The Teeth Talk :: Q and A with Legacy Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry

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 Disclaimer :: Fort Worth Moms Blog’s own Emily Y interviewed the dental experts and FWMB partners at Legacy Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry to answer these questions all mamas have!
 

1. What’s the Tooth Fairy’s going rate? What’s the word on the street about this?

The Tooth Fairy is usually more generous with the first tooth lost. On average, it seems the going rate for the first tooth is anywhere from $1 – $5. For the following teeth, we have heard the Tooth Fairy brings anywhere from $0.25 – $1. It might be good for the Tooth Fairy to know that kids have 20 teeth to lose when she determines how much to give for each lost tooth. We have also heard that sometmoney from tooth fairyimes the Tooth Fairy leaves behind a glitter trail showing where she has been. It has even been rumored  she has left her footprints in the glitter on the window sill. We enclosed a picture of evidence that the tooth fairy visited our friend Kylee’s house. Word on the street is that the Tooth Fairy also likes to receive letters with the teeth under the pillow, and she will sometimes write back a response. 

2. Do you recommend keeping baby teeth?

We do suggest saving baby teeth until they are normally exfoliated. They serve an important purpose in maintaining space, proper arch formation, and bone height, and help with chewing. Once the baby teeth have exfoliated, it is up to the individual parents whether or not they want to keep the teeth. Some parents choose to keep the teeth as a memento.  

3. The old wives’ saying goes: Don’t eat so much sugar; it will make your teeth rot . . . or candy gives you cavities. Is there any truth to that? Aside from limiting sugar because of its effects on other parts of our body, does sugar really make a difference in oral health?

There is truth to the saying that sugar can negatively affect your oral health. Sugar is part of the equation for cavity formation. What happens in the mouth when you eat sugar is the plaque (build up containing bacteria) and sugars combine in your mouth, forming a more acidic environment in the oral cavity. When the acid coats the teeth, it begins to break down the healthy tooth structure. It takes the mouth an entire 30 minutes to return to a normal pH after eating, so your mouth is under attack during that time. The more sugar you consume, the greater the risk for the cavity process to begin. The following is a picture chart of the process for cavity formation. 

tooth chart4. How should parents approach loose baby teeth? Is it wise to yank out? How about putting a string around the tooth and pulling? Let it dangle until it falls out? What do dentists recommend?

As far as baby teeth go, it is usually best to wiggle teeth when they become very loose. Sometimes, if a baby tooth is still present, the permanent tooth will start to come in behind or in front of the baby tooth and can cause some alignment and spacing issues. If the tooth is loose enough, just a little wiggling and twisting can usually get it to come out. Also, using a string to get the tooth out is fine as well. Positive reinforcement is always a good idea to make the loss of baby teeth fun.  

Stay tuned for our PART TWO of this interview coming in December!

Dr. Doss and Dr. GoldDr. Dan Doss grew up in Kemp, Texas before making the move to Fort Worth to attend TCU. He attended dental school and a two-year residency in the specialty of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston. He has been married to Maureen (Mo) for 33 years and has two grown children, Michael and Kaydee and daughter-in-law Megan. He is excited to welcome his first granddaughter in March 2014. He enjoys reading, playing golf, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Liz Gold grew up in Palestine, TX. She attended Texas A&M University where she graduated in 2006 and proceeded to continue her education at the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston where she completed both dental school and residency. She has four siblings and three in-laws and has recently become an aunt to Luke (22 months) and Emma (three months). In her free time, she enjoys traveling, running, Aggie football games and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Doss and Dr. Gold practice at here in Southwest Fort Worth. They are both Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry as well as local, state and national dental societies. To read all the post written and sponsored by Legacy, click here

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