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Smiles have a Tendency to Bounce Back

Smiles have a Tendency to Bounce Back

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Smile Quote No. 1: If You Smile at Someone, They May Smile Back.

During your children’s teenage years, they undergo a number of trials and tribulations. Some of these situations test their confidence and make them wonder where they fit in with the rest of the world and their peers. After an appointment with Dr. Don Demas, you might find that they need braces, but you can teach them that what they give out to the world, they can bring back.

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Children’s Tooth Loss Timetable

Children’s Tooth Loss Timetable

At What Age Do Baby Teeth Normally Fall Out?

When a child has reached 3 years old there are usually 20 baby teeth present. Up to the age of 6 years, these teeth remain firmly in place, but then tooth loss starts to take place.

Activity in the mouth changes rapidly between the ages of 6 and 8 years when eight of these teeth are lost – one after the other. The remaining 12 stay firmly in place from age 8 to age 10 and the next mass tooth loss occurs between the age of 10 and 13 years

This tooth loss follows a certain sequence as well as a time frame but is not always consistent. The front four teeth, both lower and upper, are normally lost first, starting at age 6 with the bottom central incisors and then the top central incisors. The top and bottom lateral incisors then emerge between the ages of 7 and 8. Your child should have 8 permanent teeth by the time he or she has reached 8 years.

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Orthodontic Check-up Guide

Orthodontic Check-up Guide

When is the right time for an orthodontic check-up?

People often wonder when they should first go for an orthodontic check-up. The American Association of Orthodontists has a simple answer to this question as they recommend that a child should pay his or her first visit to an orthodontist at 7 years of age.

This magic age of 7 has been earmarked as it is when the child is starting to gain a combination of both baby and permanent teeth.  An early visit to the orthodontist will reveal any problems that are currently affecting the teeth. Once the baby teeth have all been lost and there is an underlying problem emerging, the permanent teeth may be at risk of damage later on. At a first consultation, the jaw and its relationship to the jawbone are closely scrutinized too.

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Orthodontists: An Introduction

Orthodontists: An Introduction

What is an Orthodontist?

An orthodontist is a dentist who has completed three years of extra study to gain an orthodontic qualification.  Most reputable orthodontists are a member of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO).

An orthodontist’s specialization is in the treatment of misaligned teeth and jaws. If these misalignments are not corrected, people can experience such handicaps as speech defects, chewing problems and difficulties in the maintenance of oral hygiene.

An orthodontist can treat “under bite,” which is what results when the bottom teeth are further forward than the top teeth and “overbite,” which is when the top teeth are further forward than the bottom teeth. Poor chewing can result from these imperfections.

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