Dr. Timon's Pediatric Dental Blog

Amalgam or Composite fillings

2011-06-15T13:59:00.000-10:00

I had an email recently asking why I used Composite (white) fillings instead of Amalgam (Silver). Both types are excellent filling materials and I am not worried about the Mercury in the Silver fillings. Silver is probably a better choice if you are not brushing well but Composite has gotten better recently and now lasts for many years. I use Composite because I like the natural look of the tooth colored material and am satisfied with it's longevity.

coming back to start

2011-01-31T18:03:00.001-10:00

Hi, I haven't posted for a while and am excited to start again. I decided to retire during the summer of 2009 and sold my practice to another Dentist. I moved to Seattle and settled in on my boat that I had sent ahead to Lake Union. The first year was terrific with lots to do on the inside of the boat and last summer was terrific taking the boat to Alaska with friends and meeting my daughter and her family in Juneau. This winter I had finished the inside and was working on the outside when the temperature dropped into the 30s. I decided it was time to return to Dentistry and was lucky enough to be able to take over a practice in Waianae, Hawaii.

I started Leeward Dental Group when I was 30 years old and ran it until 1982 when I left and spent some time in the Philippines. The practice and the office have seen better days but I am immersed in returning it to its former premier position. We are getting a new digital x-ray this week and I have arranged to have the exterior of the building painted.

I hope you will notice the new signs outside announcing the return of
Leeward Dental Group and visit us for a tour.

First Visit and Autistic Patients

2009-06-08T15:42:00.001-10:00

Many first time and Autistic patients seem much more relaxed and confident if they are familiar with the surroundings and know what they will see when they come to our office. I have posted several pictures below starting from the parking lot, to the elevator and finally into the treatment rooms. Please feel free to print these or show them to your child before your visit.

First Visit and Autistic Children

2009-06-08T15:04:00.000-10:00

These pictures can be printed and shown to your child so they are familiar with our office before their appointment.

Our Halloween costumes

2008-11-22T14:36:00.000-10:00

Sunday anchored in front of Waikiki

2008-10-23T08:40:00.000-10:00

Nicole and Patrick's travels

2008-09-20T18:18:00.000-10:00

My daughter Nicole, son-in-law Patrick Shipman and granddaughters Hannah and Ava are on a great adventure. They are now in Nepal but started in Manila where they stayed with Wendy. Wendy was her best friend when we lived in Manila when Nicole was in 6th grade and also in the 9th grade. Still friends after 25+ years!!

Next they visited Bangkok and now Kathmandu.

It took a lot of sacrifice to put a hold on their careers to explore the world with their children. There will be two more adventures before next summer. Please visit their blog and let me know what you think. I'm very proud!

Tracy after a hard day at work

2008-09-18T13:08:00.000-10:00

This is how happy Tracie is every
morning when we begin work

After a fun day at work here is Tracie again.

A TIMON FAMILY REUNION

2008-08-13T15:33:00.000-10:00

I went to a family reunion last weekend in southern California. This picture is of the "senior family members". From left to right are: my sister Anne, her husband Paul, my brother's widow Sue, her husband Bud and myself.

The five of us had dinner the night before the official start of the reunion at the Veteran of Foreign Wars Hall on Balboa Island. Both Paul and Bud were soldiers during WW2 and served in the European theatre. I served as a Marine but never got further than Camp Pendleton and my career ended as a PFC. I'm thankful I never had to fight thanks in part to Paul, Bud and countless other men and women.

On Friday we went to Huntington Beach for the day, ended with a barbecue, then roasted marshmallows over the fire in a fire pit....the water was cold but it was great fun to be with family.

Brad's wife Maria

Michael & Craig

On Saturday Julie and Craig (Sue's daughter and her husband) took us out for a sail. I was excited as our sail was ended during my December visit due to a low tide that landed the boat on the mud. This time our voyage lasted almost to the harbor entrance but, alas, the engine started to overheat and we had to return, tie up to a bouy and break out the beer. That boy really has to work on his boating skills!!

We ended our reunion Saturday night at my nephew Brad's house with a barbecue. My sister Anne appears to be learning new computer tricks from our grand nephew Nate. Nate's sister Kirsten is on the other side of the table. Kirsten works for the computer site "Facebook.com". Dan is relaxing with a glass of wine in the background while Carly, a senior at Georgetown University in Washington DC and an All American on their sailing team, is on the right....come to think of it Carly should help her father Craig with his sailing.

On Saturday morning I went out for breakfast with a close high school friend, Jimmy Jaap. Jimmy and I used to drag race near the airport in Los Angeles but unfortunately Jimmy always won, maybe he cheated somehow. We also had the same girlfriend in high school (not at the same time though). Once, on New Year's eve Jimmy got sick and took Jerri home early so I went to her house and picked her up to return to the party. After that she was my girlfriend until somehow Jimmy won her back. Well guess what? Jerri came to have breakfast with us!! And she sat next to me---so eat your heart out Jimmy. It was great fun. I took my camera but forgot to take pictures so we have to wait for my next visit for a picture of Jerri and Jimmy---she still looks great but I can't say the same for Jimmy and I.

Pregnant Women, Children and Dental Amalgam

2008-06-08T16:41:00.000-10:00

Last week U.S. regulators for the first time said the mercury in dental fillings may have toxic effects on fetuses and young children.

The FDA agreed to post the statement about mercury used in dental fillings to settle a lawsuit. The EPA has labeled mercury a neurotoxin which crosses the placental barrier and poses serious health risks for fetuses, young children, people with kidney disease. It can interfere with brain growth and has been shown to affect cognitive and motor-skill development. In the settlement, the FDA agreed to conclude a regulatory review of mercury in fillings by July of 2009.

At issue is whether the amount of mercury released during placement, removal and while dental amalgams are in the mouth is sufficient to cause harm. While some countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany and Sweden) in the EU have set limitations no country has banned it's use.

Bisphenol-A and Dental Sealants

2008-05-29T10:47:00.001-10:00

Recently media articles have contained reports of health concerns about Bisphenol-A and it's use in plastic bottles and other plastic consumer items. The general category of dental sealants has been incorrectly added to the items of concern.

The alarm over Bisphenol-A is not new and the manufacturer of the sealant material we use states that Bisphenol-A is not and has not been a component in the sealant material used in our office.

It is important to be aware that Bis-GMA, that is used in dental composites has a much different molecular structure than Bisphenol-A. Bis-GMA has not been implicated in any health concerns and has a long history of use going back to the sixties and seventies.

Neal Timon, DDS

Dental hygiene for young children

2008-05-08T08:48:00.000-10:00

Many times dental hygiene for young children is a struggle for parents due to lack of cooperation and busy life of modern society. You can make home dental hygiene experience more agreeable by

- utilizing disaposable dental floss

- using only minimum/smear of fluoridated toothpaste (for young children)

- making the toothburshing as fun routine by introducing a short music while brushing

- considering the use of automatic toothbrush since it'd be easier for parents as long as the child tolerates the vibration. These good oral hygiene habits along with a good dietary habit will last your child's lifetime and save your child from having dental problems such as cavities and gum disease. For more tips on oral hygiene, please ask one of our staff. Thank you!

Christine's farewell dinner

2008-04-30T11:49:00.000-10:00

Christine And Tracie

Christine will leave us in May to return to the big island where she grew up. We all went out to dinner to say goodbye and also hello to Tracie who is joining us.

Tracie is from Rhode Island and lives here with her two sons Joshua and Jared and husband Kevin. Kevin is in the Navy and stationed on a submarine at Pearl Harbor.

Researching Dental information

2008-04-22T11:04:00.000-10:00

I was listening to a TV program a couple of days ago about cancer and the physician participants were advising patients not to do too much searching on the internet. As a prostate cancer survivor (almost 10 years now) I remember how important it was for me to find out as much as I could about my disease. It didn't scare or confuse me as much as it helped me to learn about causes and what my treatment options were. I encourage you to go online to learn about your child's dental problems.

Try looking for information at the American Dental Association , American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry or Medline Plus. If I can be of help answering any of your questions give us a call or an email.

2008-02-02T10:44:00.001-10:00

Age 1 Dental Visit

Experienced dentists can help your child to maintain good oral health and stay cavity free. The key is prevention. By establishing a dental home early (dental home is where your child go regularly for dental check ups and cleaning), you can save money. Studies show that children who establishs a dental home early (by age 1) saves more than 50% of their average dental expenses when compared to children without a dental home.

Teething

2008-01-29T11:06:00.000-10:00

You've probably received a ton of congratulations on the birth of your son or daughter, and even though your child may have been born awhile ago let me add my congratulations to the list.

By now, your child is probably teething and may be having a hard time of it. So, I thought that you might like to know a few of the "secrets" I've found to help your child through this difficult time (as well as help mommy and daddy get a decent night's sleep).

When your child starts acting irritably and drooling, carefully look and feel around the gums. If you feel a tooth starting to push through the gums that may be the source of the discomfort. Here's a few tips that will help"

Wipe your baby's face often to remove the drool. This will help prevent rashes from developing.
Give your baby something hard to chew on. Make sure it's big enough that they can't swallow it.
A damp, clean washcloth placed in the freezer for 30 minutes makes a handy teething aid.
Teething rings are also good, but avoid the ones with liquid inside. If they break the liquid may not be safe. Also, never tie a teething ring around baby's neck.
Rub baby's gums gently with your finger.
Give baby Tylenol drops.

If your baby develops a fever during the teething process it is due to something else. Call your baby's doctor if the fever is over 101 or 102 degrees.

I hope this helps but if it doesn't, feel free to give my office a call and we'll try to help you as much as we can over the phone.

By the way, did you know that your baby should have their first dental exam between six months and baby's first birthday.

When to start brushing baby's teeth

2008-01-18T08:47:00.001-10:00

One question I'm frequently asked is at what age should parents start brushing their children's teeth. You should start cleaning your infant's teeth as soon as he gets his first tooth. Before the first tooth, you can just use a wash cloth to clean your infant's gums. When the first tooth appears use a soft children's toothbrush.

Because there is some danger if your child gets too much fluoride, your choice of toothpaste is important. Keep in mind that most brands of kids' toothpaste are fluoridated. They just have different flavors and popular characters on them to make them more fun for children, but that doesn't make it safe for your children to swallow too much of the toothpaste.

If using a fluoride toothpaste, use less than a pea-size amount of toothpaste so that there is little danger of your child getting too much fluoride if he swallows it. And begin to encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste at a young age. The other alternative for younger children is to use a non-fluoridated toothpaste, such as Baby Orajel Tooth and Gum Cleanser, until they are spitting the toothpaste out.

Welcome to our new blog!

2008-01-18T07:54:00.000-10:00

We would like to take this chance to welcome you to our new pediatric dental blog. Please check back regularly for news and notes pertaining to children's dentistry and our office.