Dr. Neil De Souza' s Pediatric Dentistry

15/10/2022

Ending the week on a high.

14/10/2022

It is always a pleasure to be at Lil Thinkers Playschool and Nursery

08/11/2021

03/05/2021

Due to the exponential rise in cases, we shall be working only on emergency basis, with a mandatory prior appointment.
In case of emergencies, kindly call/whatsapp 9922087494

15/02/2021

𝙈𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 ?
Absolutely YES !
These are natural characteristics and they will disappear as a child grows. This is because, over time, as a child uses their permanent teeth continue to chew their food, the mamelons gradually wear away. On the other hand, if an adult still has mammelons, it may be because when you bite, your top front teeth don’t touch your bottom front teeth.
𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙨 & 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩?
If you are someone who previously had mammelons, you are probably wondering why they disappeared as you got older. This is because, over time, as a child uses their permanent teeth continuously to chew their food, the mammelons gradually wear away. On the other hand, if you an adult who still has mamelons, it may be because when you bite, your top front teeth don’t touch your bottom front teeth. As a result of this, both sets of teeth don’t have the opportunity to meet & grind against each other to gradually cause the mamelons to wear away. If you are someone who hates how your mammelons look then you can ask your dentist to make them smoother.

29/11/2020

Pulpectomy is a conservative treatment approach to preventing the premature loss of primary teeth that can result in loss of arch length, insufficient space for erupting permanent teeth, impaction of premolars, and mesial tipping of molar teeth adjacent to the lost primary molar.

How can we avoid a situation needing pulpectomy ?

Pulpectomy is performed when tooth is damaged by decay. You may be able to prevent decay by practicing good oral care:

a) Brush your teeth (or your child’s teeth) at least twice a day.
b) Drink water with meals to wash away sugar and acids.
c) Replace sugary drinks with water or milk.
d) Have regular exams.
Diagnosing early decay may mean the difference between a standard filling and a pulpectomy.
The following image is an illustration of pulpectomy.
* Crown is yet to be placed.

24/10/2020

A little message from our little patient!
While waiting for his appointment little Tapasya made sure to keep us all aware of Covid19 precautions.

Stay safe!

27/08/2020

The toothbrush query !
Which one to use?
Tooth brushing is a specific, demonstrable behaviour that should begin early and occur often. With so many varieties of brushes available, we often wonder which one could work best for my child.
Effective tooth brushing requires something more than knowing, or being told, it is important. As little as one in-person instructional session in how to brush a young child’s teeth can reduce risk of tooth decay.

Twice daily tooth brushing is a low-cost strategy to reduce risk of childhood caries. Brushing frequency is an effective means to train and is not related to children’s age.

There are several reasons why tooth brushing is a worthwhile focus for health promotion intervention. Research states, the tooth brushing behaviour most strongly associated with children being caries free at four years of age was as a result of the onset of brushing by the parent before age two.
Let us discuss tooth brushes which are available in the market.

BEFORE ERUPTION

Finger brushes: Age: 0 until tooth erupts.
Use a clean, damp washcloth, a gauze pad, or a finger brush to gently wipe clean the first teeth and the front of the tongue, after meals and at bedtime.

Silicone brush: Age: upto 9 months.
Help understand the concept of tooth brushing and make the whole exercise playful. They are easy to hold and really gentle on sensitive, soft gums. They can be frozen to serve as a teether.

AFTER TEETH ERUPT

Manual brushes: EXTRA SOFT bristled: Age: 6-36 months.
These have soft grips that are easy for small hands to hold. Extra soft bristles effectively clean while being gentle on kids' teeth.

Manual brushes: SOFT bristled. Age: 3- 6 years
These are best in removing plaque and debris from your teeth and along the gum line. These can be used much earlier as well.

ELECTRIC tooth brushes
Not a must. But helps parent clean better and effectively. IF your child is super fussy to brush and does not allow to brush his/her teeth, you can consider an brushing your child's teeth with an electric toothbrush which can help you clean the stains or plaque better with minimum effort.

23/08/2020

04/08/2020

How much toothpaste ?

For children under age 3: Brush teeth with a smear of fluoridated toothpaste. With this minimum quantity, it is safe without spitting.

For children over age 3: Use a pea-size amount and encourage your child to spit it out after you brush.

When your child can hold a toothbrush, it’s time to start learning how to brush. Let your child watch you brush your own teeth. Children enjoy trying to do what their parents do. You might even want to let your child try brushing your teeth—or a favorite plush toy’s teeth.

Be sure to monitor your young child’s brushing. After your child practices brushing his or her own teeth, finish the job by brushing your child’s teeth. Children need help brushing until their dexterity improves i.e they are old enough to tie their own shoelaces or have an improved hand writing, which is usually around age 7 or 8.

Brushing should last for at least two minutes. You can make it a fun time together. For example, you may want to play a favorite song while brushing or tell jokes with your child before and after
you brush.