Thornhill Family Dentist Blog

This purpose of this blog is to help educate families in the Thornhill community on how to maintain good oral health and to answer common questions relating to family dentistry. -Thornhill dentist, Dr.Cheng

When Should My Child First Visit the Dentist?

The Canadian Dental Association recommends your child's first visit to the dentist be by one year of age or six months after the eruption of the first tooth. Now this is probably a lot earlier than you thought, however, I frequently see two year olds with tooth decay; sometimes many teeth are involved. If that child had been in our office at age one, we might have limited the damage from the decay and educated the parents on how to properly care for an infant's teeth. Also, it's a good idea to get them (and you) used to regular visits so that when there is an emergency or other concern, the child is used to the office, doctor and staff.

My Child's Permanent Teeth Coming Out Behind the Baby Teeth!

I see this often. A child has their permanent lower incisors coming out behind the baby teeth. We sometimes call it "Shark" teeth. The baby teeth have not come out like they were supposed to. It is most common with the lower front teeth when the child is six years old and now there are two rows of teeth. The good news is that the new permanent tooth will tend to move forward into the correct position and push forward on the baby teeth, usually causing them to fall out. Encourage your child to wiggle the baby teeth to get them to fall out faster. Consult with your Thornhill dentist if the double row lasts for more than three months.

Accidents and Dental Trauma in Children

Here's a summary of the kinds of things that we see when kids injure themselves. Often these injuries occur while playing and commonly involve bumping the head of another child.
Click on these links to view:

Fractured Teeth, Knocked out Teeth, and other Dental Accidents Basics of pediatric dental trauma and what to do in these situations.

When to Call the Dentist, When to Go to the Emergency Room Many situations can be treated by an emergency dentist. Not all accidents need to be a visit to the ER.

My Child's Front Tooth is Turning Dark! I know you're wondering how that has happened and what to do about it.

My Gums Bleed When Brushing. What Does This Mean?

Many people have the misconception that bleeding gums after brushing is caused by too hard and prolonged brushing. This is not the case. Bleeding gums is a sign of Gingivitis. Gingivitis is the inflammation (swelling and redness) of the gums caused by gum irritation from plaque build-up. The irritated gums tend to bleed quite easily. Good news is that gingivitis can be reversed with good dental hygiene. Make sure you are brushing along the gums and flossing daily. Initially, you will still see some bleeding, but if you continue with proper brushing and flossing in the area, the gum bleeding will eventually disappear.

I Have Teeth That Are Very Sensitive to Cold. What Can Be Done?

In most instances, tooth sensitivity is the result of receding gums.

Receding gums is the loss of gum tissue leading to the exposure of the roots of the teeth. The roots of the teeth have a darker, yellow colour that you can see near the gumline. These exposed roots can become very sensitive to hot and cold or sweet and sour foods. The root surfaces are also softer and can easily be worn-down when brushing leading to the formation of a notch in the tooth.

There are several causes of receding gums, the most common being inadequate brushing and flossing which allows bacteria to build up along the gumline. Another common cause is over-aggressive tooth brushing by scrubbing the sides of the teeth in a front-to back motion. Usually, when the gum tissue is lost, it will not normally grow back on its own.

There are several options for treating sensitive teeth resulting from receding gums. In mild cases, the use of a toothpaste for sensitive teeth such as Sensodyne may help. In situations where a notch has formed in the tooth, tooth-coloured bonding material can be applied by a dentist to the exposed root surfaces to replace the worn-away tooth structure and protect the teeth from further wear. And finally, depending on the type of recession, some cases may be a candidate for gum regeneration by a gum grafting procedure.

My Teeth Are Yellow. How Can I Make Them Whiter?

I get this question a lot. As we age, our teeth gradually darker and more yellow due to internal staining. This occurs more rapidly if you smoke or drink a lot of coffee, tea or red wine. For most people, whiter teeth can be achieved through teeth whitening.

There are many teeth whitening products available, some of which are more effective than others. Many toothpastes claim to whiten your teeth, but they do not actually change the colour of your teeth. Instead, they work by removing some extrinsic stains (brown spots) that can develop from coffee or smoking. Their effectiveness is very limited. The disadvantage of these toothpastes is that they contain abrasives that can wear down your teeth. Out of all the over-the-counter products, Crest Whitestrips seem to work best. This disadvantage of the strips is that the strips are not custom-made for you, and you can lose a lot of the whitening gel in the mouth. And, because they are over-the-counter, the whitening gel is of lower concentration.

The best and most effective way to whiten your teeth is professionally by a dentist. This can be done in the form of a custom take-home whitening kit, or in-office 1hr whitening. Professional teeth whitening is more effective as they use a higher concentration of the whitening gel material and the gel stays on your teeth better. Teeth whitening is a simple, yet effective way to get a younger-looking smile. In our Thornhill dentist office, we offer FREE teeth whitening for all new patients.