The Dangers of Early Loss of Baby Teeth

Written by: Dr. Mai Kamar, Specialist Orthodontist

Our dental arches have been created in a harmonious manner where the baby teeth (milk teeth or primary) pave the way through the dental bones for a smooth and aligned eruption of permanent teeth. Any disruption in this harmony can create several problems that are well avoided by preserving healthy primary teeth for as long as possible till their natural exfoliation dates.

Inside the mouth of a growing child both primary and permanent dentitions are present, where one dentition is actually functioning and the other is still undergoing growth and development. Each tooth in the dental arch is maintained and stabilized in its correct position in the dental arch by the action of a series of forces. These forces are either from the neighboring or opposing teeth which support each other in the dental arch, or by forces from the muscles of the cheeks, lips and tongue, all of which maintain the teeth in the position they are currently at inside the mouth.

If these harmonious forces are disrupted or altered, one force starts to predominate and cause unfavorable movements to the teeth such as tipping or drifting which causes major problems in the permanent occlusion in the future. The number one cause of such disharmony is the premature extraction of baby teeth. Such extractions are either planned by the dentist when a tooth is severely decayed and cannot be saved by a dental restoration or decided by the parent who doesn’t believe in treating a baby tooth that will eventually fall out!

As a general rule when a primary tooth is lost prematurely, the following consequences usually occur:

• The teeth both on the right and the left to the extracted tooth move to close the space, hence the space designated for the permanent tooth that will erupt after a few years is lost and the tooth is blocked inside the bones.
• Delayed eruption or premature eruption of the permanent tooth
• Loss of the dental arch length which leaves less space for the proper eruption of permanent teeth and consequently causes crowding
• Relationship between the molars and canines is usually disrupted which more than often calls for treatment with braces
• Midline of the teeth shifts towards the extraction side
• Tooth opposing the extraction side usually elongates and overerupts
• Alteration in the overbite and overjet of teeth
• Development of abnormal muscle activity and habits such as tongue thrust in the newly created space or digit sucking, which create further disruption in the bite.
• Speech defects
• Poor nutrition and feeding
• Aesthetic and emotional problems

How to avoid such detrimental problems?

1. Regular dental check-ups.

The most recent guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advocates that a child has his first dental visit as soon as the first tooth erupts or maximum at 12 months of age.

This allows a strong relation to be built between the Pediatric dentist, the parents and the child where healthy oral habits are established at an early age. Such relation, or as we call it a Dental Home, assures regular monitoring and close assessment of the child’s oral health and development, where cavities can be either prevented or detected at a very early stage. However, if parents fail to bring their children for dental check-ups, the child always ends up with unnoticed badly decayed teeth that often call for more comprehensive dental treatments such as root canals, crowns or even extraction of the tooth.

2. Better treat than sorry.

Always seek dental experts’ advice the soonest and when advised to restore a cavity, try to get it done the sooner the better. It is always best to have a simple restoration than a more extensive one! It will save your child the trouble of going through a more painful procedure and save you more money as well as have higher chances of saving the tooth itself!

3. Maintain the space.

If advised to remove a tooth always make sure that the dental specialist saves the space for the future permanent tooth by placing a custom made space maintainer in your child’s mouth in place of the extracted tooth.

4. Last but not least, maintain appropriate oral hygiene measures.

Brushing twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste (indications differ by age of child), flossing daily and regular hygiene visits as well as low sugar diet are mandatory to keep dental decay at bay.

Stay healthy and have a lovely smile.

"Parents, don't let your children brush their teeth on their own"

Interview with Dr. Chantal Kengo, Specialist Pediatric Dentist

One of the main causes of tooth decay in children is poor oral hygiene, more specifically inefficient brushing of teeth. What happens when we let our children do the brushing on their own? Find out from Dr.  Chantal today.

You see a lot of children and parents every day. What do most parents say when it comes to brushing their children's teeth?

During consultation, parents would often say "My child knows how to do it", "My child does not want me to brush his/her teeth" or "I want my child to be independent." Most parents allow their children to brush their teeth by themselves. What happens then? The child does a very poor job of cleaning his teeth, and ultimately, the end result is cavities.

What do you recommend parents when it comes to their children's oral hygiene?

Every child is different but in general parents should brush their child's teeth until they are about 5 to 8 years old. Remember that it is very important that parents continue to supervise their children's brushing until the age 10 to 12. This is to make sure that they're doing it thoroughly. Brushing should be done for two minutes minimum twice a day.

What if the child insists on brushing on his own?

Brushing is a skill. Like many skills, it take years to learn it and be good at it. Young children usually do not have the manual dexterity to brush or floss properly. If your child wants to do it by himself, let him! It's a great way for him to practice but ALWAYS make sure that you brush his teeth before or after he's done it for himself. For older children aged 10 to 12 years, make sure that you supervise them. Be there when your child brushes his teeth and make sure that your child is doing it well. Reinforce whenever necessary.

Do you still see many cases of tooth decay in children?

I see a lot of cases. In fact, although tooth decay is preventable, the World Health Organization reports that around 60 – 90% of children around the world have tooth decay.

What other advice can you give parents?

Aside from proper oral hygiene and regular checkups, one other main thing that parents should focus on is their children's diet. I suggest a diet with very minimal intake of sugar to help protect your child from cavities. If you must give your child some sweets, give a small serving along with a main meal, or have a “Sweet Day”, one day in the week where your child can enjoy some sweets. Parents should also be wary about juices. Juices, even those labelled fresh or sugar-free, are loaded with sugar and acids. Limit juices and encourage your child to drink more water instead.

In Focus: Mouth Breathing in Children

Do you often see your child breathing through his mouth? Our specialists at Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic discuss the cause, dangers and treatment for young mouth breathers.

What are the signs and causes of mouth breathing?

“Mouth breathing is a very common problem that begins in childhood and can continue unnoticed till adulthood,” said Dr. Mai Kamar, our pediatric dentist.

“It has two major types - pathological or habitual. Pathological mouth breathing has an underlying cause such as enlarged adenoids, deviated nasal septum, asthma, allergic rhinitis, etc., where there is an actual obstruction to the nasal airway, hence the child resolves to breathing through the mouth to get the required amount of oxygen the body needs.”

“Habitual mouth breathing is where the child develops such habit after having a strong cold accompanied by nasal obstruction or allergy that caused him to breathe through the mouth during his illness. In this case, even after the cold subsides, the child continues to breathe through the mouth out of habit.”

“A parent can identify if his child has such a problem, by observing them from a distance while they are playing or watching TV,” said Dr. Mai. “If your child fails to keep his lips sealed during normal activity and keeps his mouth open for breathing, snores during sleep, has under eye circles, has crooked teeth, or has a chronic bad breath, then most probably your child is a mouth breather.”

How can mouth breathing affect children’s teeth?

“Mouth breathing can particularly affect the growing face,” said Dr. Argiro Kechagia, specialist orthodontist, “and these alterations will occur in the muscles associated with the face, tongue and the neck.”

“Untreated airway problems may so severely affect facial growth that orthodontics alone cannot correct the malocclusion. Corrective jaw surgery later in life, in addition to the necessary procedures to open the nasal airway, may be required.”

According to our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Dr. Walter Goriwoda, mouth breathing throughout the growth stage can cause “specific craniofacial changes including narrow palate (due to missing pressure of tongue on palate), vertical increase (lengthening of lower face) and retruded jaw (1,5). Dental malocclusions are also observed, mainly posterior crossbite and anterior open bite, leading to absence of lip competence (1,3,5).”

Mouth breathing reduces the salivary flow and dries out the mouth. Without the protective functions of saliva, it can “potentially lead to demineralization of teeth with higher risk of decay chronic gingivitis, periodontitis (gum disease), candida infections and halitosis (bad breath) (4).”

Can mouth breathing potentially lead to more serious complications?

Our nose processes the air we breathe before it enters our lungs. Mouth breathing pulls all pollution and germs directly into the lungs; dry cold air in the lungs makes the secretions thick, slows the cleaning cilia, and slows down the passage of oxygen into the blood stream (AAO-HNS).

Dr. Walter also explains that “mouth breathing bypasses the protective function of the nose and sensitization to inhaled allergens is increased. This may increase asthma morbidity (2).”

It is very important to address mouth breathing at an early age where the treatment is much simpler and faster. Mouth breathing can affect the growth and development of your child. It may affect quality of sleep and lead to poor concentration during the day.

Who can diagnose and treat mouth breathing?

If your child is mouth breathing, take him/her to an ENT specialist. They are doctors who diagnose and manage diseases of the ears, nose, larynx, sinuses, throat, as well as structures of the neck and face.

Your child’s dentist can help prevent the habit by providing trainers and appliances that will progress the development of normal nasal breathing patterns and consequently help in developing proper alignment and occlusion of your child’s teeth.

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1. Pacheco MCT et al. Craniofacial changes and symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing in healthy children). Dental Press J Orthod. 2015;20(3):80-7
2. Yumi I et al. Mouth breathing, another risk factor for asthma: the Nagahama Study. Allergy 2016; Mar 17 [Epub ahead of print]
3. Juliano ML et al. Mouth breathing children have cephalometric patterns similar to those of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Arg Neuropsiquiatr 2009;67(3B):860-5
4. Surtel A et al. The influence of breathing mode on the oral cavity. Pol Merkur Lekarski 2015;39(234):405-7
5. Harari D et al. The effect of mouth breathing versus nasal breathing on dentofacial and craniofacial development in orthodontic patients. Laryngoscope 2010;120(10):2089-93

Early Childhood Caries: A Major Health Concern

By: Dr.Carol Onyango DMD, MPH

1.        What is Early Childhood Caries (ECC)?

Dental caries is a chronic infectious disease caused by bacteria that breaks down sugar into acids which erode teeth over time. 

If a child under the age of six years old has at least one cavity, missing tooth due to dental caries or a filling on any baby tooth, then they are considered to have early childhood caries. 

If they are younger than three years old, and have a cavity on any tooth surface, then this is severe early childhood caries.

2.      What are the risk factors of early childhood caries?

Apart from poor oral hygiene, there are several risk factors that increase chances of getting ECC.  Young children are at risk of early childhood caries if their caregiver has high levels of the bacteria causing decay.  The disease can be transferred to the child through saliva for instance, when sharing utensils or cleaning a pacifier with the mouth. 

Other risk factors include a high consumption of sugar particularly between meals.  The most obvious foods that cause decay are chocolates, sweets, cookies, juice, sodas and so on.  However, sticky sweet foods such as raisins, dates and some dried fruit also increase the risk of tooth decay.  Some medicines given to children are flavoured with high amounts of sugar and this too may increase the risk of early childhood caries. 

Putting sweet drinks in sippy cups and milk bottles and/or allowing children to go to sleep with milk in a bottle increases the risk of developing ECC as well.

3.      What are the consequences of ECC?

The health of children’s teeth should not be minimised just because they are “baby teeth.”  When children have ECC, the resulting pain and infection can cause several major problems.  Most children are not very good at describing pain and parents may become aware of the severity only as a result of restless nights or poor sleep, poor eating habits and lack of concentration in school; all of which are very important for proper growth and development of the child. 

In addition, if ECC is left untreated for a while, the infection can become serious leading to high fever, admission into the hospital, emergency room visits and a much higher cost of treatment.  Children who have ECC are also more likely to develop caries in their permanent teeth if changes are not made early on.

4.      How can ECC be prevented?

a)      Mothers should make sure that they have a dental check-up and complete any necessary treatment to avoid passing on decay-causing bacteria to their children.

b)      Parents should also minimise saliva sharing activities such as cleaning pacifiers with the mouth and sharing utensils.

c)       Parents should bring their children to visit a paediatric dentist by age one to establish a dental home for their child.

d)      Oral hygiene is very important.  Parents should brush their children’s teeth at least twice daily with an age-appropriate toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.  For children under age 3, a smear amount of fluoride toothpaste is sufficient while a pea-size amount should be used for children between 3 and 8 years old.

e)      Children at risk of getting early childhood caries should visit their paediatric dentist for professionally applied fluoride.

f)        Minimising consumption of sugar overall and also sweet snacks and drinks between meals.

g)      Minimising the consumption of processed foods that have high amounts of hidden sugars will also prevent tooth decay.

h)      Prevent putting children to bed with milk in a bottle and/or wipe teeth with a wet cloth after night-time milk feeding.

i)        Avoid putting juices and other sweet drinks in baby bottles and sippy cups.

j)        As children approach their first birthday, they should be encouraged to drink from a regular cup.

Finally, going to the dentist is fun again.

Immediately-loaded Dental Implants: What You Need To Know

Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic’s Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon Dr. Walter Goriwoda, MD, DMD answers the most commonly asked questions about immediately-loaded dental implants.

1. What are immediately loaded implants? Are same day implants the same as immediately loaded implants?

In modern dentistry, missing teeth should be ideally restored by insertion of dental implants. In many cases and specifically in the aesthetic regions, where patient would show gaps after tooth extraction, a single dental implant can be placed immediately after tooth extraction into the fresh extraction socket. In most cases, the implant is stable enough to be loaded with an immediate implant crown. To allow for osseointegration of the implant, the surrounding bone has to grow right onto the implants surface without being disturbed by any movements of the implant. This is why the immediate crown on a newly inserted single dental single implant should not be subjected to any masticatory forces for several weeks.

In cases where rehabilitation of all teeth in upper or lower jaws is necessary, at least 4 implants (better more) should be inserted into one jaw. The whole dentition can then be attached to these implants as a suprastructure. Due to different biomechanics, minor masticatory (chewing) forces can be tolerated immediately.

The term same day implants is mainly used for advertising purposes, but indeed comprises immediate loading of the newly placed dental implant.

2. Who are the best candidates for immediately loaded implants?

Ideally the best candidates are young, healthy, nonsmoking patients without any periodontal disease and sufficient amount of bone, which of course is almost never the case! There is always a specific reason for the necessity to remove a tooth/teeth and each case has to be investigated individually for the suitability of extraction with immediate implant placement and loading. In general, there is very few absolute contraindications.

3. What are the benefits of immediately loaded implants?

Following a conservative treatment modality means to wait 3-6 months after tooth extraction. Then the implant is placed and another 3 months for osseointegration are awaited before the restoration with a crown takes place. This is an almost unacceptable long period of time for our modern society! But more importantly, another negative side effect might occur during this waiting periods which is resorption of bone and recession of gums.

Insertion of a dental implant right after tooth extraction with immediate placement of a crown has a superior outcome when it comes to the long term aesthetics of the surrounding tissues. The alveolar bone surrounding the newly placed immediately restored implant and its surrounding gums will be preserved to its maximum degree. It should be the treatment modality of choice for aesthetic areas where the patient shows gums when smiling!

And of course it is a nice side effect for the patient to get a complete dental rehabilitation in a day and not to suffer from a socially unacceptable tooth gap for several months neither to struggle with some temporary removable denture.

4. What is the success rate of immediately loaded implants?

The success rates of extraction with immediate implant placement and immediate loading of primary stable implants do not differ from the conservative treatment modality, when the suitability is clinically assessed prior to surgery. Prognosis can be compromised due to periodontal disease, insufficient oral hygiene, or systemic disease but then all dental surgical procedures are more prone to complications independent of which implant insertion concept was followed.

5. What is the procedure like? How many appointments will it take to get the implants and crowns done?

The removal of the tooth is the more invasive surgical part. Inserting the dental implant into the fresh extraction socket is easily practicable. In most cases the implant is stable enough in the anterior jaw and can be immediately restored with a chairside custom made temporary crown. The whole procedure of dental rehabilitation is done in one session only and takes approximately 2 hours.

6. What can patients expect after receiving their implants?

Depending on each patient individually and the location of extraction and implant placement, some amount of swelling and pain, must be expected for about 3-5 days and even bruising might occur.

7. How often should patients come to visit their oral surgeon after the implants are done?

It is advisable to have a follow-up with the surgeon approximately a week after implant placement and again prior to restoration with the permanent crown. In the long term, the implant maintenance constitutes of regular sessions with the dental hygienist and normal follow-ups with the dentist.

5 Things You Should Know About Fluoride & Your Child’s Teeth

By  Dr. Carol Onyango, DMD, MPH

1. What is fluoride?

Fluoride is a compound that contains the natural element known as fluorine. Routinely using small amounts of fluoride can help prevent tooth decay. Studies have shown that in places with community water fluoridation, decay rates have reduced by over 50 per cent and children grow up with fewer cavities. Where fluoride is not available in the community water, the use of toothpaste, mouth rinses and professionally applied gels and varnishes containing fluoride as the active ingredient is highly recommended to help reduce tooth decay.

Dr. Carol Onyango, DMD, MPH 
Specialist Pediatric Dentis

2. How does fluoride prevent cavities?

When sugar is broken down, it forms an acid which attacks and weakens the tooth enamel by causing the loss of minerals and creating cavities. Fluoride helps prevent this loss of minerals and encourages strengthening of the enamel in areas where cavities are just beginning to develop. Fluoride also affects the bacteria that help in causing the acid attacks on the teeth. When the use of fluoride is combined with a healthy diet and good oral hygiene, the risk for decay is reduced even further.

3. Is fluoride safe?

There is confirmation from clinical studies that fluoride use in the appropriate quantities for the prevention and control of tooth decay is both safe and highly effective. However, products containing fluoride should be stored out of reach of young children.

4. What happens if my child swallows fluoridated toothpaste while brushing?

To avoid ingesting excessive amounts of fluoride, always monitor children to make sure that they are using the correct amount of fluoride toothpaste for their age. This should be a smear amount for children less than three years of age and a pea-size amount for children aged 3-8 twice daily.

5. My child’s dentist suggests fluoride varnish? What is it for?

Topical fluoride is used and applied by a dental professional to prevent tooth decay. It comes in the form of gels, foams and varnish. Gels or foams are placed in trays and held against the teeth for up to 4 minutes while fluoride varnish is “painted” on teeth.

Image: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
Comparison of a smear (left) with a pea-sized (right) amount

5 Most Common Questions on Brushing Kid's Teeth

Written by Dr. Carol Onyango, Specialist Pediatric Dentist

Moms and dads, here are five things you need to know about brushing your little one’s teeth.

1. When should I start brushing my child's teeth?

You should start brushing your child's teeth when the first baby tooth erupts (grows in the mouth).

2. What's the right way to brush my child's teeth?

The best way to brush your child's teeth is in a circular motion with a soft toothbrush of age-appropriate size. All surfaces of all teeth should be brushed to help dislodge food and reduce bacteria plaque levels.

3. How much toothpaste should my child use? Should I use a fluoride toothpaste?

Fluoride in the right amount is safe and effective in preventing and controlling tooth decay; and fluoride toothpaste is recommended twice daily.

A smear amount of fluoride toothpaste should be used for children under age 3, while children 3-8 years old should use a pea-sized amount.

4. When can my child start brushing on his/her own?

Your child can start brushing their own teeth when they can hold a brush well. However, this does not mean that they will brush well and there is no specific age when a child will do this. Supervision and assistance is needed for all children and can in some instances, continue into adolescence.

5. What can I do if my child refuse to brush his/her teeth?

Many young children will give parents a hard time with brushing but it's important to persevere through the process because a healthy mouth is much better than the consequences of tooth decay and gum disease. While visiting your pediatric dentist, they can demonstrate how this can be done to make the process quicker while still efficient.

Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic in Dubai Welcomes American Board Certified Pediatric Dentist to its Team

14^th February 2016, Dubai, UAE: Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic, the leading and most advanced dental health care provider in the region, welcomes American Board Certified Specialist Pediatric Dentist Dr. Carol Onyango DMD, MPH to its team of Specialist Pedodontists.

Dr. Carol completed her B.S. degree in Biochemistry and graduated Summa cum Laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2003. Four years later, she received her DMD from the University of Connecticut - School of Medicine and Dental Medicine. She earned her Specialization in Pediatric Dentistry from Columbia University, New York in 2009 and successfully completed her Postdoctoral Clinical Fellowship in Pediatric Dental Leadership from the same institution in 2010. Pursuing further studies, Dr. Carol received her Masters of Public Health degree from King’s College London in 2011.

“I needed a specialty that was challenging, exciting and varied on a day to day basis,” said Dr. Carol.  “Pediatric dentistry fit me like a glove. There is never a dull moment working with children; they keep me on my toes and make me smile very often.”

Before joining Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic, Dr. Carol teamed up with other physicians and dentists and served as the sole Pediatric Dentist for one of the U.S. Government Health Centres in Germany serving a community of over a thousand children.

She also worked as a Pediatric Dental Resident in New York where she treated patients under conscious sedation and general anesthesia, collaborated with various specialists in the management of patients with complicated craniofacial disorders and treated patients in both the Adult and Pediatric Emergency Department. She offers full-scale dental health services, oral health literacy, early detection of oral diseases and risk intervention.

She is a strong advocate of preventive oral health care for underserved communities and has been a dental volunteer in several countries since 2004.

“Child oral health tends to lack priority on the health agenda of many countries, yet oral health diseases in children are on the rise globally. This needs to change and I hope to be a part of it through child oral health philanthropy projects which I am passionate about.”

“Over the years, I have volunteered in Kenya, Belize, Dominican Republic and several states in America.  I also serve as the African Region consultant for the Global Child Dental Fund and served as an oral health working group executive for the World Federation of Public Health Associations.“

Dr. Carol is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, American Dental Association and the New York State Dental Association.

To schedule your child’s appointment with Dr. Carol, please visit www.drmichaels.com to book an appointment online, or call Dr. Michael’s Children’s Dental Center in Umm Suqeim at 04-3397700.

 About Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic

Founded in 1997, Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic represents the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art, multispecialty dentistry in Dubai, UAE. It has assembled a team of international dental specialists, hygienists and support staff for general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, implantology, orthodontics, prosthodontics and pediatric dentistry, serving nearly 40,000 patients in and around the UAE.

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Media enquiry

For further information, please contact:

Maria Cristina Cubacub

Marketing Director

Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic

cristina@drmichaels.com

Contact No: +971564423078  

Secondhand Smoke and Its Harmful Effect on Children's Teeth

Dentists at Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic talk about the new study that showed evidence that infants exposed to secondhand smoke seem more like to develop tooth decay.

13^th January 2016, Dubai, UAE: Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic’s Clinical Head Dr. Marwan Al-Obeidi and Specialist Pediatric Dentist Dr. Chantal Kengo, discuss the new study published in the BMJ and its relevance to their practice.

The study concludes that exposure to tobacco smoke at 4 months of age was associated with an approximately twofold increased risk of tooth decay (aka caries or cavities) in deciduous or milk teeth. The risk of tooth decay was also increased by 1.5-fold among those exposed to smoking in the household. The effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy was not statistically significant.

“Less than 5% of parents who attend my clinic as patients are smokers,” said Dr. Marwan. “We are seeing a general trend of reduction in the number of smokers in the west, but unfortunately it remains a large scale problem in the Middle East and in developing and emerging countries as a whole. Nonetheless, most people tend to stop smoking once they discover they become parents as their sense of responsibility heightens and it is for this reason that I have a very low percentage of patients who are parents and smoke.”

“Tooth decay is an infectious disease caused by a lot of factors including insufficient oral hygiene habits, a diet rich in sugars, the frequency of sugary food intake and poor quality of teeth and saliva (genes),” Dr. Chantal said. “It is not rare to find young children (those under 5 years old) who have cavities. Forty per cent of young children have cavities. This early form of cavities is a severe disease called Early Childhood Caries.”

“As oral health providers, we look further into other important things when addressing the problem of tooth decay in children. We have to take into consideration the parents’ education, socio-economic level of the family, their access to oral health and the beliefs they live with. Some parents strongly believe that sweets are a part of childhood. There are a lot of parents in the UAE who smoke cigarettes and shishas (hookah), I think these findings will be useful in educating parents about their children’s oral health.”

Smoking is one of the leading causes of oral cancer and Dr. Marwan said that oral cancer screening is a very important part of every dental checkup. “As part of my routine questions, I always ask patients about their alcohol consumption and their tobacco intake. (If they are smokers) I advise them on the effects of smoking not only on their general health, with a particular emphasis on the detrimental qualities of smoking on oral health, but I also advise them on the effects of secondhand smoking for the people around them.”

“This recent study carried out in Japan is certainly an eye opener with regards to yet another harmful effect of smoking,” said Dr. Marwan. “We are constantly informing our patients and educating them about the several harmful effects that smoking causes, but for smoking to be proven to cause dental caries in children who inhale secondhand smoke is certainly a revelation in the dental world which I am certain will cause shockwaves and help the health professionals in combating smoking with yet another harmful effect that they can advise their patients about.”

About Dr. Marwan Al-Obeidi

Dr. Marwan Al-Obeidi received his Doctorate in Medical Dentistry from Guy's Hospital, London in 2003. Following his professional qualification, he practiced maxillofacial surgery at Queen Alexandra Hospital and the Royal Military Hospital in Haslar, UK. Dr. Marwan gained membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2007. He has over 10 years of experience working as a general dental practitioner in both Surrey and central London. He is an active member of the Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the General Dental Council (UK).

About Dr. Chantal Kengo

Dr. Chantal Kengo has over 30 years of combined training and experience in both public and private practice in Belgium, Congo, Canada, France, the UK and the UAE. She received her Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the Université Libre de Bruxelles School of Dental Medicine (Brussels, Belgium) in 1985. She pursued further studies and obtained her degree in Pediatric Dentistry from the Université René Descartes School of Dental Sciences (Paris, France) in 2003. She later completed an extensive training in Conscious Sedation from the same university in 2009. She is a member of the Union des Jeunes Chirurgiens Dentistes (UJCD), in Paris, France and of the Emirates Medical Association.

About Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic

Founded in 1997, Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic represents the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art, multispecialty dentistry in Dubai, UAE. It has assembled a team of international dental specialists, hygienists and support staff for general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, implantology, orthodontics, prosthodontics and pediatric dentistry, serving nearly 40,000 patients in and around the UAE.

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Media enquiry

For further information, please contact:

Maria Cristina Cubacub

Marketing Director

Dr. Michael’s Dental Clinic

cristina@drmichaels.com

Contact No: +971564423078  

Regular Dental Checkups for Kids 6-8 Years Old

Written by: Dr. Chantal Kengo, Specialist Pedodontist

In the health sector, the well-proven rule is, it is better to prevent than cure, and this of course, is just as relevant when it comes to oral health.

So for all of us, and particularly children, regular dental checkups are the key to healthy teeth.

As a matter of fact, children aged 6 to 8 undergo an important change in terms of mouth development and teeth growth. They move from having baby teeth to having a mix of baby and adult teeth. And these adult teeth will then stay in the child’s mouth forever.

This major mouth transformation of the child will most of the time create position problems and cavities for which professional attention will be needed.

The major changes

• The child will replace his 8 front teeth; the 4 upper and the 4 lower baby incisors with permanent incisors.
• The child will also undergo the growth of 4 molars behind his baby molars (2 up and 2 down). These teeth are called: the 6-year-old molars. Molars are the teeth located at the back of the mouth.

Dr. Chantal Kengo, Pediatric Dentist

Why Regular Checkups?

Regular checkups should take place every 6 months and during this key childhood period, they will allow the Pediatric Dentist:

1. To prevent wrong bites (malocclusions)
   Indeed, the 8 new permanent incisors are much larger than the baby ones. That will create a lot of position problems as these new teeth won’t have enough space for all of them to fit properly.
   The Pediatric Dentist will therefore intercept these wrong positions in order to prevent malocclusions.
2. To prevent cavities
   The 6-year-old molars arrive silently and without pain, as they don’t replace any teeth. They are very prone to damage and as a matter of fact, children may not include these teeth (the teeth are too far back) in their brushing routine if they are not taught to do so.

A visit to the Pediatric Dentist will make the child and his parents aware of the new teeth and teach them how to effectively clean and brush them. The Pediatric Dentist will eventually apply sealants and fluoride on these new teeth for protection.

8 Tips on Getting Your Child to Brush His Teeth

Brushing your child’s teeth should not be a daily rendition of an atrocious horror story. If it’s such a struggle getting your child to brush his teeth, you are not alone.

Having your young one embrace the early habit of cleaning his teeth may be a challenging task, but it is certainly an important one. Your child may respond differently to the usual brushing techniques other children his age would, so you may need to add a dose of creativity to get your child brushing in no time.

Here are a few tricks that may encourage your children to enjoy brushing:

1. Make toothbrush shopping special. Let your child pick out his own toothbrush. Colored, cartoon themed or even those that light up when squeezed - there are plenty of choices available in the market. Alternatively, you can buy identically colored toothbrush just for you and your little one.
2. Practice makes perfect. Let your child enjoy brushing the teeth of his favorite stuffed animal. You may even let him brush yours! When he’s done, give him a chance to brush his own teeth. Be sure to follow up with ‘polishing touches’ to make sure his teeth and gums are thoroughly cleaned.
3. Show your child that brushing is fun. If he’s hesitant about letting you brush his teeth, let him watch you as you carefully brush yours. Children love to copy what adults do and this could be the key to getting him engaged in taking care of his own oral health.
4. Add spice to the routine. While he tries to brush his teeth, make up silly words and dance along!
5. Brush away the pinky plaque. Give chewable tablets that turn plaque pink a try, and playfully persuade him to brush away the color with his toothbrush.
6. Name that tooth. Make him understand that each member of his pearly whites is important. Let your child give each tooth a nickname and remind him that not a single toothy character should be left out.
7. Be your child’s very own tooth fairy. Don’t forget to praise your child and reward him for a job well done!
8. Flavor counts. Let him choose the flavor that appeal to his taste. This could be the single most important key to getting him hooked on brushing. Also, be sure to use toothpaste that's specially made for kids.

Brushing should not be a chore. Don’t lose your heart if your child doesn’t develop a liking to brushing right away. Make the habit so much fun that he won’t be able to resist the urge to pick up his toothbrush next time!