All about baby teeth, from Dr. Clark

At Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, we know teething patterns vary greatly from child to child—some don’t have any teeth by their first birthday, while others have a mouthful by then. Experts, however, including our friends at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, do recommend that children have their teeth checked by their first birthdays.

Your child will have 20 baby teeth, which will later be replaced by permanent teeth. A baby's first tooth can come in as early as 3 months or as late as 1 year of age, however primary teeth usually begin to break through the gums when a child is about 6 months old. Most kids have all of their primary teeth by the time they are 3 years old.

The most important thing is not to worry if your toddler’s pearly whites don’t look perfect as they come in—baby teeth come in all shapes, sizes, and slants. Teeth generally appear one at a time over a period of months, and often—but not always—in this order: First the bottom two middle teeth, then the top two middle ones, then the ones along the sides and back. (They may not all come in straight, but don't worry—they usually straighten out over time.) Besides crooked teeth, your child may experience crowded or spaced-out teeth, missing teeth, supernumerary (too many) teeth and even discolored teeth.

If you have any questions about your toddler’s teeth, or if your child is experiencing issues that concern you, please give us a call to set up an appointment with Dr. Pamela Clark and Dr. Suha Reddy. Or, we invite you to ask us on Facebook!

Smile! June marks National Smile Month!

Can you believe it’s already June? Today, Dr. Pamela Clark, Dr. Suha Reddy and our team at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry thought we’d tell you June is National Smile Month, and a good time to remind all our patients to practice good oral hygiene between your visits to our friendly office!

That means you too, parents! After all, there’s more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Below are a few simple steps you can take to improve your oral health so that you may celebrate National Smile Month for many, many years to come:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth.
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks
* Visit us regularly (every 6 months or as recommended by Drs. Clark or Reddy)!

If you have questions about any of these tips, we encourage you to give us a call, ask Dr. Clark or our team during your next visit or ask us on Facebook!

Ask Dr. Clark: When should my child visit your office?

Thanks for the question. Oral health is a hugely important part of your child's overall health, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and our staff at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry recommend that your child visits the pediatric dentist by his or her 1st birthday.

If you have any concerns about your child's dental health, please inform Dr. Clark and her team of these concerns. Our team is focused at making you and your child feel welcomed in our office.

Regular recare (checkup) appointments typically take 20 to 40 minutes. Patients are seen by appointment only. We make every effort to be on time for our patients and ask that you extend the same courtesy to us. If you cannot keep an appointment, please notify us immediately.

We are excited and look forward to meeting you and your child at their initial appointment. Dr. Clark's goal is to build a relationship with you and your child over the next several years in a comfortable environment that promotes good oral health care.

Hello from Dr. Clark!

Happy Monday!

I hope our patients make and keep New Year's Resolution that will benefit their overall health including taking care of their teeth and gums by brushing at least twice a day and flossing every day! We have great memories of our patients in 2010, especially our Patient Appreciation Party! We look forward to seeing all of our patients in 2011 and we are planning our Patient Appreciation Party for 2011!

Here are a few things that recently happened:

*We now have an intraoral camera that also detects decay so we can show pictures to our patients and their parents.
*I attended the Contemporary Sedation of Children for Dental Practice: Enteral and Parenteral Techniques course hosted by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry this past October.
*Dr. Reddy completed her oral exam and is now board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.
*We are excited to have Alexandra Oltsik join our clinical team as a registered dental assistant.
*We wish Tina Jernigan (registered dental assistant) the best of luck! She is leaving the office to go back to school full-time to become a history professor! We are going to miss her.

- Dr. Clark

Fall into reading with Pearland Pediatric Dentistry!

What better way to spend the fall months than inside by the fireplace with a warm cup of cider and a book in hand? Drs. Clark and Reddy & our team encourage you to warm up your child's mind this holiday season with a few great books. Sure it may be easy to put off reading when balancing a busy schedule, but reading is vital to kids' brain development. Plus, reading is always fun!

This week, we thought we’d ask: What are you or your child reading this fall? Do you have any suggestions for must-read books this year? Out of ideas for great fall reads? Ask us for suggestions, and Dr. Clark and our staff would be happy to provide a few suggestions. You may also ask a local librarian here in Pearland for some ideas or check out these fall reading ideas that we came across this week, courtesy of Amazon.

Happy reading! Be sure to share with us your fall picks or your all-time favorites on our Facebook page!