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Children's Dentistry Group, LLC February 2012

Greetings!

 

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that you and your families have had a great start to the New Year! As another year begins, we would like to reiterate the importance of bringing your child in for regular, preventive dental care, along with proper oral hygiene and diet at home. It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), along with Drs. Herer and Patenio, that children visit the dentist every six months to ensure optimal dental health. By doing this, we can be a vital part of your child's health and well-being.

National Children's Dental Health Month

As we have discussed in prior newsletters, February is National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM). We like to keep our community informed throughout the whole year, but we take the month of February to really stress the importance of maintaining your child's dental health. This will ultimately be a big contributor to your child's overall good health. Each year 51 million school hours are missed by children due to dental-related illnesses. We are committed to keeping our patients, parents and community informed on the subject in order to prevent dental diseases from happening to your child and also do our part in lowering those numbers. We use the month of February to go out to local schools and daycares to deliver dental presentations to the children. We discuss proper oral hygiene, diet and the importance of visiting a dentist on a regular basis. Our practice has won the 2010 and 2011 first place award from the Illinois State Dental Society for the community work we do during Children's Dental Health Month. We are proud of our accomplishments and are very fortunate to be able to educate our community on the importance of children's dental health.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a compound that contains the natural element fluorine. According to the AAPD, using fluoride on a routine basis can help prevent tooth decay. There are two different types of fluoride treatments: dietary and topical. Dietary fluoride is any sort of fluoride that is ingestedinto the body. Examples of this would be fluoridated water, fluoridated infant formula and fluoride tablets. Topical fluoride is not ingested; rather it is applied to the tooth enamel. Examples of this are fluoride rinses or prescription strength fluoride treatments, which are given by dental professionals. The Center for Disease Control, or CDC, is a big supporter of fluoride use. They performed a large research study and discovered the most effective and widely used approach in preventing tooth decay comes from fluoride use. There is another difference between the two types of fluoride. Dietary fluoride is most effective in children between 0 and 10 years of age. This type of fluoride aids in the formation of developing teeth. The fluoride, along with calcium and phosphorus, mineralize the tooth structure and make it more resistant to erosion. After the age of 10, dietary fluoride is not as beneficial because all the enamel on the permanent teeth has fully formed, even if they have not erupted yet. On the other hand, topical fluoride benefits the superficial surfaces of the teeth that are already in the mouth. The fluoride inhibits the loss of minerals from tooth enamel and can actually re-mineralize weakened tooth structure. According to the AAPD, topical fluoride also affects bacteria in the mouth and fights against acid formation that breaks down the tooth.

 

Both forms of fluoride are highly encouraged by Drs. Herer and Patenio, but it is extremely important to follow appropriate guidelines regarding fluoride use. For children ten years of age and younger, a dietary fluoride treatment is highly recommended, but it has to be closely monitored. We want to insure that levels are within theraputic guidelines. The State of Illinois' Department of Public Health has mandated community fluoridated water at .75 parts per million. For those with wells or water filter systems, Drs. Herer and Patenio can recommend the appropriate amount of dietary fluoride for your child. Fluoride tablets and other products of that nature are not recommended because this can lead to an overuse of the fluoride. In regards to topical fluoride, Drs. Herer and Patenio strongly recommend children receive a prescription strength fluoride treatment twice per year, each time they visit the dentist for their preventive care. In between visits, a fluoride rinse may be suggested for certain patients. This will be discussed with you and your child at their visit. Another form of a topical treatment is fluoridated toothpaste. Until your child learns how to spit properly, a smear of fluoridated toothpaste should be used and then wiped off the teeth to avoid ingestion. For older children, a pea-sized amount is recommended. Your child should use toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association and we strongly encourage parents dispense the toothpaste and supervise its use to prevent swallowing.

Nitrous Oxide

At our practice, we want our patients to feel calm and comfortable during their appointment with us. Sometimes children may feel anxious before or during treatment. In cases like this, Drs. Herer and Patenio may recommend nitrous oxide for your child. This is a combination of oxygen and nitrous oxide and it is a very safe and effective method in relaxing the child. The procedure for using nitrous oxide is simple and there are little to no side effects associated with it. A fitted mask is placed over the child's nose and as they breathe normally, uptake then occurs through the lungs. While in taking the nitrous oxide, children feel a sense of well-being and may also feel euphoric, which is where the term 'laughing gas' comes from. Nitrous oxide raises the pain threshold and makes time pass by faster. Other positive aspects to nitrous oxide use are that children stay fully conscious and are able to retain all natural reflexes while breathing it in. Children are able to respond to questions and can maintain normal conversation. Nitrous oxide is a non-allergenic; it is reversible and is generally well tolerated. After the treatment is complete, nitrous oxide is eliminated from the body by having the child breath oxygen for a short period of time. When the child leaves our office, the nitrous oxide is completely removed from their system and there are no lingering effects. We know not all children are exactly alike, so each appointment is tailored for your child's specific needs. Whether or not nitrous oxide will be effective for your child can be discussed with either Dr. Herer or Dr. Patenio.
From The Business Office...

It is to your advantage to familiarize yourself with your insurance benefits. Our business office works hard to help educate our parents on their individual policies for their children. It is best, as the subscriber, to contact your insurance carrier directly or your employer's human resource department and ask them for a dental benefit summary. Some specific benefits you will want to find out are; 1. How many times per year is fluoride covered? 2. Is Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) a covered expense? 3. Are tooth colored fillings in back teeth covered or do they provide an "alternate benefit"? 4. If my child has two cleanings per year, which includes an exam each time, and then they have an emergency exam as well, will that be covered too?

 

We try our best to prevent billing "suprises", but it is always good to be proactive when it comes to your insurance benefits. If you ever have a question or concern about your statement or a treatment plan, please do not hesitate to contact the business office at (847) 726-0300.

Please Don't Be Bashful

 

If you have any questions regarding pediatric dental health, please feel free to contact us by phone: 847-726-0300 or by email: [email protected]. If you have a family member or friend with a child, please feel free to forward this newsletter to them.

 

Thank you!

 

Drs. Paul Herer, Melissa Patenio and the CDG Team
Group 2012

Children's Dentistry Group, LLC
195 South Rand Road, Suite 110
Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047
847-726-0300

www.ChildrensDentistryGroup.com