I am proud to say that I have all my own teeth at the age of 65. While that may not sound unusual to some people, everyone in my family who is my age or older wears dentures. I always tell people that that flossing is the key to good dental health. I have arthritis in my hands, but I don't let it keep me from flossing every day. My trick is to use those little "flossers" you can buy at the drug store. They have plastic handles floss stretched out on top of the handle. These make flossing easier on days when my arthritis is acting up. I started this blog to let other people know that they can keep their teeth healthy into old age when they take care of them. If you have hand pain, find ways to make flossing easier, like I did.
Don't Let Hand Pain Keep You from Flossing
What To Do When Your Child's Baby Teeth Don't Fall Out
Francis Miles
You probably expect your child's teeth to fall out at any moment, but more and more days pass, and your child still has some of his or her baby teeth. While there's no need to panic too early, you also need to be aware of the long-term effects that this might have on your child's oral health.
Time Frame You Should Expect
For most children, the majority of the baby teeth fall out at about six years old. For some children, the baby teeth can fall out as early as five, and for other children, the baby teeth can last until your child is seven years old. If your child is seven, it's natural to worry if none of his or her teeth haven't fallen out yet. Regardless, your child should be evaluated by a dentist by at least seven years old.
Why Your Child Needs Dental Services
Your child's dentist will be better able than anyone else to determine if your child's teeth are developing normally. The dentist will also determine if your child's jaw is developing normally. As long as everything is fine, you have nothing to worry about until your child is 12-years-old, if a girl, or 13, if a boy.
Problems to Look Out For
There are some circumstances where you might need to worry about your child's teeth. For example, your child may not have enough room for all of his or her teeth due to crowding. The dentist might discover that your child has extra teeth that are blocking the natural falling out of the baby teeth. Some children keep some of their baby teeth because replacement teeth never develop.
If your child's baby teeth do not fall out in time, this can cause the permanent teeth to come in crooked. When this happens, you may need your child to see an orthodontist who can use braces or another treatment to straighten his or her teeth.
When your child has lost his or her baby teeth early, you might not worry because they were meant to be temporary anyway. However, when your child does not have enough teeth, this can lead to his or her jaw not developing properly, and this can lead to your child not having enough space for the permanent teeth. A space maintainer might be necessary so that all of your child's teeth develop properly. But with the help of your local dental services, your child will have beautiful teeth once all the permanent teeth come in.
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