I recently had the opportunity to attend one of the Super Dentists’ Mommy and Me series events in Kearny Mesa. Before I get to all the info I learned during the session, I have to say The Super Dentists is pretty cool. The place looks like a theme park and while it’s meant for kids, they do parent dentistry too. You can even schedule your appointments at the same time as your kids.
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The Mommy and Me series is worth checking out too. They take your kids and entertain them with crafts, stories and more while you learn. I handed off my 6-month-old daughter and they babysat and entertained her with the rest of the kids. It was awesome and so cute too!
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While she played, I took notes on topics of pediatric dentistry and the connection between oral health and fertility. I compiled the info into a list of what I felt other parents would want to know.
Baby/Child Dental
1- Get your baby to a pediatric dentist before their first birthday. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child goes to the dentist by age 1, or within six months after the first tooth erupts. Primary teeth typically begin growing in around 6 months of age. As a first-time parent, I had no idea! I thought I had a couple of years before I needed to schedule a pediatric dental appointment.
2- Baby bottle tooth decay is a huge risk if you are amongst the 17% of parents who put their child to bed with a bottle of milk, formula or juice. I’m 100% in that category, and put my baby down with a bottle. Yikes! I learned I need to stop this sleep association as soon as possible.
3- Remove pacifiers as a sleep association. These can negatively affect the growth of teeth and jaws.
4- Stop thumb sucking as early as possible and definitely by age four.
5- If your baby is tongue-tied, get this fixed as early as possible. There are laser treatments that take five seconds without any bleeding.
6- No child should ever snore.
Oral Health & Fertility
1- Men with oral health issues have a lower sperm count.
2- Women with gingivitis are three times more likely to have infertility problems.
3- Almost all women get some sort of gingivitis during pregnancy due to hormonal changes.
4- During pregnancy, avoid the dentist unless it’s an emergency during the 1st trimester. Go during the 2nd trimester or the start of the 3rd trimester.
5- Dental X-rays are generally safe during pregnancy. Ask for “no radiation technology.”
6- If you have morning sickness, rinse with water, but wait to brush your teeth immediately after.
7- Here are the signs you have gingivitis: #1 bad breath, #2 bleeding gums, and this includes when you floss. See a dentist and they’ll give you a diagnosis.
For more information or if you have further questions on these tips, feel free to reach out to the staff at The Super Dentists.
Tons of good info!
We were lucky to have a compassionate pediatric dentist, who always made the children comfortable and allowed me to be with them during procedures. It eased my mind so much.
Snoring can be a sign of an allergy as I discovered. Mamas, make sure to explore all of your options, including changing your child’s diet before surgical solutions. 🙂
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