small to fit the large permanent teeth. This first set of teeth allow us not only to practice taking care of our teeth, but are natural space savers while our permanent teeth develop.

The first phase of tooth transition occurs typically around kindergarten/first grade when the permanent first molars come in. These teeth do not replace any baby teeth, but erupt behind the last baby tooth. You’ll notice they are much bigger than the baby teeth and maybe a bit more yellow in color.

By around 3rd grade, the permanent incisors have erupted… we lovingly call this stage the “Ugly Duckling Stage.” Often the front teeth stick straight out with all sorts of spaces and twisty turns, resulting in a gap tooth, bucktooth, mess-of-a-smile that is absolutely adorable and completely NORMAL at this age.

Orthodontists like to evaluate these kids to ensure that the permanent teeth are on the path to normal eruption. Most do not need treatment, but if we detect an eruption issue it can often be easily addressed at this age. The goal here is not to give them a “Hollywood” smile for their 4th grade pictures but rather to set the stage for proper dental development later on down the road.

The tooth fairy gets about a two year break between ages 8 and 10. At this time, the remaining teeth begin to loosen and the permanent teeth replace them. This conveniently corresponds, in most cases, with the pubertal growth spurt. We like to time orthodontic treatment with these two events so that we can straighten all of the permanent teeth while taking advantage of the growth spurt.

Because dental development is different for every child, we like to begin evaluating your child at age 7. For most children, this is a time for us to monitor the development of the permanent teeth and anticipate any major problems.

If you have any concerns about the growth or the eruption of your child’s teeth, please ask us at your child’s next recall visit.

Thumbsucking: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Few habits can be traced back to pre-birth activity, but thumb sucking is one of them. Many babies are caught sucking their thumb on their first ultrasound reflecting a child’s natural inclination to self-soothe. Most kids grow out of this habit by the age of five, but for others it can be very challenging to stop.

Thumbsucking is a benign habit until about the age of six when the permanent incisors break through. When these teeth come in, they continue to do so until they hit something. If that something is teeth— perfect! But if that something is a thumb, the front teeth will stop erupting prematurely resulting in an open bite. Continued thumb sucking will push the front teeth forward on the top causing the top front teeth to stick out with spaces between them. The suction created by the habit can also cause the palate to narrow and create a crossbite.

The number one rule for thumb sucking cessation is to get your child on board with WANTING to stop. If a child does not want to stop sucking their thumb, there is no appliance or technique in the world that can force them to stop. Begin talking about stopping the habit early, at about four years of age, so that they begin to associate removing their thumb habit as part of growing up and becoming a big kid.

Have your child be an active participant in trying to break the habit. Kids respond wonderfully to positive reinforcement. Display a large monthly calendar in a prominent area in your house. For every night that your child does not suck their thumb put a sticker on that day. Once they have 21 days in a row, plan a big celebration for them. Whether it’s going to see a movie, a concert, or maybe a treat at their favorite restaurant, talk about this event often and reinforce their efforts. This is a great teaching opportunity to show them that they can achieve a goal if they work at it.

Night time is the biggest trigger for thumb sucking. If a child uses a “lovie” or blanket to go to sleep, it may be reinforcing the habit. Try asking your child to put the “lovie” to bed in their own big kid spot to remove the trigger from the sleep environment.

There are several orthodontic appliances that can be used as reminders to help kids that need extra attention. These devices are only reminders and cannot force a child to stop sucking their thumb. Talk to your child about why they should want to stop to get them on board with the process. Involving your child, will make habit cessation much more successful and rewarding for you and your child.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call us to set up a time to chat!

The Aging Smile

As we move through the years, our bodies evolve and change. Hair color and thickness, skin elasticity and bone density, even hormone levels in our bodies change. Teeth are no different. They are subject to the same wear and tear the rest of our body experiences, arguably more!

Teeth that are graying, chipped or crooked instantly add years to your smile. See what new, modern orthodontic and dental techniques are available to make your smile all it can be. Let us use our magic to turn back the clock on your smile. Call us today for a FREE consultation.

Sending you smiles!

Attractive Smiles Are More Successful

As parents, we want to give our children every possible benefit to succeed in life. If there was one thing that was proven to boost confidence, increase success and improve future relationships, wouldn’t you find a way to give it them? Of course you would! Giving your child the opportunity to straighten their teeth and improve their bite is truly the gift of a lifetime and has never been easier or more affordable. Let us show you how we can make a bright smile and a bright future possible for your family.

Set your child up for success! Call us today for a FREE consultation.

Give Your Child the Gift of a Lifetime

Set your child up for success! Call us today for a FREE consultation.

Boost Confidence In Your Child

We all want to give our kids the best jump start on life. We research the best schools, spend hours at endless sporting events, and nag them to do their homework. In all the craziness of school-aged life, don’t neglect to address their smile. Going through life with crooked teeth not only inhibits the function of your teeth, but affects their confidence and self-image. Having a beautiful smile gives teens the confidence they need to tackle life’s challenges and inspires them to accomplish their dreams.

At Summerville Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, we have two locations and convenient hours to help fit orthodontics and dentistry into your busy life. Call us today to see how we can give your child a smile that will carry them through life!

Love Your Smile

Technology is ever evolving and making it easier than ever to keep up with friends and family whether near or far. Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets has given us the ability to keep up with old friends and colleagues miles away that only a decade ago we might have lost touch. With all these constant pictures and posts, our smiles are on display now more than ever!

Is your smile everything you want it to be? Is there something holding you back from reaching out to old friends?

Why are you waiting! Come in for a FREE consultation to see how we can address whatever it is that is keeping you from sharing your smile with the world.

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