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You’re constantly playing defense. Your child spends two minutes in the morning and two minutes at night carefully brushing and flossing with a fluoride toothpaste. You make sure sugary and acidic foods are not a major part of your diets. Your child visits our Vorhees office for regular exams and cleanings. Really, how can a cavity get past all that?

But even with the best defensive practices, you don’t have a level playing field—literally. The tops of our molars and premolars don’t have the smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces that our other teeth have. If you look at the chewing surfaces, you will notice deep grooves which toothbrush bristles have a much harder time reaching.  

Plaque and food particles can become trapped in these grooves (known as pits and fissures), providing perfect conditions for a cavity to develop. That is why cavities are so common in newly erupted molars. Dental sealants protect these teeth from cavities by providing a barrier which smooths out the surface of the tooth and prevents food and bacteria from reaching the molar’s crevices.

Most sealants are invisible plastic resin coatings which we apply in our Vorhees office. Usually the procedure is so quick and easy that no dental anesthetic is required. Each tooth will be examined first. If we find any signs of early decay, we will gently treat that area before beginning.

When the tooth is ready, it will be cleaned and dried. An etching solution will be brushed on to the dry surface to roughen the area a bit so that the sealant will hold to the tooth more effectively. A thin coat of the sealant is then painted on and hardened under a curing light. And that’s it!

Once teeth are sealed, they should be cleaned and flossed just as carefully as before. Regular exams and cleanings are still very important, and we can monitor the condition of the sealant and the sealed teeth. Properly applied, sealants can last from three to five years, or even longer.

Who should consider sealants? Sealants are typically recommended when the permanent molars first erupt. Children’s enamel takes a while to become its strongest, and so these just-erupted teeth are more at risk for cavities. Sometimes Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi will recommend sealants for primary (baby) teeth if needed. But even adults can benefit—talk to us if you are interested and we will let you know if sealants might be right for you.

Sealants are a simple, safe, and minimally invasive way to prevent cavities. Studies of sealed molars and premolars show a dramatic reduction in cavities compared to untreated teeth. Sealants are one of the most effective ways to defend your teeth or your children’s teeth from tooth decay. And as we’ve all heard—defense wins championships!

August 22 is National Tooth Fairy Day! If the Tooth Fairy is a treasured part of your child’s life, you’re just in time to celebrate! But what to do when the Tooth Fairy doesn’t arrive on schedule—when baby teeth stay longer than expected or are lost too soon? 

A baby’s 20 baby teeth tend to come in within a fairly predictable time frame. The bottom central incisors in the very front of your baby’s mouth typically make their appearance first, when your baby is around six to ten months old. Over the next few years, the remaining incisors, canines, and first molars arrive. Last on the scene are the second molars, which usually show up between the ages of 23-33 months. 

Just as baby teeth follow a pattern coming in, they tend to follow the same pattern falling out. The front teeth begin to wiggle and loosen around age six or seven, while the last of the baby teeth, the canines and second molars, are often lost between the ages of ten and 12. 

Baby teeth fall out as the adult teeth below them push up as they erupt. The top of the new tooth puts pressure on the root of the baby tooth, gradually dissolving it. As the root grows smaller and can’t anchor the tooth, the tooth begins to wiggle and eventually becomes loose enough to fall out. This leaves the adult tooth perfectly placed to grow into its proper position.

Sometimes, though, teeth linger far past their fall-out date. Sometimes, because of decay or trauma, they are lost much too early. In either case, Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi can provide treatment to protect little smiles now and to ensure that there’s space for the permanent teeth to erupt and align correctly.

Teeth Which Overstay Their Welcome

If that baby tooth never gets wiggly, the team at Pasternack Pediatric Dental can help! When baby teeth stubbornly hang on, adult teeth can erupt behind them, creating a double row of teeth commonly known as “shark teeth.” These permanent teeth can become crowded or misaligned as they try to fit in any space available. Or a baby tooth can block an adult tooth from erupting at all. When that baby tooth just isn’t budging, an extraction will create space for the permanent tooth to erupt.

Extracting a baby tooth is generally a straightforward procedure because primary teeth have very small roots. Your pediatric dental team at the team at Pasternack Pediatric Dental are experts in helping you prepare your child for the procedure in a gentle, reassuring, and age-appropriate way. 

Often, a local anesthetic is all that’s necessary for a simple extraction, but if you feel sedation would better fit your child’s needs, discuss sedation options with your dentist. After the extraction, you’ll be given clear information on how to deal with pain and swelling, which foods and drinks are best while the extraction site heals, and how to protect the area.

Teeth Which Exit Too Early

In the case of decay or trauma, Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi will do everything possible to save the tooth. When decay is so extensive that there’s not enough structure left to hold a filling or crown, or when there’s an infection in or around the tooth, or when an accident or injury has caused serious damage, extraction might be the healthiest option. Depending on your child’s age, further treatment might be needed afterward to protect future smiles. 

Besides their roles in eating and speaking, baby teeth save space for permanent teeth. Whenever a child loses a primary tooth too soon, a pediatric dentist will be on the lookout for potential future orthodontic problems. If remaining baby teeth shift, taking up part of the empty space left behind by the lost tooth, the adult teeth below won’t have the space they need to erupt properly. Permanent teeth might come in at an awkward angle or in the wrong place. 

In this case, Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi might recommend a space maintainer. Space maintainers are small, custom-designed appliances which prevent the remaining baby teeth from shifting position while holding space open for the permanent tooth to arrive right on schedule and right where it belongs. 

It’s comforting to have charts which let us know when little teeth will typically come in and when they will typically fall out. But unexpected events might mean teeth overstay their welcome or depart too soon. When the Tooth Fairy can’t keep to her schedule, schedule an appointment at Pasternack Pediatric Dental in Vorhees as soon as possible to make sure your child is on track for a future of healthy smiles.

We know how frustrating it can be to discover your child has one or more cavities when you come to visit Pasternack Pediatric Dental. There are several ways to prevent baby teeth from forming cavities due to decay. Not to worry: If your child does develop a cavity on a baby tooth, Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi can help take care of the problem.

Let’s look at how cavities on your little one’s teeth can be prevented from developing in the first place. Most often, children suffer decay from eating sugary foods. You may think, “My child doesn’t eat lots of candy!” In truth, fruits and juices have plenty of natural sugars that can break down teeth if they aren’t brushed thoroughly.

A well-balanced diet that includes calcium and phosphorous is necessary to keep your child’s oral health in a good state. If your son or daughter drinks juice, avoid giving it before bedtime and dilute the juice with water. Good options for snacks include vegetables, low-sugar yogurt or dairy products, and plenty of milk for healthy teeth.

Another excellent preventive strategy consists of scheduling regular appointments with Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi for your child. Between your youngster’s annual cleanings, make sure he or she brushes and flosses every day. It’s worthwhile for your little one to brush thoroughly for at least two minutes to remove any decay or plaque that has accumulated in the mouth, especially before bedtime.

Brushing Techniques

• Move the brush both back and forth, and in circular gentle strokes.
• Brush the outer surfaces, inside surfaces, and chewing surfaces of all teeth.
• Place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.
• Brush the tongue to remove excess bacteria and keep breath fresh.

It’s not always possible to prevent cavities from appearing in your son or daughter’s mouth. If your child does develop a cavity, our staff will notify you during the regular scheduled cleaning.

The cavity will need to be eliminated, even when it appears on a baby tooth. Our staff will remove the decayed part of the tooth and fill in the hole so your child doesn’t have to experience any pain.

You may wonder why a baby tooth has to be fixed if it is eventually going to fall out. Baby teeth hold spaces where your child’s permanent teeth have to grow in. If the former aren’t taken care of, multiple teeth may shift and the permanent ones won’t be able to grow in properly.

If you still have questions or concerns about your child’s baby teeth, or notice signs of a cavity, please don’t hesitate to contact our Vorhees office and schedule an appointment. Remember, preventive steps can be taken to avoid bothersome cavities from forming in your child’s mouth.

It’s common for toddlers to be wary of strangers, but their first experience at the dentist shouldn’t be a scary one. Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi and our team have five tips for you to make your child’s first visit to Pasternack Pediatric Dental easy as pie!

1. Bringing your child to one of your own appointments before his or her first dental visit can calm your little one’s nerves. This gives your son or daughter the opportunity to get familiar with our office and see a cleaning isn’t very scary.
2. Our big dental chair can be fun! Toddlers love games, and seeing the chair go up and down can make it seem like an amusement ride rather than sitting down for an exam.
3. Drs. Paul Pasternack, Chara Pasternack, and Christine Biondi and our team hand out cool toothbrushes and stickers to kids after their appointment. Your child will love the fun-colored toothbrush and can look forward to a post-appointment prize at the next visit.
4. Schedule your appointment for a time that sets you up for success. Bringing your child to our Vorhees office an hour before he or she is due for a nap may be a tantrum just waiting to happen.
5. Kids love books! Try reading your toddler bedtime stories about what happens at the dentist before you come in for the appointment. We recommend Dora the Explorer’s Show Me Your Smile, written by Christine Ricci.