Category: dentist for children

How Do I Care for My Toddler’s Teeth?

Posted on by Playtime Dental

Caring for toddler’s teeth can be a challenge. Although a toddler’s teeth are small, they are like the teeth of an adult and must be properly cared for in order to maintain good oral health and hygiene. These tips and guidelines will help you keep your toddler’s teeth and overall oral health in the best condition possible.

Create a Routine

Your child’s oral health starts with you. As a parent, you need to make sure you are doing your part in your child’s brushing and flossing routine because children do not develop adequate hand-eye coordination to do a good job brushing and flossing until about the ages of 8 to 10 years. The most important times a child should brush and floss his or her teeth are in the morning and before they go to bed. Creating a routine can be difficult but it’s not impossible. You will have to help your toddler each time.  It is best to let the child brush and floss first, so that way he or she gets to practice and can develop the needed hand-eye coordination to do a good job. The best way to teach your toddler how to brush his or her teeth is to lead by example. Brush your teeth the same time your toddler is brushing his or her teeth. 

Locate a Dental Office

Finding a dental office you are comfortable with is in the best interest of you and your child. A children’s dentist is the ideal dentist for your child. A general dentist can be used, but a kids’ dentist specializes in the comfort, care and health of children. When you are trying to find a dental office for your toddler, consider its location, how far it is from your home and the type of insurance that is accepted.

Schedule Regular Check-Ups

Scheduling regular check-ups is perfect preventative care for cavities, gum disease and other issues that can occur due to poor oral hygiene. By your toddler’s first birthday, your child should be seen by a kid-friendly dentist.

Ration the Juice

While it is okay to give your toddler juice, do not let them sip it for an extended period of time.  The time it takes them to drink the juice is more critical than the amount of juice they drink.  Juice can be given to your toddler each day but it is only recommended with meals.   Water or a sugar free beverage should be used for between meals or for sipping.

Teach Good Habits

Teaching your toddler good habits is the best way to prepare for the future. Teach them how to properly use a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, and tell them why it’s important to brush and floss their teeth at least twice each day.

Care and Prevention of Toothaches in Children

Posted on by Playtime Dental

A child’s toothache can be caused by many different things but common causes of toothaches include tooth decay, dental trauma, loose teeth or erupting teeth and food wedged between the teeth. 

When Should You Contact Your Children’s Dentist?

You should contact a kids’ dentist when your child shows signs of pain. A few indications your child may need to be seen by the dentist include:

  • Swollen face
  • Acts or looks under the weather
  • Severe pain that has not subsided within an hour or two
  • Red or yellow lump present in the area of the gum line
  • Visible brown cavity or hole in the tooth

Caring for Toothaches at Home

Until your child is able to see the dentist, try some of these at home remedies to help relieve the pain:

  • Floss between your kids teeth to remove any impacted food
  • Give your child over-the-counter pain reliever to help dull the pain
  • If toothache is caused by an injury or trauma, apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek.

Scheduling an Appointment

Your child’s toothache may require a dental visit to repair any damages and put preventive care into perspective. An appointment should be scheduled if the toothache does not go away within a 24-hour time frame. Most toothache causes can be treated in a timely manner and resolved permanently as long as the proper preventative measures are followed. After the appointment, make sure you help keep your child’s teeth in top-of-the-line condition by teaching them proper oral health habits. Depending upon your child’s oral health, your child may require more frequent visits to the dentist until all issues and concerns have been resolved.

What Are Space Maintainers?

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One of the first questions most parents ask after being told their child may need a space maintainer is, “What is a space maintainer, and why it is necessary?”

Sometimes a baby tooth may be lost too early due to accident, decay or medical conditions. When a tooth is lost too early, in most cases it is important to maintain that space so the other teeth do not drift in to this space and block the new adult tooth from coming in later.  Your kids’ dentist will help you determine how early is too early and whether a lost baby tooth will require a space maintainer.  A space maintainer is a small metal band that goes around one of the teeth on either side of the space where the missing tooth is, which has loop wire that crosses over the space where a tooth is missing and touches the other tooth.  This holds the space open for the growing adult tooth.  It is important to note that baby teeth that are lost naturally usually do not require a space maintainer, as the permanent tooth is not far behind.  However, it is always best to check with your dentist to see if it is necessary.

Each tooth in your child’s mouth serves several purposes:

  • aids in digestion by biting or chewing food
  • aids in speech
  • holds the posture of the jaw
  • guides permanent teeth into the correct position.

Losing a baby tooth can affect numerous aspects of your child’s life, including comfort when eating, enunciation, health and comfort of the jaw, and the alignment of the permanent teeth. Misaligned permanent teeth can cause jaw pain and discomfort, decay where teeth are crowded, and poor self-esteem in a child.

Space maintainers have been developed to address the position in which permanent teeth come in. By maintaining the space that the lost baby tooth occupied, it allows room for the permanent tooth to come in naturally and correctly. Failing to maintain the space can cause more than misalignment; if teeth move forward into the position of the lost tooth and a permanent tooth starts to erupt, it can cause damage to the roots of other permanent teeth, resulting in significant expense, inconvenience, or even loss of healthy teeth.


Parents of children who have lost baby teeth due to accident, decay or medical conditions should seek the opinion of a qualified kids’ dentist to determine if their child needs space maintainers. Be sure to explain your child’s history thoroughly and honestly and ask any questions you may have during your time with the dentist. Playtime Dental would love to visit with you today to create a proactive treatment plan for your child.

Parents Play a Role in Kids’ Dentist Appointments and Experience

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When heading to your kids’ dentist appointment, do you dread the process? Are you worried about the fit your child will have once he or she knows where you are headed? Don’t be. As a parent, you play a big role in your children’s perception of dental visits. In short, you can create a more positive experience for not only you but your child as well with a few simple steps.

1. Start dental care early.

Your child should start seeing the dentist as early as their first tooth, but no later than their first birthday. The earlier you introduce your child to the process of visiting the dentist, and making it a part of their regular routine, the better. As a result the child begins to get used to the process and knows it is nothing to fear. 

2. Be your child’s role model.

Don’t speak negatively about going to the dentist. Show your child that the process is a good thing with ample health benefits.

3. Decide if it should be a big deal.

For young children, reading a few books about going to the dentist, talking about it and making it a big deal is an excellent way to create positivity around this experience. Or if your child isn’t likely to benefit from that, make it “not a big deal” but a routine process.

4. Teach your child the importance of dental care.

Good oral hygiene starts at home with brushing and flossing. At the same time, discuss the benefits of going to the dentist with your child. The dentist will check your child’s teeth, clean them and make sure they are in tip-top shape! Be sure your child understands all of these benefits.

5. Do it together.

Don’t expect your children, even those in middle school, to be able and willing to go on their own into the dental office. Be supportive. Keep conversations light and fun. When your child is around be sure to interact with the dentist, so that the dentist becomes more of a friend than a doctor.

All of these steps can help to improve your child’s perception of going to the dentist. By establishing a strong connection to going to the dentist at a young age, you can help steer your child on the right path to good oral health. Be sure to act as a role model for your child’s opinions and perception of dental care.

Dental X-Rays Help Keep Kids’ Teeth Healthy

Posted on by Playtime Dental
If you’re like many parents, you may wonder whether or how often your children need dental X-rays. Here at Playtime Dental, we believe that children’s dental X-rays are an important tool for finding hard-to-see cavities and diagnosing oral disease in its early stages, when it’s easiest to treat. So make sure your kids’ dentist gives your kids X-rays as needed.

What’s the Purpose of Dental X-rays?

Dental X-rays, like other types of X-rays, use beams of X-ray radiation to take black-and-white photos that show your child’s bones, teeth, and other oral structures including the roots of the teeth. There are several types of dental X-rays, including:
  • Bitewings: used to take X-rays of the back teeth to show cavities between the teeth and bone levels
  • Periapicals: used to take photos of the teeth & roots to look for cavities and/or other pathology (i.e. infection)
  • Panoramic X-rays: used to take photos of the entire jaw and all of the teeth. Used to monitor growth and development as well as look for pathology (i.e. infection). This x-ray is not good for diagnosing cavities
  • Cone beam CTs: used to take three-dimensional pictures of the jaw. Used for orthodontic, oral surgery and implant treatment planning

How Often Do Children Need Dental X-Rays?

It used to be the case that dentists recommended yearly dental X-rays for all children. But the LA Times reports that those guidelines have changed. Dental X-rays are no longer treated as a routine diagnostic procedure to be performed at every exam. They are administered based on each child’s needs. Your kids’ dentist may see no need to take dental X-rays if your children have no evidence of dental disease. Children with a higher risk of dental disease may need X-rays every six months, while low-risk kids may only need them every 12 to 18 months. These guidelines minimize kids’ exposure to X-ray radiation.

Why Do Children Need Dental X-Rays?

Dental X-rays can help your kids’ dentist find problems with the teeth and the jaw that aren’t immediately apparent from the oral exam. They can also help dentists spot any cavities that might be growing between the teeth. X-rays help dentists diagnose oral disease reliably and quickly. This is important because keeping your kids’ mouth healthy keeps their whole body healthy. Thanks to X-rays, kids today enjoy better oral and overall health than ever before.

How to Care for your Child’s Mouth

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Caring for your child’s teeth and gums is a very important daily habit that should not be overlooked. In fact, good oral hygiene starts at birth, long before your baby grows his or her first tooth – unless of course your child was born with teeth!  By practicing tooth care basics right from the start, you’re ensuring your child’s overall health by keeping their teeth and gums as healthy as possible.

How to care for a baby’s mouth

Once your baby is just a few days old, it is important to start caring for their gumsafter feedings. To do this, gently wipe their gums using a clean, wet washcloth or disposable gauze. This will help keep the bacteria and plaque from building up and causing gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) or other oral conditions. When your baby’s teeth do start to come in, you can begin using a baby-sized toothbrush. A light smear of fluoridated toothpaste can be used for children under the age of two.  You know you put the right amount of toothpaste on if you can still see the majority of the tips of the bristles.

How to care for your toddler’s mouth

Manual dexterity takes years to develop, which is why toddlers are not very coordinated with their hands.  Between the ages of 8 to 10 years is when a child finally has sufficient coordination to properly brush their own teeth. Until then, it is recommended that an adult do the brushing. If your child likes to brush his or her own teeth, then follow up and brush the teeth after your child does. A child size toothbrush and pea size amount of fluoridated toothpaste is what should be used to brush your toddler’s teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time. Don’t rush. Take your time.  It’s important that your child brushes a minimum of two minutes because the fluoride in toothpaste needs a full two minutes to help the teeth.

How to brush your child’s teeth

To effectively clean your child’s teeth and gums, hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle so that the bristles are aimed where the tooth and the gums meet. This will clean the area where plaque likes to build up. Also, be sure to brush all surfaces of the teeth when doing so. That means brushing the cheek surfaces of the teeth, the tongue surfaces of the teeth, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Don’t forget to brush the tongue as well to help with keeping the breath fresh.  The tongue is like a giant sponge that absorbs everything we eat as well the bacteria that live in the mouth.  Don’t brush too far back on the tongue so you don’t gag your child!
After brushing your child’s teeth and when they begin brushing on their own, be sure that you thoroughly wash the toothbrush after each use and replace the toothbrush every three months. Your child should also be spitting out any excess toothpaste from their mouths and not swallowing the toothpaste.

How to floss your child’s teeth

Once your child has grown enough teeth that touch, it’s time to start flossing. Be gentle by gliding the floss between the teeth until it reaches the gum line. Next, curve it around each tooth and gently rub the floss up and down on the tooth to remove plaque and food.  Flossing in a back and forth, or sawing motion, does not clean between the teeth and can damage the gums

Visit a kid’s dentist

It is important for your child to begin visiting the dentist as soon as possible. This will help the child eliminate the fear of the dentist and continually encourage proper oral hygiene.

Is It Safe For My Child To Use Mouthwash?

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Using mouthwash has numerous benefits: fresher breath, cleaner teeth, and to a small degree, plaque and tartar control.  But is it safe for children?

Small Children Should Steer Clear of Mouthwash and Oral Rinses

Most dental experts agree that mouthwash products should be avoided until the child reaches at least the age of six. This is about the time when they can control their swallowing reflex and spit out the wash after rinsing.  Even child-safe rinses aren’t really made to be ingested by young children.
Remember, the ingredients in these rinses can be harmful if swallowed.  

Elementary Aged Children Can Begin to Rinse

Around the age of 6, it is usually safe to begin introducing child-safe rinsing products.  Most are alcohol free and can help the child begin to establish a healthy oral care routine that will last a lifetime.  Here are some tips for helping your children use mouthwash safely:

  • Give younger children small amounts of rinse at the beginning until they are used to the process. That way if they accidentally swallow some, it will be okay.
  • Show children how to rinse and spit. Believe it or not, this isn’t always an easy concept.
  • Never use oral rinses as a substitute for brushing.  Mouthwash cannot get rid of food debris or remove plaque like brushing and flossing do.  It should be used to rinse the mouth at the end of the tooth cleaning regimen, unless it is a disclosing solution that the child is using at the beginning of the brushing routine, to see the plaque for thorough removal.

Kids with Braces Should Always Rinse

Children with braces should use mouthwash and high fluoride rinses to help keep the teeth healthy.  One of the biggest pitfalls of wearing braces is that food gets stuck in them which can lead to tooth decay. Using an antimicrobial mouthwash can help kill bacteria that produce the acid that causes cavities.  This can save your child from dental treatment and possibly needing the braces removed until better hygiene habits are formed.

Teens Love Mouthwash

Of course, teenagers are very aware of bad breath and often turn to mouthwash to help freshen the breath. This is perfectly fine, as long as they are still brushing and flossing regularly.  Bad breath is a sign of bacterial buildup in the mouth, which is often the result of poor brushing and flossing habits.  Stress this fact to your teen. While mouthwash can help to give anyone a fresher feeling mouth, it is no substitute for good oral hygiene practices. 

Which Mouthwash is Best?

One trip down the oral care aisle and you will notice quite a few oral rinses available for both children and adults.  When choosing the right one, consider these important factors:

  • How old is your child?  Younger children should only use child-approved, alcohol free rinses.
  • Do you need extra fluoride?  Fluoride based rinses can be especially helpful in fighting cavities, especially for children who live in areas that do not fluoridate the water supply.
  • Are you fighting bacteria?  If your child or teen is battling bad breath, it may be a sign that he or she has too much bacteria in his or her mouth. Using an antimicrobial rinse can help kill bacteria stuck between teeth, offering fresher breath and a healthier mouth.

Allowing children to use mouthwash rinses can be a big decision for parents.  Follow these simple suggestions to ensure that when you do make this important decision, it is the right one for your child. 

How to wean your child from the pacifier

Posted on by Playtime Dental

For years, pacifiers have been used to help soothe and calm fussy babies. According to American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), both pacifier and finger sucking are considered normal behavior in infants and toddlers. Pacifiers are used to provide comfort and security to children during the early stages of development. It is important that you wean your child off of the pacifier at the right age to avoid certain types of dental related issues. When weaning your child from the pacifier, there are a few key things to keep in mind.

Give and Take

Weaning your child from his or her pacifier can be done cold turkey or gradually. However, you can’t remove the pacifier from the equation in one fell swoop and expect a smooth transition. One great thing to do is to replace it with some type of transitional object.

It helps if you can identify the primary reason why your child is hesitant to give up the pacifier in the first place. If that child uses the pacifier as a rudimentary form of stress relief, consider replacing it with a teddy bear or stuffed animal of some sort that your child likes. The stuffed animal can accomplish the same thing and in certain cases can be more effective.

Positive Reinforcement

Another great way to wean your child from his or her pacifier is through the age-old art of positive reinforcement. Allow the child to make the decision him or herself, but with a bit of a catch. Maybe for voluntarily giving up the pacifier, he or she can be rewarded with a fun activity or even a delicious treat.

Get the Timing Just Right

Another key to weaning your child off the pacifier is to make sure the timing is right. Remember, pacifiers are used to provide comfort and security so prior to weaning, make sure your child is not going to encounter a stressful situation where comfort may be needed.  If you’re in the process of moving, for example, such a major life change may make the weaning process difficult. The same can be true of the first day of school and other important life events.

Kid’s Tooth Decay: Development and Prevention

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When you become a parent, worry becomes a normal part of life. Whether it’s sending the kids off to school or worrying about the latest virus in the media, every parent manages their fear of the unknown daily. One area where parents should not worry is their children’s teeth. Teaching your young ones to make good choices about food and proper oral care goes a long way toward creating a healthy, happy human being.

Tooth decay remains a significant problem in dental care. Any kid’s dentist will tell you that it is imperative to educate yourself and your young ones about making good choices. Tooth decay begins when food containing lots of sugar and starch (foods that make up a significant portion of the American diet today) is used by bacteria in our mouth to create acids. These acids begin to slowly eat away the enamel that makes up our teeth. The loss of minerals in teeth due to these acids (demineralization) will cause tooth decay over time as teeth begin to weaken and decay.

Young children and adolescents are especially susceptible to these dangers due to their diet. Schools, fast food restaurants, and the snack aisle contain lots of opportunities to choose foods that could cause tooth decay. Sugar laden foods, fruit juices, and snacks all begin problems that your kid’s dentist finally sees during a visit to the office. Small choices every day about what we eat influences dental hygiene, good or bad.

Creating good dental hygiene habits in your children is especially important. Habits start early and can make the difference between strong teeth and tooth decay. Childhood tooth decay, also known as pediatric dental disease, remains the #1 chronic childhood illness. Early tooth decay often leads to greater problems such as pain and infections in the teeth and mouth. If tooth decay remains untreated, greater problems often occur as well. Difficulty eating or speaking due to pain may lead to malnourishment.

Making good choices about what your children are eating is the first and most important step in creating good, lifelong habits where food choices and tooth care are concerned. Any kid’s dentist will share their experiences with the problems created by our diet and what is in our food. Foods that fight tooth decay and promote dental health are especially important.

Calcium rich foods, such as milk and other dairy products, help build tooth and general bone strength. Fiber rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, help create natural defenses for our teeth. Whole grains, with their high amount of iron and B vitamins, help promote healthy gums. Combining these foods in your child’s diet will help ensure that every visit to your kid’s dentist is as pleasant as possible. Coupling good food choices with the recommended regimen of flossing, brushing, and regular visits to the dentist will ensure your young one’s teeth are healthy and strong.
Taking care of your young and growing child is a big responsibility. A multitude of things exist to protect children from in this day and age. How to properly care for teeth shouldn’t be a large source of worry. Consult your kid’s dentist to talk about what you can do to help ensure that your young ones grow up with healthy teeth. They will thank you for it years later when the good practices you taught remain with them as adults.

Common Tooth Injuries

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Sometimes it seems as though children’s heads are magnets – baseballs, a little brother’s foot – it’s no surprise so many activities require helmets. Unfortunately, tooth injuries can be a common part of growing up. According to www.uptodate.com, nearly 50% of kids will injure a tooth during childhood. Below are three common tooth injuries and how best to respond.

Where’s My Tooth?!
What should you do when a tooth is knocked out? The answer depends on whether the injury was to a baby tooth or a permanent tooth. If it was a baby tooth, the dentist will probably not want to “replant” the tooth, but contact your kid’s dentist as soon as possible to make sure the rest of your child’s mouth is uninjured. If it was a permanent tooth, act quickly to save the tooth and reduce the risk for future complications. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry suggests you rinse the tooth in cool water (no soap, and no scrubbing) and replace it in the socket immediately, holding it in place with clean gauze or a washcloth. If you cannot put the tooth back, place it in a clean container with cold milk, saliva, or Hank’s balanced salt solution, and see your dentist as soon as possible.

Chipped / Fractured Tooth
If your child chips or fractures a tooth, rinse the mouth with water, and apply a cool compress to reduce swelling. If you have the tooth fragment, place it in cold milk or water. Contact your kid’s dentist, and remember to bring the saved fragment with you to the appointment.

Ouch, My Tooth!
We don’t like to see kids in pain, and most of us know how painful a toothache can be. If your child is complaining about mouth or tooth pain, promptly contact the dentist. Tooth pain can indicate a number of problems, all of which should be diagnosed and treated by the dentist. If you cannot see the dentist right away, relieve some of the pain using children’s aspirin, Children’s Tylenol, or Children’s Motrin and a cold compress – never apply heat, put aspirin directly on the tooth, or use Orajel.


Remember, regular checkups and protection during activities can help keep your kids healthy and pain-free. Visit http://www.playtimedental.com for more information.