32 Teeth and All Brand New: Dental Care from Birth to Adult
32 Teeth and All Brand New: Dental Care from Birth to Adult
An LP mom’s guide to dental care for dwarf children and adults — product recommendations, orthodontic considerations, and what to tell your dentist.
I’ll be the first to admit. I.hate.flossing. Absolutely hate it with a passion. First of all, my mouth is too small to reach my molars in the back. Having short fingers doesn’t help with flossing either. I could never get the floss around my fingers tightly while at the same time trying to wrap it around my tooth. Also, achondroplastic dwarfs are prone to orthodontic issues. With a small mouth and normal-sized teeth, it gets crowded and teeth are forced up against each other — which leads to tight spaces between the teeth to floss. All of these factors make it very discouraging to floss well and often.
Starting Early: Infant and Toddler Dental Care
Our son didn’t have any teeth until after age 1, probably due to having Failure to Thrive. In any case, his geneticist told us from the beginning to keep on top of his overall health. The Early Intervention program helped by offering health clinics free of charge — including vision and dental screening. He saw a dental hygienist at one of these clinics when he was only 2 years of age. That’s where we learned dental hygiene techniques for young children, whether or not they had a disability. We still use some of these techniques today.
His first visit to the dentist was at 2½ years old. At that age, he already had 17 out of 22 teeth. His follow-up was 6 months later to check on the flossing. Our son hated brushing his teeth at first, but singing a song helped ease the chore. He tolerated flossing only the front teeth. Over the years, he got better at tolerating both the brushing and the polishing at the dental office.
The Right Tools Make All the Difference
Collis Curve Toothbrush
A fantastic starter toothbrush with four rows of bristles — the outer two curved, facing the two inner rows. The curved bristle is more effective at massaging gums and removing plaque than conventional straight-bristle brushes. Early Intervention gave us this toothbrush for our son. We used it alongside an infant gel for the first year while the teeth started coming in.
Orajel Kids Elmo Training Toothpaste
We used infant gel at first, but once most teeth are in, graduate to a kids toothpaste. No fear about the amount of fluoride they may be ingesting — it has a fractional amount and will help prevent cavities. Another tip from Early Intervention: paint fluoride rinse onto the teeth with a toothbrush rather than having them rinse and spit — a 1-year-old can’t be expected to rinse without swallowing.
Brushing Techniques That Actually Work
Our son and daughter both hated brushing their teeth at first. A song helped pass the time:
This is the way we brush our teeth so early in the morning.
Then I sang the alphabet — just enough time to brush the teeth properly and let the toothpaste really get in there longer than 10 seconds.
Kids Electric Toothbrush
Our dentist encourages an electric toothbrush to reduce the overstimulation children often experience getting their teeth cleaned at the dental office — the vibration becomes familiar rather than alarming. We let the kids brush independently in the morning with the electric brush, then mom and dad do the detail brushing with a traditional toothbrush at night when there are plenty of food particles left over from the day.
Flossing with Short Fingers — What Actually Works
Flossing is a pain in the butt. When you have short, chunky fingers, it’s even less fun. I could never get traditional flossing down to a science. But I found different tools that actually help.
GUM Flossmate Reusable Floss Handle
A reusable plastic handle where you wrap your own floss around the spool and between the holders. Helps reach the back teeth without having to adjust short fingers around each tooth. A genuine game-changer for LP adults who struggle with traditional flossing.
DenTek Fun Flossers — Kids Floss Picks
Disposable single-use flossers for kids. The kids’ versions have a bigger handle than adult versions and come in fun colors — which helps enormously with reluctant young flossers. I lay the kids down to floss at night the same way I do for brushing.
Waterpik Water Flosser — For LP Adults
This is the only thing that truly encourages me to floss consistently. I use it before brushing to power wash my teeth — you won’t believe how well it cleans. My dental appointments improved dramatically after I started using the Waterpik. For LP adults who struggle with traditional flossing due to short fingers and crowded teeth, this is the most practical long-term solution I’ve found.
Orthodontics: Start Earlier Than You Think
Orthodontics are a whole other animal when it comes to LP dental care. Early intervention with an orthodontist is strongly encouraged by geneticists with extensive experience in dwarfism.
- Many LP children need palate expanders or spacers — timing these correctly prevents repeated work later
- The right orthodontist will know when to do extractions and braces based on LP-specific jaw and midface development patterns
- Cranio-facial orthodontists work with a cranio-facial team at your local Children’s Hospital — ask your geneticist who they suggest in your area
- Some LP children are lucky and need no orthodontic work at all — but getting an early evaluation is far better than waiting until problems are harder to correct
The LPA Medical Advisory Board can connect you with specialists experienced in skeletal dysplasias who can recommend cranio-facial orthodontists in your region.
Have you found a dental tool or technique that works particularly well for your LP child or for yourself as an LP adult? Share it in the comments — this is one of those topics where community tips are worth more than any product recommendation.
