Baby teeth are important for chewing food, speech development and guiding permanent teeth into the correct position. Beyond this, if cavities aren’t fixed, they can lead to pain and infection which can have adverse general health consequences.

Take a deep breath, this is actually more common than you might think (we dentists call them “shark teeth” too. Most commonly this happens on the bottom teeth right in the middle, contact us to see if any intervention is necessary, but often this can resolve on its own.

Caries (or in the more advanced stage, cavities) is the most common childhood disease. Left unchecked, they can lead to pain, swelling & infection. Gingivitis and periodontitis are less common in children though still need to be screened for.

As part of her periodic exams, Dr. Sam is monitoring your child’s growth and development. Every child is unique and so the time for an orthodontic evaluation often varies based on their particular growth pattern- Dr. Sam can help you get this timing right.

Baby teeth are extremely white- “pearly whites”- and by contrast, our permanent teeth don’t seem quite as white. Adult teeth have underlying color due to the dentin layer below the enamel. Usually it is their natural color but if you’re concerned, we will evaluate at your visit and let you know if the color is something that can be addressed.

While it varies from child to child, the general consensus is that for most children, they’re not ready to fly completely solo on brushing until the age of 7-8. This is because the manual dexterity to brush is actually quite advanced. If your child can tie their shoes reliably, that can be a good indication they may be capable of brushing well.

Definitely! Please take a look at our video and if you have any additional questions, reach out!