Fluoride and Decay Prevention

Many years ago scientists started to notice that children who were born and raised in areas with natural fluoride in drinking water had fewer cavities than children in other areas. Fluoride absorbed by your body when teeth were forming (during mother’s pregnancy to early childhood) integrates into the structure of enamel and makes it stronger.

After teeth eruption, fluoride found in your toothpaste, mouthwash, or in what your dentist places on your teeth still has a positive effect on your teeth. It strengthens the enamel and reduces the chance of tooth decay.

If you have children and live in an area that has no fluoride in its drinking water, you should consult your pediatric dentist and physician about fluoride tablets that are available for children. As of 2007, Orange County increase Fluoride concentration in tap water,thus eliminating the need for fluoride supplementation for most children.

If you have any questions about Fluoride treatment Please call Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s office in Aliso Viejo !

Most children feel comfortable when visiting the dentist. Early exposure to the dentist helps younger patients to associate the dental office with feeling of relaxation. Some children however, may feel nervous before their visit or while sitting in the dental chair. Sometimes they need more than gentle care to feel relaxed. Nitrous gas is a safe sedative used to help your child relax during the dental visit while allowing the doctor to effectively treat your child.

Nitrous gas is a blend of oxygen and nitrous oxide. Before the procedure a fitted mask is placed over your child’s nose and as they breathe, the blend is absorbed through the lungs. At the end of the treatment, the nitrous gas is removed and has no lingering effects. One of the side effects during treatment is a sense of contentment and relaxation one of the reasons why nitrous gas is also known as “laughing gas.”

The use of nitrous gas is very safe as it is rapidly absorbed, is reversible, and can be adjusted in concentration. Your child is fully conscious and keeps all of their natural reflexes while absorbing the nitrous gas. If you  are interested in learning more about the use of nitrous gas during your child’s visits, or in other alternatives, please contact Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s pediatric dental office in ALISO VIEJO to answer any of your questions or schedule an appointment to find out if nitrous gas is a suitable option for your child.

Baby bottle tooth decay is the result of frequent, prolonged contact with liquids that contain sugars such as fruit juices, milk, formula or any other sweetened drinks. Evan human breast milk is also a contributor to baby bottle tooth decay. As the sugars break down in the mouth, bacteria start feeding on the sugars, produce acids and cause tooth decay.

If left untreated, decayed teeth can cause pain and discomfort. Your child may need baby root canals, crowns or even extractions when the badly decayed baby teeth are abscessed( infected). If the teeth are damaged or absent, they are unable to help guide permanent teeth into their proper position, possibly affecting future crowding or crooked teeth of adult teeth.

Some tips to preventing baby bottle tooth decay:

If  you suspect your child has baby bottle tooth decay, contact Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s pediatric dental office in ALISO VIEJO  or schedule an appointment for a consultation today.

Please select the procedure you received to see a summary of post-op
instructions. Call us if you have any questions:

• Extraction
• Fillings
• Crowns
• Baby root canals
• Space Maintainers
• Care After Chewed Lip, Cheek or Tongue

Extraction:

1. After an extraction, pressure should be applied on the extraction site for 30 minutes by biting on the gauze pad placed by the doctor. If the bleeding continues new gauze should be placed and pressure applied for another 30 minutes. If your child has excessive bleeding, contact our office ASAP.
2. If you are supervising children who have had an extraction done, make sure they don’t bite on their numb lips, inside cheeks or tongue. In case lip biting occurs, your child will have swelling and a lot of pain. Orabase can be applied on the wounded area to minimize your child’s discomfort. Any swelling not associated with lip biting, you should contact our office ASAP.
3.  Avoid eating or drinking anything hot on the day of your extraction. Also, do not rinse your mouth often and do not use a straw for drinking. Do not spit from time to time and do not drink carbonated beverages. Brush normally, but be careful to avoid the extraction areas.
4. It is normal to have some soreness after an extraction. Children’s Tylenol or Motrin should alleviate the pain.  If pain persists and is not reduced by medications, you should contact our office ASAP.

• Back to Post-op Instructions

Fillings:

1. Do not eat solid food until your numbness is gone.  Anything doesn’t require chewing is fine.  For examples: ice cream, yogurt, smoothies, juice, etc…
2. If you are supervising children who had fillings done, make sure they don’t bite on their numb lips or tongue
3. Do not bite hard or chew on silver amalgam fillings for 24 hours.
4.  You may experience cold and heat sensitivity and some gum soreness; this usually subsides within a few days.
5.  Call  Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s pediatric dental office  if you experience pain or discomfort for more than a few days after the fillings, or if you have any questions.

• Back to Post-op Instructions

Crowns:

1. You may experience sensitivity, gum soreness, and slight discomfort on the tooth/teeth; it should subside within a couple of days with normal brushing on the sore areas, don’t avoid the sore areas.
2. Whenever anesthesia is used, avoid chewing on your teeth until the numbness has worn off.
3. Call our office if you are in pain or if you have any questions.

• Back to Post-op Instructions

Baby Root Canal Treatment:

1. You child may experience some pain and sensitivity to pressure on his or her tooth. Also, you child may feel gum soreness for a couple of  days after the treatment. The healing process may take several days but the pain and discomfort should subside gradually.
2. It is important not to avoid brushing and flossing on the sore areas.
3. Call our office if you are in severe pain or experience swelling, or if you have any questions.

• Back to Post-op Instructions

Space Maintainers:

1. Your child may experience some discomfort mainly because he or she is not used to  the appliance after it is cemented. The discomfort should subside in 2 to 3 days, Children’s Tylenol or Motrin and soft diet may help to ease your child.
2. Try to avoid sticky candy which can loosen the spacer. In case the space maintainer becomes loose, please contact our office right away, and  Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki can recement the spacer for your child.

• Back to Post-op Instructions

Care After Chewed Lips, Cheek or Tongue:

1. In some dental treatments where anesthesia has been used (numbing), your child may bite their cheeks, lips or tongue because they will be unable to feel the areas affected.
2. Numbness generally lasts for a few hours after treatment is performed. During this time, avoid giving your child solid food as they may bite or chew their cheeks, lips, or tongue and not feel the wound. Stick with soft foods such as Jell-O, ice cream, yugort, smoothies  that DOESN’T  require chewing.
3. If your child does bite their cheek, lips, or tongue, there may be swelling over the next couple of days while the wound heals. A yellowish, whiteness will appear over the wound and is a soft scab which is a part of the healing process.
4. Mouth wounds heal in about 10-14 days. If your child complains of discomfort you can apply Orabase over the swollen areas.

• Back to Post-op
  Instructions

Many parents ask why baby teeth are so important to their child’s health when they fall out on their own eventually. Primary teeth stay in place until a permanent tooth underneath erupts, pushing it out and taking it’s place. These teeth are important to the natural development and growth of what will become your child’s permanent smile. Emphasizing healthy oral habits at an early age also promote good nutrition and encourage a positive self-image.

In some instances, when a child loses baby teeth too soon, a space maintainer may be recommended to prevent space loss and future dental damage. Speak with Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki to find out if this is an option for your child. If you live in or around Aliso Viejo, call or schedule an appointment today.

The pulp of a tooth is the inner, central core of the tooth and contains blood vessels and nerves. Dental caries (cavities) and trauma to the tooth are the primary reasons for children to undergo pulp therapy.

Your child may need pulp therapy if he/she has

The main purpose of pulp therapy is that the tooth is not lost. Primary teeth are needed for chewing and speaking and serve as space savers for permanent teeth. Without the primary teeth to guide them, existing neighboring teeth can crowd in, causing permanent teeth to grow in crooked or tilted.

The two forms of pulp therapy for children’s teeth are: vital pulp therapy for primary teeth (pulpotomy) and non-vital pulp therapy for primary teeth (pulpectomy).

Vital Pulp Therapy for Primary (Baby) Teeth

Vital pulp therapy is for cases in which the tooth’s pulp may be salvaged. The main purpose is to maintain and protect existing healthy pulp by removing the diseased pulp tissue within the crown portion of the tooth. Next, an agent is placed to prevent bacterial growth and to calm the remaining nerve tissue.

Non-Vital Pulp Therapy for Primary (Baby) Teeth

Non-vital pulp therapy is required when the entire pulp is diseased
(into the root canal(s) of the tooth). During this treatment, the
diseased pulp tissue is completely removed from all parts of the tooth.
The canals are cleansed and filled with a special material meant to be
naturally absorbed by the body while the root prepares for the primary
tooth to fall out and be replaced by a permanent tooth.

If the pulp is severely damaged then your doctor may recommend removing the tooth entirely. If this is a case
ask if space maintainers are necessary for future development.

If  you suspect your child is in need of pulp therapy or any questions, Please  contact Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s office in ALISO VIEJO to schedule an appointment for a consultation today.

Sealants are thin layers of resin that are placed on the pits, fissures, and grooves of molars to prevent decay on these surfaces.

The majority of decay on back teeth starts in the grooves an pits of chewing surfaces, especially during the first few years after their eruption. Sealing these surfaces with resins (Sealants) prevent this kind of decay.

Sealants are one of the most effective methods of preventing decay on the surfaces where they are placed. Although it is still a possibility that decay may develop on surfaces in between teeth, sealants significantly reduce the overall chance of having cavities. Please call Dr.Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s office in ALISO VIEJO for any questions.

Another alternative for helping nervous children relax at the dentist’s office is the use of sedation. When your child becomes so anxious hat cooperating becomes difficult for them, sedation is an option. Sedation is a method in which medications are used to help your child relax during the dental visit and allow the doctor to effectively treat your child. Sedations tend to produce feelings of drowsiness and relaxation and are not meant to make your child unconscious.

Sedation is also a way to for the dentist to provide more effective treatment along with preventing that may result from uncontrolled movements in an anxious, uncooperative child.

When administered according to the sedation guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry by a pediatric dentist, sedation is a safe, effective option. If you live in or around Aliso Viejo and are interested in learning more about the use of sedation during your child’s visits please contact Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s pediatric dental office to answer any of your questions or schedule an appointment to find out if sedation is a suitable option for your child.

Primary teeth stay in place until a permanent tooth comes in from underneath its position and pushes it out, taking it’s place in the mouth. Some children lose their primary teeth too early due to accidents or dental disease. When this is the case, a space maintainer may be recommended by your pediatric dentist to prevent space loss and future dental problems. It is important to remember the fact that some teeth are not replaced until a child is 12 or 14 years old.

Space maintainers are appliances made of metal or plastic that are custom fit to your child’s mouth. Most children adjust to them quickly. Without a maintainer, the teeth can tilt toward the empty space and cause permanent teeth to come in crooked.

If left untreated, the condition may require future orthodontic treatment. Space maintainers hold open the empty space left by a lost tooth. They steady the remaining teeth, preventing movement until the permanent tooth takes its natural position. It is more affordable to keep teeth in their normal positions with a space maintainer than to move them back in place with orthodontic treatment.

Please call Dr. Cima Mazar-Atabaki’s office in ALISO VIEJO today to schedule your child’s preventive consultation.

Body piercing has become a popular form of body modification in today’s society. Tongue piercings are one particular procedure with high risks. Despite their popularity, it is important to know the associated risk factors with the piercing process.

There are many health risks involved with oral piercings some including chipped or cracked teeth, blood clots, blood poisoning, receding gums or scar tissue. Your mouth is home to millions of bacteria that can easily promote infection in an oral piercing. Your tongue could swell large enough to close off your airway, can affect your speech and can even be a danger if swallowed.

Common symptoms after piercing include pain, swelling, infection, an increased flow of saliva and damage to gum tissue. Difficult-to-control bleeding or nerve damage can result if a blood vessel or nerve is cut by the piercing needle. Even without complications, healing takes four to six weeks.Take the advice of the American Dental Association and just avoid oral piercings.