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Happy Independence Day from Dr. Gregory Weaver and team! The Fourth of July celebrations in America may have changed a lot over the years, but there is no doubt that we Americans love to celebrate the anniversary of our country's independence! Today we're devoting the Weaver Dentistry blog to some fun facts about the Fourth!

• My, how we have grown! This year the United States Census Bureau estimates that our country has 313.9 million residents celebrating the Fourth of July this year, but back in 1776 there were just 2.5 million members of the country.
• Our country loves to show how proud that we are of our independence. Did you know that there are 31 United States places with the word “Liberty” in their names? The state of Iowa actually has four towns with the word Liberty in the name: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty, and West Liberty.
• The United States loves Fourth of July food! It is expected that around 150 million hot dogs are eaten on the Fourth each year. One of the Fourth's most popular sides, potato salad, goes just perfectly with the hotdogs and hamburgers that are standard Fourth of July fare. Some people choose potato chips instead, but we wouldn't have such a plethora of potatoes if not for the prodigious production of the states of Idaho and Washington -- they provide about half of all the potatoes in the United States today!
• Americans love celebrating the Fourth outdoors: About 74 million Americans fire up their BBQ grill every Fourth of July.
• The Chinese contribution: Did you know that Americans have spent more than $211 million on fireworks that were imported from China?

No matter how your family chooses to celebrate the Fourth, stay safe, take precautions, and don't forget to brush after your fabulous Fourth feast!

Teeth and gums are likely to be at the front of your mind when you visit the dentist. You may think about a tooth cleaning by a dental hygienist, a dental checkup to look for tooth decay and gum disease, fillings, crowns, or other restorative procedures.

These are all important, but TruDenta can make your trip to our Raleigh, NC office even more valuable. The TruDenta System can treat head, neck, face, and jaw pain from a variety of causes, such as TMJ, migraines, and aging. These are the steps in the TruDenta treatment process that can help you find a solution to your pain.

Undergo diagnostic tests.

As a TruDenta-trained practice, Dr. Gregory Weaver and our team will examine the forces that affect your head, neck, teeth, and jaw. We also investigate symptoms such as pain, clicking and popping, breaking teeth, and ringing of the ears. TruDenta technology painlessly analyzes your bite to measure jaw forces and determine which forces are contributing to your symptoms. It also measures the motion of your head and neck. Taken together, these forces may be contributing to your pain. TruDenta dentists design a treatment plan based on these findings.

Attend one or more treatment sessions.

Your specific treatment plan is customized to your needs. Most patients need between one and 12 treatments, with each session lasting 50 minutes. You attend appointments weekly, so a 12-treatment plan would take about three months to complete. You don’t need to worry about painful treatments, drugs with side effects, or needles during your TruDenta treatments.

Nobody should be forced to live with chronic pain, but you may feel as though you have no choice if you’ve already gone to multiple doctors because of neck, jaw, face, and head pain. With an initial consultation and diagnosis and a few treatment sessions, we may be able to help you get rid of your pain.

Many parents worry that their children’s teeth are not falling out on time. A lot of concerned parents want to know: When will my child lose his or her first baby tooth? At what age should the last tooth fall out? Is there a specific order in which the teeth are lost?

Dr. Gregory Weaver and our team explain that a child's 20 baby teeth (primary teeth) typically come in by age three and begin to loosen and fall out on their own to make room for permanent teeth, which usually appear by the time your child is six. It is important to know that timing may vary, and girls typically lose their baby teeth earlier than boys. The last baby teeth will likely fall out by the time your child is 13.

So, which teeth do children lose first? Baby teeth tend to fall out in the order in which they came, which means the lower center incisors are usually the first to go when your child is between six and seven years old. The next teeth your child will lose are his or her top center pair, also called the upper central incisors.

It’s important to note that if a child loses a baby tooth early as a result of decay or an unforeseen accident, his or her permanent tooth may erupt early and potentially come in crooked due to limited space. If your child suffers an injury or has tooth decay, we encourage you to give us a call to set up an appointment with Dr. Gregory Weaver.

While we know some children couldn’t be more excited to lose their baby teeth, we know others are anxious about this childhood milestone. When your child starts to lose teeth, our team at Weaver Dentistry encourages you to stress the importance of proper dental care on a daily basis.

Remember to:

• Remind your child to brush his or her teeth at least twice a day. Supervise and offer assistance as needed.
• Help your child floss his or her teeth at bedtime.
• Limit eating and drinking between meals and at bedtime, especially sugary treats and drinks, such as candy and soda.
• Schedule regular dental visits for your child every six months.
• Ask about the use of fluoride treatments and dental sealants to help prevent tooth decay.

To learn more about baby teeth, or to schedule your child's next visit with Dr. Gregory Weaver at our Raleigh, NC office, please give us a call today!

Toddlers are notoriously balky about strangers. But their first dental visit should not be cause for fear and tears. Nor should you assume that getting your toddler to Weaver Dentistry is going to involve a full-blown tantrum or Mafia-style bribery. “Honey, don’t worry. We’ll go get ice cream after…” sort of defeats the purpose of making that first dental appointment.

These five tips will make your toddler’s trip to see Dr. Gregory Weaver as fun as a stop at an amusement park.

1. Before you make a dental appointment for your child, take him or her on a ride-along to one of your dental appointments. Let your son or daughter experience the office and get the lay of the land. Toddlers don’t like surprises. But if your little one is already familiar with the big chair that goes up and down, the next time he or she will have no problem taking a seat.

2. About the big dental chair … well, it’s really an amusement park ride. See how it goes up and down? Toddlers love games, and turning the trip to the dentist into a game is among the oldest (and most successful) tricks in the parent playbook.

3. Positive reinforcement is a good thing. That's why Dr. Gregory Weaver and our staff hand out cool toothbrushes or stickers to children after their appointment. A fun-colored toothbrush with a suction bottom is a good incentive to come back for another cleaning.

4. Timing is everything. Don’t take your child to the dentist an hour before the daily nap. Make the appointment with your child’s schedule in mind. This increases the chances of success.

5. A few days before the scheduled appointment, start reading your toddler bedtimes stories about what happens at the dentist. Dora the Explorer’s Show Me Your Smile, written by Christine Ricci, is a popular dental story that your child might relate to.