Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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 Early Oral Exam

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, July 23, 2007

STORY:  EARLY ORAL EXAM
SCRIPT #838  SHOOT:  7/10/07
Writer/Producer: Sara Ivey
AIRDATE:  Monday, July 23, 2007
DHC #22  Timecode: 20:20

Both pediatricians and dentists agree on when young children need their very first dental exam. Just how early in life should a child take a trip to the dental office? The answer might surprise you. News 8’s Dr. Linda Niessen has details in today’s Dental Health Check.

By age one, every child needs to see a dentist for an oral exam. Young Josh is 16 months old and going to his first appointment. Angela Magers, Josh’s Mother, says, "Actually, my 4 ½ year old, and my 3 year old just made their first visit to the dentist. And shame on me, they just did that this week."

Pediatric dentist Dr. Robert Morgan tells us, "The guideline is you need to show up at the pediatric dentist or family dentist within a few months of the eruption of the first tooth."
 
Dr. Morgan believes the first visit is as much for the parents as it is for the young patient. "We’re going to take a quick history Pediatric Dentist of the family. We’re looking for pathology (disease such as cavities); tongue-tied; missing teeth, abnormal teeth, eruption patterns. How we care for the baby teeth significantly affects the permanent teeth," he said.
      
The first oral exam checks for early tooth decay, often caused by going to sleep with a bottle of milk or formula.

"After you eat or drink anything," Dr. Morgan continued, "for 20 minutes you make decay. Because that’s about how long it takes for the saliva to dilute the food."  

The first trip to the dentist should be fun. The baby can sit in mom’s lap. There are likely to be no x-rays, and no cleaning.
      
"The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists says you start brushing teeth when they show up. Use a soft, bristle brush with a small head and small handle. When you have an infant, you just want to brush the teeth. I don’t care if you go back and forth, or if you go up and down, or if you go in a circle. First eruption of the teeth happens somewhere between six and 12 months, but certainly by 12 months of age, you should visit your dentist," said Dr. Morgan.

Any discoloration including white spots on your child’s teeth could be a sign of decay. And because tooth decay is an infection that does not does not get better on its own. You should take your child to the dentist as soon as possible at any age.

For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A & M Health Science Center, I’m Dr.Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News. 

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

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