Dr. Andrea Beth Monkman, DDS

Sometimes its not only the food choices, but timing of choices. These can include drinks as well. We tell adults not to sip on soda and energy drinks. We tell kids the same thing. Milk should be made available at meals only. Juice has no nutritional value and should be given sparingly if at all. My kids are constantly thirsty, so we keep a sippy cup in the fridge with water that they are free to use whenever they wish. The other issue is fluoride. Sometimes kids won't use the normal toothpastes because of taste or whatever. We need to make sure that the toothpaste has fluoride in it. At five years old, we let the kids brush themselves and then we go back and take our turn as well twice a day. Any issues or questions with their dental health should be directed to the dentist. The first professional cleaning usually happens around 3 years old.

It can be. Everyone loses teeth at different ages. The “norms” are simply averages. If your daughter got her teeth late, she will most likely lose them late as well. If there is any concern however, X-rays can determine which adult teeth are forming and where they are in development.

Brushing your teeth is only part of keeping a clean and healthy mouth. Flossing removes all of the food and bacteria that accumulate in between your teeth. Not flossing is like washing a window but skipping the edges. It will look clean for the most part, but still has a layer of dirt that hasn’t been cleaned.

Teeth chip for a multitude of reasons. Maybe the tooth was bumped or injured. Maybe you used your teeth to open a package or chew a pencil or ice. Maybe it was banged by a glass bottle or you bit into something very hard like a fork. Using when something like that happens, you realize what caused the chip. Frequently, what people call a chip is actually a cavity that “fell in”. Anytime there is a change in your oral cavity, please get it checked out by a dentist.

There are three basic options for tooth replacement. The first and cheapest is a removable partial denture. It comes in and out but looks just like a tooth. The second is a fixed bridge. It is cemented in and does not come out, but is anchored to the two adjacent teeth. The third option is a dental implant that is again cemented in place and doesn’t affect other teeth. It consists of a surgery and takes the longest time to complete.

Yes!!!! They are a protective coating that goes into the pits and grooves of the permanent molars. They make the teeth “flatter” so that kids that may not brush as well as they should can still effectively clean their teeth. Sealants do not harm the teeth in any way and will eventually wear off. The goal is to keep them in place until the child learns how to brush effectively.

The most reasonable option is a bonding. It is a white filling material that “glues” onto the tooth. It blends with natural tooth structure and fills in the space. The more expensive but definitive option is either a crown or veneer, both of which go to the lab. The bonding is done chairside in the office.

Yes! We save baby teeth for several reasons. They help with speech, chewing, aesthetics. They also guide the growth of the permanent teeth. Taking out the nerve will preserve the life of the baby tooth, helping with all those things.

Cavities do not spread to neighboring teeth. However, the bacteria that caused the cavity can “jump” to the next tooth. So I guess the easy answer is yes, cavities do spread. When you get that cavity filled, you also remove the bacteria which decreases the likelihood of cavities on other teeth.