Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

It may seem that taking care of baby teeth is not that important, after all they do just fall out after a certain point. However, baby teeth are setting the stage for your children’s other teeth and are critical to the health of their smile as they get older. Not only do their baby teeth set the stage for the health of their permanent teeth, they are also saving a space for their permanent teeth before they even erupt.   Baby teeth, provide the appropriate location for children to say certain sounds as they begin to talk. Without having their baby teeth in the right location, certain sounds can be difficult for them to say. This may lead to speech and reading problems, or self-confidence issues as they are unable to express their wants and needs in a way that people understand. Baby teeth that have decay or cavities can lead to a student missing days of school for dental pain or extensive dental procedures. Taking care of their baby teeth can ensure they are in school and...

You may think that your children’s baby teeth are not that important. They fall out anyway, why worry about what happens before then?   Dr. Cameron Fuller and his team share the four reasons why baby teeth matter to your children and how you can save them from problems. 1.      Baby teeth hold the spot for adult teeth. Without a tooth being in the spot as adult teeth come in they may shift into other locations. It can be expensive to fix these problems as your child gets older. 2.      Baby teeth allow your child to begin to eat heathy solid foods. Without their baby teeth being in place, it can make it difficult for them to consume certain healthy fruits and vegetables. 3.      Speech and language problems can impact a child long term. If a child does not say certain sounds by the age of three, it may make it difficult for them to eventually say the sounds correctly. This can make ta...

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and we are here to give you tips and tricks to making sure your child has the healthiest smile, one that will last a lifetime. While it is no secret that a child needs to brush and floss their teeth, Dr. Fuller suggests, “They also need to visit the dentist regularly in order to catch any problems early on.” There is more to having a healthy smile then just brushing and flossing. This month help your child establish other healthy habits to keep their smile on the up and up. It can take a lifetime to break bad habits, so the earlier you can start, the more likely your child has of implementing habits that will last a lifetime. So, what you can you do to help your child’s smile besides brushing and flossing? Have them eat healthy foods, ones that have higher water content. During times where your child can’t brush their teeth, having them consume food that has a higher concentration of water will ...

It is that time of year again when the kids get excited, candy over flows and the negative impact on teeth begins. There are good and bad candy choices for children. Here are the top five worst candies for children’s teeth. While Dr. Cameron Fuller and his team advocate for alternative candy choices, if they are going to eat candy here are some that your children and you should attempt avoid. Chewy treats like starbursts and gummy bears are the worst for children’s teeth because they stick in the teeth, creating a problem for children to remove the food from between the teeth. The longer candy stays on the teeth the more time it has to begin to eat at the enamel of the teeth. Chewy treats are a large source of cavities, especially when the candy gets stuck between the teeth, making it more difficult for it to be removed. Sour candies break down the tooth enamel allowing cavities to attack the teeth. If your child is going to consume sour candies it wou...

Do you allow your child to reach for the Pepsi instead of milk or juice? Do they enjoy a thirty-two ounce soda when you sit down for dinner? The problem with soda for children is a two-fold problem. The increase in sugar is a breeding ground for acid that attacks the enamel on children’s teeth.    According to Colgate, “Soda is one of the significant dietary sources of tooth decay, and they report on average that there are four out of five children that are drinking at least one soft drink a day.” (Colgate) The problem continues if children are drinking soda at a time when they are unable to brush right away. “For example,” states Dr. CameronFuller of Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands , “if they are drinking soda at lunch then they do not brush until that evening, there are six hours or more where the acid is sitting on the teeth attacking the enamel.” Let’s be honest our children don’t always have the greatest brushing habits and therefore it may be ev...

 Bottle rot can impact your child’s baby teeth and have critical long-term effects on their adult teeth as well. When putting your child down for a nap,” Dr. Cameron Fuller suggests, “never putting them down with a bottle.” The milk they drink sits on their teeth and stays. The longer milk is on the teeth the better chance is has of producing bacteria that turn into acid, which then attacks the enamel of your son’s or daughter’s sensitive baby teeth.   Also, saliva amount decreases when your child is sleeping and therefore, there is a decrease in the amount of liquid that can help rinse the milk off their teeth.   Never dip the tip of the bottle in sugar or syrup. While, this may seem like a great idea if your baby is fussy and refusing a bottle, it actually increases the amount of bacteria producing acid.   Dr. Fuller of Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands and Associates recommends that parents not fill the bottle with sugary drinks or juice.   W...