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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Here at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, we are getting ready for the holiday season! We are all eagerly anticipating Thanksgiving and the time off we have to spend around people we cherish. This year Dr. Clark is hosting family at her house and is excited to spend quality time with them!

Dr. Clark truly feels blessed with the many positive things in her life. When she reflects on the last year some special moments that stand out are the vacations with her husband and daughter, being able to work with amazing women every day, and being healthy and having a healthy family.  It is always important to realize our blessings and be grateful for them every day because, with all the craziness of life, it is easy to take our blessings for granted.

A few Thanksgiving traditions Dr. Clark looks forward to is making homemade pumpkin pie! They always turn out so delicious. The day after Thanksgiving, Dr. Clark and her family put up Christmas decorations! That’s not too early, right?

One of Dr. Clark’s favorite vacations from this year was going on her first family cruise and the enjoyment she received in watching her daughters experience new places for the first time.  With the year drawing to a close, Dr. Clark wants to focus a little more on self-care. Especially since she is trying to keep up with her daughters on the ski slopes during their family ski vacations! A little competition always helps to focus on personal goals.

Dr. Clark’s advice on staying sane during these hectic holiday weeks is to take a breath, focus on what is important to you, and don’t get distracted by what other people are doing! Enjoyment is the key to happiness and well being.

Our office wishes all of our patient families a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are all grateful for you!

Perhaps you’ve heard your friends talking about dental sealants, and how well they prevent cavities. And as soon as your child’s permanent molars come in, you absolutely plan to make an appointment at our Pearland, TX office for this treatment. But should you also be concerned with your child’s baby teeth? Could they benefit from sealants too?

Even though those beautiful baby teeth are going to be replaced with permanent teeth, they should still be protected. Primary teeth help with speech development, enable your child to develop proper chewing and eating habits, and serve as place holders so that permanent teeth can erupt in the correct place. That’s why you’ve been so careful to help your child brush and floss twice daily, and make regular visits to our office for exams and cleanings.

But some teeth are just harder to keep clean with regular brushing than others. Primary molars, just like permanent ones, have depressions and grooves on the chewing surfaces. These grooves collect bacteria and food particles that are hard for bristles to reach, providing a perfect opportunity for cavities to develop in those little molars.

Cavities are not the only problem which can affect primary teeth. Because baby teeth have thinner layers of protective enamel, a cavity can actually reach the pulp (the center of the tooth) more quickly, leading to pain and potential infection.

While baby teeth can be treated, with fillings, restorations, and even stainless steel crowns, preventing tooth decay is always our first, best choice. And dental sealants are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association as one of the most effective ways to prevent cavities in both baby teeth and adult teeth.

Dental sealants are safe and effective.  Sealants are thin coatings (usually a plastic resin or other dental material) that cover a molar’s grooves and depressions, making it impossible for bacteria and food particles to collect there. Applying them is a simple, pain-free process.

Each tooth will be examined first. If we find any signs of decay starting, we will gently treat that area before applying the sealant. After the tooth is cleaned and dried, an etching solution will be brushed on to the surface area being sealed. This etching roughens the surface 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.

That’s all there is to it! Sealants typically last from three to five years, and some last even longer. Keep up your regular careful brushing and flossing, and we will monitor the condition of the sealants at each exam.

Talk to Dr. Pamela Clark about dental sealants. We’ll let you know if your child can benefit from the procedure even before those baby teeth give way to permanent ones. It’s never too early to prevent tooth decay!

It seems like yesterday. There you were, comforting your baby through sleepless nights, soothing her with a dentist-approved teether, celebrating as that first tiny tooth poked through her gums. And now here she is running to show you that same tooth, wiggly, loose, and almost ready for the Tooth Fairy. Now what?

Be Prepared

Children normally lose that first tooth somewhere around the age of six, but a year or two earlier or later is not uncommon. If you ever took a business class, you might have heard of the inventory method called “First In, First Out.” Baby teeth operate much the same way! The two bottom front teeth, followed by the two upper front teeth, will probably be the first teeth your child loses. Once you notice some wiggling, let your child know what is going on and reassure her that it is a normal part of growing up.

What to Expect with that First Loose Tooth

Normally, baby teeth become loose when the pressure from the permanent tooth below gradually breaks down the roots of the primary tooth. If your child has a loose tooth, encourage him to wiggle, not pull. Typically, gentle wiggling is all that is needed to free a tooth that has lost most of its root and is ready to be replaced. Avoid pulling or forcing the tooth, because that can cause injury to the root area if the baby tooth isn’t ready to come out. Call our Pearland, TX office if you have any questions about loose teeth. Dr. Pamela Clark and our team also have suggestions if the baby teeth don’t become loose on schedule, or if they stubbornly remain in place even after the adult teeth have started to show up. One important note—if your child ever loses a tooth through accident or injury, call us at once. We might need to provide a spacer to give your child’s permanent teeth the proper time and space to come in.

Celebrate this Milestone with Your Child

The arrival of the Tooth Fairy is a familiar way to mark the occasion, and she can leave your child a note, a small gift, even a brand new toothbrush. Or explore other options!

If your child is fascinated by stories and traditions, learn about El Ratón Pérez (Perez the Mouse), a familiar tooth-collector in many Spanish speaking countries, or his French cousin, La Petite Souris (the Little Mouse). In other parts of Europe, Asia and Africa, children throw teeth on the roof, drop them in a glass of water, or hide them in a slipper. This is a great opportunity for you and your child to explore the world!

If your child likes science, look into books that explain the biology of baby and adult teeth in an age-appropriate way. You could print a chart of the primary teeth and take notes on each lost tooth as it makes way for the permanent tooth below. Or track her progress with photos showing the baby tooth, the gap left by the tooth, and the adult tooth as it comes in.

Losing that first tooth is an important moment for your child—and for you. Be prepared to celebrate another milestone together, and always feel free to talk to Dr. Pamela Clark if you have any questions about this new stage in your child’s life.

Fall is right around the corner for Pearland Pediatric Dentistry and there is so much to look forward to. We finally have cooler weather! Also, there’s tangible excitement in the air due to the fast-approaching holiday season, and everyone seems to be in an extra cheerful mood. Kids start deciding what they are going to dress up as for Halloween and are, of course, looking forward to the yummy seasonal treats-- like delicious pumpkin pie.

Dr. Clark loves being outside with her family during this time of year. Since the weather has cooled down, It is great to get out on their bikes and go for a ride admiring the changing leaves. A beloved family tradition for Dr. Clark’s family is picking out their pumpkins at the church pumpkin patch!

We really get into the fall spirit by decking out our office with festive decorations! Our team is working to be creative with some decorating contests for other offices. Check out our FB and Instagram to see how creative Ms. Ali has been with her football cutout and pumpkin decorations.

Our current contest we have going on is a drawing for Renaissance tickets. Ask us how you can enter to win tickets next time you’re in the office.

Pearland Pediatric Dentistry is celebrating Ms. Elia's 10 year anniversary as part of the team. Thank you so much for being part of our dental family! We appreciate you!

What are some fall traditions you look forward to this time of year? Share with us in the comment section below. As always, we can’t wait to see you in our office again soon.