Teething
This can occur in babies all the way through the college years. From their first tooth to wisdom teeth, teething can cause discomfort. Tylenol or motrin is a great option for pain relief. Cold foods, such as a frozen banana, or teether rings help our little ones. We do not recommend using Orajel with infants. Find more infant teething tips on Dr. Aimee’s baby blog where she discusses the ups and downs of her son’s teething.

Cankersores
Sometimes when we have a cold coming on or put our dirty fingers in our mouth we develop an ulcer or cankersore. These pesky spots can cause an immense amount of pain or sting. It usually takes a week or so to heal. It is recommended to stay away from spicy or lemony/acidic foods. Swishing with warm salt water can alleviate the discomfort and heal your mouth quicker.

Staining
If you notice you child develops dark stains on their teeth, there are many possible causes to consider. Often times iron supplements or vitamins can cause a black stain on the teeth. Some people have oral bacteria with chromogenic properties, meaning they form colors on our teeth. These stains can be easily removed with a good dental cleaning.

As your child approaches teenage years they may become more concerned about the appearance and color of their teeth. At this time we can discuss whitening options such as over-the-counter white strips or in-office/at-home tray treatment.

Double Row (aka “Shark Teeth”)
A double row occurs when a permanent tooth grows in before the baby tooth falls out. It typically erupts behind the baby tooth, giving it the name double row. Good news, the tongue is a very strong muscle and usually once the baby tooth is out, the tongue can begin to push the permanent tooth into its rightful place. We usually start by giving the child “dentist homework” to work on getting the baby tooth out. This can mean washing hands and physically wiggling it, or biting into hard things like bagels, apples, carrots, or pizza crust. If the child is unsuccessful for about a month, we suggest giving the office a call so that Dr. Aimee can help to wiggle it out!

Erupting Molars
New molars can happen at various ages. As babies, we get our first molars around 15 months old and our second molars around 2-3 years old. As a kid we get our first permanent molars around 6 years old, our second around 12 and our third molars, AKA wisdom teeth, around 17 years old. At any of these points growing new teeth can be uncomfortable. It may require Tylenol or Motrin for discomfort. Cold stuff is great as well. For the little ones — teethers or frozen banana to gnaw on are great. For older kids, swishing with warm salt water can be helpful as the gum tissue can be a bit inflamed as that new molar breaks through. An eruption hematoma — a black and blue mark — can appear on the gums before a molar erupts. It can be tender or painful, know that once the molar comes in the black and blue will go away!

Hypoplasia
Hypoplasia is a developmental enamel defect. There are numerous reasons why hypoplasia occurs. It can be anything from trauma, genetics, high fever, recurrent ear infections, strong antibiotics during mom’s pregnancy or at birth, environmental, the list goes on! Hypoplasia can look like enamel that is brown, yellow or white and chalky. Hypoplastic enamel is more porous, which makes it weaker, more sensitive to hot and cold and more prone to cavities. Preventative proactive treatments like SDF or sealants are wonderful at helping to keep these teeth strong. If a front tooth is hypoplastic ,there are some awesome no filling, no drilling ways to aesthetically improve the appearance with products like ICON or Curodont.