23
Regardless of what cosmetic option
you choose, it’s important to consider
what your goals are for your mouth
and to discuss these goals, along
with any questions or concerns, with
a licensed and experienced dental
professional.
If you didn’t already feel compelled
to take good care of your mouth, teeth
and gums, it’s important to make it a
goal for you and your family in 2011.
Encouraging your children to take
good care of their teeth and bringing
them in for routine dental examines
is a healthy habit that, when started
young, will stay with them throughout
their lifetime.
In addition, the systemic relation-ship
between your oral and overall
health provides even more incentive
to practice proper dental hygiene daily
and to see a dental professional regu-larly.
Not only will you be investing in
your oral health now, but you’ll also
be making an investment into your
body’s overall health for the future.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is the oldest specialty in
the field of dentistry. Because the main
goals of the practice are to straighten the
teeth and improve bite and jaw relation-ships,
many people believe it to be a purely
cosmetic practice. “Not always so,” says
Dr. Warren Phillips.
“So much of what
we do involves get-ting
the workings of
the jaw to mesh
properly.
And while
there is
an aesthetic
value to it, there is also the
goal of functionality.”
There are psychosocial benefits as well.
“About 80 percent of our patients are 10-
15 years old,” Phillips says — an age where
image and appearance can be major concerns.
“It’s rewarding to see children who are self-conscious
about their mouths become more
extroverted and take pride in their smiles.”
Caring for your Child’s Teeth
The CDC estimates that tooth decay affects half
of all children ages 12–15. Further data indicates
that African-American and Hispanic children across
all ages have higher rates of cavities compared with
white non-Hispanic children. A report from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services titled
“Oral Health in America” concluded that dental caries
is the most common chronic
disease of childhood, five
times more common even
than asthma.
Dr. Halley White, of Halley
White Pediatric Dentistry,
practicing in Wilmington
since 2007 and specializ-ing
Dental caries is
the most common
chronic disease of
childhood, five
times more common
even than asthma.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
in dentistry for infants,
children, adolescents and
children with special needs,
says there are several key things parents should do to
reduce their child’s risk of cavities, starting with mak-ing
sure they are brushing and flossing every day. She
also urges parents to limit their child’s sugar intake,
especially fruit juice and soft drinks, which can quickly
contribute to tooth decay.
Now, while it is sometimes advisable to
steer facial growth from a very young age,
Dr. Phillips says he often recommends
waiting until at least age 9 to begin treat-ment.
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t
visit an orthodontist at about age 7, only
that the doctor may recommend a wait-and-
see approach, keeping
a close eye on dental
development,” Dr.
Phillips says, adding
that one of the best
recommendations to
prevent damage to a
child’s smile is to wear
mouth guards during sports or
physical activity.
Products like Invisalign and self-litigat-ing
braces are currently available should
a patient need treatment. Both of these
systems work much like traditional braces,
but with designs that make them less
noticeable, less painful and that require
fewer office visits.