Learning About The World Of Dentistry

At different stages in life, you will have different dental concerns and you may need to take some extra steps to keep your teeth looking great and staying healthy. This brief guide is a good start to learning more about dealing with your teeth during some of those different life stages:

Caring for infant and toddler teeth

As soon as those little white bumps start to appear on your baby's gums. You want to start taking a moist cloth and wiping the gums down after each feeding. As the teeth come in, you want to get a baby toothbrush with soft bristles and use just a smidgeon of infant toothpaste to begin brushing their teeth twice a day. Never put your child to bed with a bottle. Not only can it lead to severe dental issues, but it can also cause ear infections and increase the risk of them choking. Start taking your child in for exams early so problems can be caught right away and so they don't develop a fear of the dentist.

Caring for adolescent teeth

Once the first set of teeth fall out and adult teeth start to come in, make sure they are coming in straight. If they come in crooked, then you may want to have braces put on them if the crookedness is severe enough. If the problem isn't that bad, the dentist may be able to fix the issue using another method, such as with aligners or some veneers. Also, if a baby tooth doesn't fall out and is starting to cause problems with the adult tooth growing in, then the dentist may need to pull the baby tooth.

Caring for adult teeth

Adult teeth need regular maintenance for the prevention of problems and routine visits so things get caught as early on as possible. Brushing should be done twice a day with a toothpaste that covers any delinquencies in your teeth. Flossing after each meal is something that should also be done, along with nightly rinsing with a mouth rinse. Always read the side effects of medications you take since some of them can be hard on your teeth. If one of your medications will be hard on your teeth, work with your dentist to see what can be done to make the side effects as minimal as possible.

Caring for geriatric teeth

As a person becomes elderly, their teeth will be more susceptible to all those common dental issues, such as cavities, chipping, gum disease, etc. Special care should be taken to make sure that the mouth is kept clean and moist throughout the day. The dentist should be consulted regarding the possibility of calcium supplements or other recommendations. Also, an extra visit or two a year may be advisable to catch problems as early as possible. Dental issues should be taken seriously and a visit to the dentist should happen as soon as possible.

Contact a dental office like Stillwater Dental Associates for more information and assistance.