SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – National Tooth Fairy Day is celebrated on February 28 every year.

Losing the first tooth is an exciting time, because many children look forward to a visit from the tooth fairy. This day is dedicated to childhood’s make-believe visitor.

A majority of children believe if they place their baby teeth under their pillow cases the tooth fairy will visit them in the middle of the night, take the tooth and leave a gift in its place.

This is great time to teach children about oral hygiene. Baby teeth a space maintainer for the permanent teeth. Without them there won’t be enough room for permanent teeth to erupt properly.

Bad oral hygiene habits can lead to decay, resulting in the loss of teeth earlier than normal. Children that lose their baby teeth early will usually need orthodontic treatment in order to maintain the space.

Also, this is a great time for educating parents about baby bottle decay. Many let their children fall asleep with a bottle of milk or juice. Baby bottle decay rots the top four incisors, due to the positioning of the bottle in the mouth.

If the decay is too severe to fill, the incisors will be extracted. Many children receive a little bridge, consisting of four fake teeth. The bridge acts as a space maintainer for the adult teeth. In some cases, braces will be needed to create space.

“Parents need to be informed about the effects of allowing their children to sleep with a bottle,” says the provider of orthodontics for kids.

Filling the bottle with water can alleviate the problem of sugar being on the teeth at night. However, weaning them off the bottle altogether is best, since it can also cause problems to the alignment of the teeth.

Learn More
If you would like to learn more about orthodontics, such as ceramic braces, visit the San Diego Orthodontics website.

About Dr. Peter Eisenhuth
Dr. Eisenhuth attended the University of Minnesota Dental School and graduated in the top of her class. She earned the Minnesota Association of Orthodontic Achievement Award and several academic achievement awards. She entered her orthodontic residency at the University of Minnesota and earned a certificate in orthodontics and a Master of Science degree.

Dr. Eisenhuth is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.

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