Blog | Dr. Larika Robb

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Why You Should Be Saving Your Child’s Baby Teeth

Medical research is amazing and from time to time, they may discover something that could easily save a life. New research has recently shown that baby teeth contain stem cells that are almost exactly the same as what is found in cord blood. Why is that important for you to know?

Admittedly, many parents like to hang onto the baby teeth of their child for as long as possible. Scientists are now saying that it may be important to do so for their life!

These stem cells found in cord blood are so valuable to the health of the child that some parents are paying thousands of dollars to have it banked. Those stem cells could come in handy someday because it may actually save the child’s life or another close relative of the child if they were to have a serious illness.

The cord blood is a type of insurance policy, even if it is an expensive policy. It is the lifesaving potential that is in the stem cells which can make a difference.

It has been determined that it is not only cord blood that contains those stem cells, baby teeth contain the same types of cells as well! Contained within those tiny teeth is the power to cure diseases that could be life-threatening. Stem cells can also be used for tissue replacement and for regrowing bones with of the body. Dr. Jesse Witkoff, a pediatric dentist had the following to say:

“We don’t have treatment for certain things today, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have them tomorrow,”

One of the benefits that may come about as a result of saving the stem cells is the cure for type I diabetes. There may also be many other benefits that they provide as well.

Recent medical advances in both stem cell research and baby teeth have made it quite popular to store them long-term. In fact, there are storage facilities cropping up in many parts of the world to save those precious little items.

It may also be possible to purchase kits that allow you to store the baby teeth as they fall out. Preserving them for the future in this way may just save a life.

Please pass this information on to others.

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Why children have rotten teeth

Please don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle which is the #1 cause of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, also known as Early Childhood Caries (ECC). Children who are frequently exposed to sugary liquids—such as milk, breast milk, formula, fruit juice, and other sweet liquids—for long periods of time run a great risk of suffering from Early Childhood Caries. ECC is an infectious disease that can begin as early as the teeth begin to emerge (around 6 months or so), often progresses rapidly, and can cause great pain to the child.

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Perfectly straight teeth have become a must have smile accessory for many kids, teens and adults, but there may be more options available than you first thought.

1. Traditional Metal Braces:
These braces have metal brackets (although a lot smaller than they once were) with a metal wire that straightens the teeth.
Pros: Lease expensive and you can also have coloured bands (which kids enjoy.)
Cons: They are the most visible braces.

2. Ceramic Braces
These braces have tooth coloured brackets that blend into the teeth making them less visible.Pros: Less noticeable than the metal braces
Cons: More expensive than the metal braces, and, if you’re not careful the brackets can stain.

3. Lingual Braces
These braces are attached to the inside of the teeth so they are completelyinvisible.
Pros: Invisible from the outside.
Cons: More expensive and can be more uncomfortable when first fitted.
They’re also tricky to clean and can take longer to adjust.

4. Invisalign
This is a series of 18 to 30 custom made mouth guard like plastic alignerswhich are removable and are replaced every 2 weeks.
Pros: Almost invisible and it allows the patient to remove the aligner for eating and cleaning.
Cons: Very expensive, easily lost (particularly if a teenager is using it.) The Invisalign is only available for teens and adults and the results can take longer to achieve.

Chat to Dr Robb for more information on tooth alignment and perfect smile creation.

*Source: Oral B

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For most people the phrase “crowning glory” refers to gorgeous locks of hair, but here at the Dr Robb All Smiles Practice it’s your pearly whites we’d like to chat about.
Sometimes your teeth get damaged and Dr Robb may suggest a crown. So what is a crown?

“It’s a permanent prosthetic cemented to your tooth and it’s used to cap a tooth for strengthening, cosmetic or alignment purposes.”*
One of the amazing things about Dr Robb’s practice is that you can get a 1 day crown, meaning that a process that can take up to a week, leaving you with a gap in your smile takes only a few hours with Dr Robb.

Why? Her fabulous CEREC machine! You can see your new shiny white tooth being created as you wait and the fitting doesn’t take too long either. “We’ve had a number of patients come in, very distressed because a tooth has broken, chipped or discoloured and the thought of not being able to smile for a week is just not an option.” Says Dr Robb. “The CEREC machine is a marvel of modern technology and enables us to fix smiles that much faster.”
So next time you bite into an apple (or a piece of peanut brittle) and your tooth is worse for wear, we’re happy to help with a CEREC tooth that can become your crowning glory!

*Colgate Oral Care Centre.