To determine whether or not teeth are actually missing, x-rays must be taken and carefully evaluated by an orthodontist. At times, a tooth may not actually be missing, but hidden underneath the gums and in poor position, preventing normal eruption and requiring orthodontic treatment to bring the tooth into alignment.

When permanent teeth are missing, an orthodontic consultation will determine if the space caused by the missing teeth can be closed or remain open, requiring a replacement to fill the space and maintain the bite. Without orthodontic treatment, the teeth on either side of the missing tooth will move randomly and tip into the open space, causing poor tooth alignment, bite problems and bone loss as we age.

If the problem is diagnosed at an early age, a simple appliance (space maintainer) is placed to hold the space and makes orthodontic treatment easier, when all the permanent teeth erupt. In some instances, if a space maintaining appliance is inserted and all the other teeth erupt normally into the mouth, orthodontic treatment can be avoided after wearing a very simple appliance. A general dentist can then replace the permanent tooth, if it is missing, when the child is old enough, with an implant and crown or another type of permanent replacement.

If you take good care of your teeth on a regular basis with proper brushing and flossing, the cost of maintaining your teeth is minimal. (watch video below) However, if your oral hygiene is lax, the cost of dental care rises, depending upon what it needed to correct the situation, be it a routine filling, root canal, or implant and bridge to replace a lost tooth.

Dental care expenses can mount up quickly in a family, especially with a member of the family in orthodontic treatment. The best assurance for good dental health has always been and still is regular brushing and flossing. Flossing is something that many of us do not do nearly as often as we should and some probably do not do it at all. If it is difficult to get adults to floss regularly, the battle parents have getting their kids to do it, especially if they have to weave the dental between teeth and wires while wearing braces, is even harder.

Some consider using a WaterPix, whether in orthodontic treatment or not, a substitute for flossing to flush out food between teeth. The WaterPik is sometimes considered simpler and faster to use than dental floss, but the question is does it work as well to keep teeth clean rather than regular flossing?

While using a water pick can seem much easier to maneuver in the mouth than dental floss, it actually doesn’t do the job as well. The water can’t penetrate as well between teeth that tightly fit together or are crowded, which prevents proper removal of food and plaque which causes gum disease and decay.

So, the answer to the question… Is a Waterpik as effective in removing food and particles from between teeth and around the gum line as good as dental flossing? The answer is no.

However, it is a great way to remove large pieces of food from between the teeth, especially while wearing braces. At McBeth Orthodontics, we want to stress the importance of both brushing and flossing during treatment to maintain good dental health. If you want to use a Waterpik, that’s great, just don’t use it as a substitute for flossing.

Watch this video below on what can happen if you don’t brush and floss your teeth properly and learn how to properly floss between teeth while wearing braces.

After watching this video, how important do you think it is to take care of your teeth properly during orthodontic treatment? Please comment below.

According to the American Dental Association, most kids stop sucking their thumbs on their own by the ages of 2 – 4 with little if any damage as a result. The habit no longer serves its purpose, so they stop. However, children who vigorously suck their thumbs and continue to do so beyond age four risk causing damage that will require orthodontic treatment to correct. The thumb or fingers can exert unwanted pressures upon teeth, bone, and soft tissues in the mouth causing problems with positioning of teeth and growth of the jaws.

The most obvious consequences of a persistent thumb or finger habit are:

• Pushing the upper front teeth (incisors) out and the lower incisors in… resulting in the “Bucky Beaver” smile.
• Preventing the front teeth from erupting all the way together causing an openbite.
• Stopping the lower jaw from developing normally, resulting in a recessive or “weak” chin.
• Narrowing of the soft tissue in the palate of the mouth, resulting in a crossbite.

If a child doesn’t eventually stop sucking their thumbs on their own, an orthodontist can install appliances that take away the pleasing sensation children get when sucking their thumbs. However, before I recommend placement of an orthodontic appliance, I always encourage a child to stop the habit on their own.

Here are five tips that McBeth Orthodontics offers parents to proactively encourage their child to stop a damaging finger habit after the age of 5. Remember, in many cases, it is just as difficult for a child to stop sucking their thumb or finger as it is for an adult to stop smoking cigarettes. Be supportive and understanding.

• 1. Explain to your child the damage their habit is causing to their mouth and teeth. Kids today are smarter than you think. They like being treated like an adult. Pictures of buck teeth and openbites go a long way helping drive home the point.
• 2. Develop a program with your child’s input to stop the habit. Let them be proactive in determining the best way to correct their own problem. They are more likely to cooperate if they have a choice in the process. Suggest aids like, wearing a sock to bed at night when they fall asleep as a reminder or sitting on their hands while driving in a car or watching TV. With some children, there is a blanket or stuffed animal that goes hand in hand with the habit. It is difficult to stop one, without removing the other. I know it sounds like a double whammy… but it is often what is needed to be successful.
• 3. Set up a calendar to track progress with a reward system at the end of every week offering small rewards. There is nothing wrong with bribing your child to stop a habit that is adverse to their dental health. With older children, offer a large reward after the habit has stopped for at least 4-6 weeks. Make the reward well worth the hard work and emotional stress it takes to stop a persistent habit.
• 4. If you notice your child relapsing, work on alleviating what is causing the stress and anxiety which causes the reaction, rather than the habit itself.
• 5. Children always respond more favorably to positive praise vs negative criticism. Instead of reminding them to stop the habit, praise them when they are proactively decreasing or eliminating the habit.

Even though the habit stopped at an early age, orthodontic treatment still may be indicated due damage prior to stopping the habit.  As a parent, it is now your turn to be proactive when it comes to your child’s long term dental health. Have your child checked by an orthodontist by age 7 to determine if early orthodontic treatment is indicated to correct a skeletal growth problem caused by a thumb or finger habit by age seven.

• How can you tell if you have bad breath?
• What is the cause of bad breath
• Is there any way to prevent it?

Bad breath, or halitosis, is a term used to describe the noticeable bad odors exhaled when breathing. It is difficult to notice yourself, and embarrassing if you experience other people’s reactions. They may back away slightly when you start to speak or change expressions when the two of you are standing and talking face to face. If you are lucky, a friend or family member will let you know if you have bad breath before you are offensive to others.   

Bad smell can come from bacteria in the mouth or poor health. It has a significant personal and social impact if you are offending others. In fact, people who have a fear of halitosis, called halitophobia, often contact their dentist to find ways to combat halitosis.

There are many causes of bad breath

• Eating foods with strong odors such as garlic or onions are the biggest offenders
• Poor oral hygiene if you don’t brush and floss regularly. Food particles that remain in between the teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue can cause bacterial growth
• Health problems like gum disease, yeast infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic sinus infections, diabetes, postnasal drip, chronic acid reflux, and liver or kidney problems.

Tips to prevent bad breath

• Brush after every meal to remove plaque and food debris from the mouth.
• Replace your toothbrush every two to three months, or sooner, if you see the bristles wear out. This often happens with patients wearing braces.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a variety of fruits can cleanse your tongue as you chew and help prevent the accumulation of odor-causing bacteria before you start your day
• Stop smoking or chewing tobacco-based products. This includes cigars of course. The only remedy for this is to “kick the habit.”
• Dehydration – drinking lots of water washes away loose bacteria on your teeth, gums, and tongue… just like a shower or bath.

Many products today help to effectively treat bad mouth. Mouthwash, gum, or breath mints are helpful but only mask a problem caused by bacteria, dental disease, or a medical problem.

If you discover you have bad breath, research your daily habits to determine what may be causing the problem and adjust your routine accordingly.  You may just need to improve your oral hygiene or pick and choose when you eat foods you love that offend others.

Here is the latest scoop on new tongue brush put out by Oral B if you want to go the extra mile.

Watch this video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSYdUt6xg0c  

Whatever the cause, take positive steps to combat bad breath! Keeping friends may depend on it.

For most people, a beautiful smile is the most obvious benefit of orthodontic treatment.

An orthodontist completes several years of extensive training beyond dental school to become an expert at correcting jaw problems and straightening teeth.  A dentist may see only a handful of cases a year amid all their drilling and filling.  An orthodontist only practices orthodontics and treats hundreds of cases a year.  An orthodontist doesn’t clean teeth, fill cavities, extract teeth or perform any of the routine procedures offered by your general dentist.  It is not our area of expertise. So be sure to see your dentist every six months for cleaning and checkups while wearing braces.

When it comes to the challenges and complexities of orthodontic treatment, most people prefer a specialist well trained and experienced.  You can depend on name practice for the best of both worlds: a well functioning bite and the smile of your life!

Watch this video created by the American Association of Orthodontics.  It discusses why you should choose an orthodontist when considering orthodontic treatment. 

Dr Susan McBeth

There is some truth to the myth, however: chewing gum is not digested. It contains resins, sometimes natural and sometimes synthetic, which our bodies cannot break down. Gum is simply passed along our digestive tract.

In rare cases, excessive amounts of swallowed gum can lead to constipation and intestinal blockage in young children. But parents need not be alarmed. Young children are not more susceptible to complications involving swallowed gum; young children are simply the only people who might swallow enough gum to cause digestive problems. Kids often forget or may not understand that gum is for chewing and not swallowing.

Simply put, an individual must swallow multiple pieces of gum in a very short period of time or swallow one great big wad of chewing gum to create a potential digestive risk. At one time or another, every kid puts five or six pieces of gum in their mouth to achieve an ultra-dense, cheek-bulging wad, especially with bubble gum if they want to blow big bubbles. If they swallowed that particular wad of gum, well, that could pose a problem. The truth, however, is the occasional swallowed piece of chewing gum is going to have no effect on the body.

Now that we have established the truth about swallowing gum, let’s talk a little about what kind of gum is right for your kids. Is gum really bad for a child’s teeth? Does chewing sugary gum lead directly to cavities? This depends a lot on the volume of gum and the brushing habits of the child.

What happens when we chew gum is the sugars are broken down by the saliva and absorbed or swallowed. What are left on the teeth are acidic byproducts—these eat away at tooth enamel and create cavities.

We want to assure you that chewing gum will not have much effect on overall dental health as long as the chewer practices good oral hygiene and brushes three times a day. Chewing several pieces of sugary gum every day without will certainly accelerate tooth decay and cause cavities.  However, from an orthodontic point of view, chewing gum can damage the brackets and wires we place to move your teeth during treatment which is why we ask our patients not to chew gum while wearing braces. 

So if your kids aren’t wearing braces, does that mean you should only allow them to chew sugar-free gum? This is where the debate gets personal. Some health professionals suggest sugar-free gum is not any healthier than regular gum because of its synthetic sweeteners. The Internet is flooded with literature about aspartame (the chemical sweetener used in NutraSweet and Equal), saccharine (Sweet’N’Low, Carefree gum), and also sucralose (the artificial sweetener in Splenda). Study the facts and decide for yourself what is best for you and your family.

Share with us any stories you might have about swallowing gum.  Leave a comment below.