Biannual Cleanings for Children

Caries, the little instances of tooth decay which result in cavities, are one of the most common maladies in children. Dentists recommend that children get checked on twice a year in order to prevent and treat tooth decay. Due to the impact decay can have on a child’s life, it is especially important to do this before it can disrupt the school year too much.

In younger children, the pain from tooth decay can delay speech development. In children of every age, it disrupts sleep and makes chewing painful, which may result in children not eating properly. Irritability, difficulty focusing, and increased stress are all associated with lack of sleep and nutrition, and stress can lead to tooth grinding. Once decay sets in, it is difficult to reverse on its own because bacteria are able to hide in the cavities. But at our dental office, we clean out decayed material and provide fillings and sealants to help defend against further decay. We also use the check-up as an opportunity to monitor other potential problems, such as wisdom tooth eruption.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Oakland Gardens, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit FreshMeadowsDental.com and fill out a contact form.

 

Dental Sealants for Pediatric Patients

Almost half of all children and adolescents in the United States have had cavities in their permanent teeth.  Fresh Meadows Dental Care recommends dental sealants to our adolescent patients to preserve the teeth and tooth enamel.  Regular oral hygiene is important for children to establish, but a sealant is the best defense against early tooth decay. 

Most tooth decay in children and teenagers occurs on the chewing surfaces of molars, where the pits and grooves trap food and bacteria.  Molars first come in at around 5-7 years of age, with a second set coming in between the ages of 11-14.  The best time to have a sealant placed is when the molars first come in to ensure they are protected early.

Sealants are applied to surfaces of these molars like paint. When the plastic resin is applied, it fills any pits and grooves on the surface and then hardens. Now the surface is protected from bits of food being stuck, so bacteria cannot multiply and cause decay, and tooth enamel is protected from plaque and acids.  Sealants can effectively prevent cavities for up to ten years and can be reapplied if necessary.

To learn more about dental sealants and all the services we provide, visit www.freshmeadowsdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Oakland Gardens, NY, call 718-224-7272.

Types of Teeth

Our teeth serve lots of functions and have different health needs, so we at Fresh Meadows Dental Care wanted to provide our patients with a basic run-down of how teeth differ from each other. Adults naturally have thirty-two teeth, sixteen to each jaw.

The incisors are the four front teeth. They are the teeth we do most of our speaking with and which we use to tear off small bits of food, but they cannot withstand the strong forces needed for chewing. The canines, also called cuspids, are the pointy teeth on each side of the incisors. They are for piercing and occupy the point of maximum change of curvature in the jaw arch, which makes them important for stabilizing the jaw bone. The upper canines often get stuck erupting and need orthodontic correction.

Each jaw has two pairs of premolars and three pairs of molars for chewing with. The backmost molars, called wisdom teeth, also often have trouble erupting. Lower molars generally have two tooth roots, while upper ones have three. Upper molars are particularly vulnerable to the harm of acid reflux. Chewing teeth are often treated with sealants to protect them from decay.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Oakland Gardens, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit FreshMeadowsDental.com and fill out a contact form.