Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

You may be thinking that every pediatric dentist recommends braces when a child reaches their teenage years. That’s not the case. But in many instances, braces can mean the difference between a healthy smile and a smile that causes problems for your teen later down the line. Here are three reasons why Dr. CameronFuller may recommend braces.  One of the reasons your teen may need braces is called malocclusion. This occurs when the bottom and upper jaw are different sizes. Your teen may have a bite that causes the teeth not to fit correctly when put together. Misalignment of the jaw can lead to pain when chewing, cracked or broken teeth.  If your teen has crowded teeth it can create difficulties in flossing leaving food stuck between the teeth leading to decay. Braces can help realign the teeth to prevent them from overlapping. This means there will be plenty of space between the to floss and clean, but not too much. Crooked teeth, while it may seem o

4 ways to tell if your kids are doing a fantastic job brushing their teeth While you may not have time to stand outside the bathroom and stare at your children while they are brushing their teeth, it is important to ensure they are doing the job properly. While you can find this out at their six-month dental check-up, that can create an embarrassing situation for you and can cost you money. Instead: Take a look at their teeth after they brush. "By looking at their teeth you can tell if there is food still stuck to the surface of their molars or food on the back surface of their lower front teeth," said Dr. Fuller . This is the easiest way to see if they are getting all of their teeth brushed or just the front teeth. Smell their breath. When your child first gets done brushing you should be able to smell the toothpaste and mouthwash. If their breath smells like the after-effects of dinner, they probably need to go and

The foods your children consume can positively or negatively impact their teeth. While food may be produced with harsh chemicals, processed and then loaded with sugar, in a rush it can be difficult to find healthy alternatives. Here are three of the worst foods for your children’s teeth.  Avoiding these is a step in the right direction. Mouth drying foods, such as foods that are high in carbohydrates, are bad for the teeth. The food sticks to the surface longer than food that has a higher concentration of water. Pediatric dentist Dr. Cameron Fuller, reminds parents, “The longer food is on the teeth, the higher chance of decay and other problems occurring.” Foods high in sugar and that are also sticky are bad for teeth. The longer sugar stays on the teeth, the more problems that can occur. The stickiness of candy is to allow it to last longer than other candies, but as the candy sticks to the teeth, it causes d

Cavities and decay can cause all kinds of problems for your children’s teeth. Decay is caused not only by the food they consume, but is also dependent upon their oral hygiene habits, what they put in their mouth and their access to fluoride. Here are five tips to prevent cavities and keep your child’s smile healthy.  Brush regularly. Pediatric dentist Dr. Cameron Fuller states, “Brushing is the single most important task a child can do in order to prevent cavities.” When food is consumed the food quickly turns to sugar, which allows bacteria that is already in the mouth, to begin a feeding frenzy on the tooth enamel. The longer they go without brushing, the more buildup and chance of cavities and decay there is. Floss 1x a day. Flossers can be easier for young children, as it can be difficult for them to floss the back molars. Flossing helps to remove any food between the teeth that is stuck. It prevents foo

 Parents openly admit, on a survey completed by Zoopa, that three out of four children do not brush their teeth regularly. It can be difficult, as life gets busy again, to keep children brushing and flossing two times a day. Kids are back in sports, up early, and at activities late. Here are four tips and tricks from Redlands pediatric dentist, Dr. Fuller, that can help you establish a fun routine to keep your kids wanting to brush and floss.   Play music while they are brushing and flossing. Music can help release positive endorphins that get children excited. You can also purchase the musical toothbrushes that play songs until their two minutes of brushing time is up.   Find a toothpaste flavor your children love. It doesn’t do any good to ask your children to brush if you purchase a toothpaste flavor they don’t love. The toothpaste should have a small amount of fluoride in it, in order to help strengthen the tooth enamel.  Dr.Fuller recommends

3 Ways To Improve Your Child’s Smile While They Are In School Everyone has germs in their mouth, but large amounts of bacteria floating around your child’s mouth can wreak havoc on the overall health of their smile. Bacteria begin to turn inward and destroy the gums, teeth, and health of their little bodies when they do not brush, floss and visit the dentist regularly. Large amounts of cavities can also be a problem if they are eating high sugary foods at school, but not brushing until they get home, several hours later. Pediatric dentist Dr. Cameron Fuller says, “Just because your little one is heading back to school doesn’t mean you can’t help set up healthy habits to improve their smile.”    In order to help your child out, pack water in their lunch boxes instead of juice. Water will help remove sticky food from the enamel of teeth. Once food sticks to the enamel it turns into bacteria that can eat way at the hard, outer protective shell of their tee

While they are already impacted by a host of changes as a teenager, their oral health also changes which can cause more problems for them. Bad breath, crooked teeth, missing or cracked teeth are just a few problems they may encounter as they move from tween to teen. Here are three top problems that may impact their smile and solutions to help them through this already difficult time. Crooked or crowding of teeth can happen when all of the permanent teeth have grown in and there is not enough room for them all. Children who have their wisdom teeth may experience even more crowding as they move and shift in the mouth until they can be removed. If your child has crooked or crowding of the teeth, Dr. Cameron Fuller encourages you to make an appointment, in order to determine if further oral health procedures are needed. Halitosis or bad breath can be the result of improper oral care, the food they are consuming, dry mouth or dental decay. Have your child implement a regu

The crying, chewing on things, and drooling has begun, and now your daughter’s first tooth has erupted. This is an exciting time, but is also an incredibly important time for their oral health.   Once their first tooth erupts you will want to contact Dr. Cameron Fuller , your Redlands Pediatric Dentist, and his team to schedule her first dental   appointment, but you’ll also want to make sure you have the appropriate toothpaste. Picking out toothpaste can be frustrating because there are a variety of options. Here are four tips to help you. 1.      Pick a toothpaste that is fluoride free. While some amounts of fluoride are great for your child’s smile, you do not want to have them consume too much. At this young age they are not able to spit out the toothpaste, so you’ll want toothpaste that is safe for them to swallow. 2.      Dr. Cameron Fuller says, “Find toothpaste that is specifically designed for a toddler.” You want what is called training tooth

Taking your child to the dentist can be scary and stressful. We want to make sure every child enjoys our environment and is comfortable visiting the dentist. Here are 5 Tips to helping your toddler while they are visiting the dentist and getting a dental check-up. 1.      “Start healthy routines early on. If children already have a healthy routine of brushing and flossing, you may be able to avoid costly and painful check-ups,” suggests Dr. Cameron Fuller . 2.      Have your child take a favorite toy with them. It is easier to be calm if they are focused on their favorite toy. 3.       Dr. Fuller suggests, “Visit the dentist and set-up an appointment prior to any dental problems.” Once a tooth has erupted you can have them visit the dentist for a quick check-up. 4.      Show up early to the appointment in order to allow time for you and your child to explore the office and look around. Also, if you do not feel stressed you are more likely to have a more