Category: good dental habits

Are Pacifiers a Kids’ Dental Problem?

Posted on by Playtime Dental
Here at Playtime Dental, our number one goal is to make sure your child’s mouth stays healthy. It’s never too early to start taking proper care of your child’s mouth, and if you have any questions about oral health, we are here to give you answers. One such question that you might have is, “are pacifiers a problem?” The answer to this concern is two-fold.

Problems with Long-Term Pacifier Use

For the first few years of your child’s life, using a pacifier usually won’t lead to any oral damage. On the other hand, if your child refuses to give up the pacifier, or if it is not taken away by the age of three, long-term suckling will definitely cause damage. This is especially true if your child is still suckling on a pacifier once he or she starts loosing baby teeth. Some of the negative effects endured from long-term pacifier use include:
·         The top front teeth will tip outward and/or not erupt correctly
·         The bottom front teeth will tip inward and/or not erupt correctly
·         The jaws can become misaligned causing bite problems
·         The permanent teeth will come in crooked.

Things to Remember

It’s very common for infants and young children to suck on pacifiers. If your child does, you need to make sure that the pacifier is constructed of one piece only. If it’s made of two or more parts, or the shield part of the pacifier is smaller than the mouth, it is a choking hazard.
Also, make sure that you don’t fasten the pacifier to a string and attach it to your child’s shirt. The string could get tangled or caught on something and injure your child.
Lastly, although you may have heard of dipping a pacifier into some type of sweet substance, such as honey, to calm your child when he or she is crying, you should avoid doing this because it can lead to tooth decay.

Contact Playtime Dental Today

Always do your best to provide positive reinforcement when trying to get your child to give up his or her pacifier. Also, make sure your child visits a general or kid’s dentist on a regular basis. The doctors here at Playtime Dental will be more than happy to evaluate your child’s oral health.

Kids’ Dental Tips for Busy Parents

Posted on by Playtime Dental
Keeping a child’s teeth in great shape is difficult for parents who have other children, jobs, and a home to maintain. There are tons of easy tips that can help keep your children’s teeth in great shape without taking too much time or effort. These quick tips can make a huge difference and can help make life as a busy parent that much easier.
  1. Switch to Water: Switching your child’s drinks from soft drinks and juices to water and sugar free drinks is the best way to help keep your child’s teeth clean. Though you cannot always ensure that your child will make these choices in their adult lives, you can help them make good choices at a young age.
  2. Offer Fewer Sugary Snacks: Though things like fruit snacks and candy may be a great way to make your child happy, they are often the cause of cavities, rotten teeth, and tooth pain. The average kids’ dentist recommends limiting sugar at an early age to cultivate good habits. If your child does have a sugary treat, have the child brush his or her teeth afterwards to remove sugar that may cause decay.
  3. Create a Bed-time Routine: Another great way to get your child’s teeth in great shape is to make up a bed time routine. This can help create consistency and can help get your child involved in their own dental health. This will make for a much easier process when it comes to getting your child’s teeth clean. Try encouraging them to brush their teeth while they sing their favorite song or while they watch a video. This can help make a great routine that they actually want to participate in.
  4. Get the Kids Involved: The last thing you may want to do is to get your child involved in their own dental health. Let them know how to take care of their own teeth, and let them know why they are brushing and flossing. This will help you to get your child involved and ready to help keep their own teeth clean. Dentist visits are a great place to learn about dental health.

Any of these tips can help get your child ready to take care of his or her own teeth. These tips can help your child create habits that are going to stay with them for years. Though it may seem impossible to juggle life and take care of your child’s teeth, with some help you can get them off to a great start.

Tips for Dental Emergency Prevention

Posted on by Playtime Dental
When it comes to taking care of your mouth, of course you know that brushing and flossing on a daily basis are two of the smartest things you can do. But what about dental emergencies? How are you supposed to go about preventing them? More importantly, how can you prevent dental emergencies from happening to your kids? Fortunately, there are many tips you can follow.

Tip #1: Visit a kids’ dentist.

The first and most important tip to follow is visiting a kids’ dentist on a regular basis. When you visit our office, you can rest assured that we will be able to both identify and properly treat any problems in your kids’ mouths.
Tip #2: Wear a mouth guard.
If your kids play sports, they need to wear mouth guards during their sporting events. Not only will a mouth guard help protect the teeth in your children’s mouths, but it will also help protect the bone that holds the teeth.
Tip #3: Deal with emergencies.
You can’t always avoid dental emergencies. If your child gets one of his or her permanent teeth knocked out, it’s important to keep the tooth moist. You can do this by placing the tooth in a glass of milk. However, if a tooth is knocked out, the best liquid to place a tooth in is Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution and the worst liquid is water. Reimplanting the tooth in to the socket as soon as possible is the best thing to do.  The most important thing to do, however, is to visit our office immediately.
Tip #4: Child-proof your home.
There are many steps you can take to child-proof your home. From putting up pieces of furniture that have sharp corners and edges, to making sure your child doesn’t bite down on hard objects, child-proofing the home will go a long way in preventing dental emergencies.
Tip #5: Always make your child sit in a car seat.
Until your child reaches the proper height and weight recommendations, you should always make him or her sit in a car seat while traveling. Not only will this help prevent dental emergencies, but it can also save your child’s life in the event of an accident.
Tip #6: Keep a close eye on your children.

One of the most common times that your child is likely to endure a dental emergency is when learning to walk. No matter the age of your child, though, make sure you keep a close eye on him or her at all times.

Establish Good Home Dental Care Habits Early

Posted on by Playtime Dental
Good dental health habits should start young. Proper tooth brushing, flossing and good dental habits affect more than the beauty of your children’s teeth. Poor dental habits, cavities, and gum disease can lead to bacterial infections which can lead to a major infection that could spread to different areas of the body if they are allowed to persist. According to the American Dental Association, gum disease and other health problems may be linked. Oral health and the health of the rest of the body are not separate.
Tips for Encouraging Healthy Mouth Habits in Your Child
·         Start Healthy Habits Early. Before your baby has his first tooth he should already be adjusted to the feeling of a soft rubber tipped toothbrush gently cleaning his gums two to three times daily. This early start will help establish good habits, and keep your child’s oral health in good shape from day one. Some people refer to baby teeth as training teeth, in the context that they do not need to worry if they get cavities. This is a very dangerous mindset.
·         Be a Great Example. Toddlers mimic much of what their parents do. The good or the bad. Letting them see you floss, and brush your teeth after meals, and making healthy choices such as drinking water over sugary beverages will go a long way when it comes time for them to make their own choices.
·         Take Them to Dental Appointments Early. This has a two-fold benefit for your child. One, they will not have a fear of the dentist if they go before they are taught to fear. And two, any problems that may occur will be caught early before they cause extensive damage.
·         Make Dental Care a Positive Experience. Do not turn tooth brushing time into a stressful event. Smile, and start brushing your own teeth if you want to get a hesitant toddler to follow suit. Make it a game, put on silly music to time the brushing and let your child pick out their own tooth brush, floss and rinse cup.

If you are looking for a positive first time dental experience for your child, contact Playtime Dental for an appointment!

Why Fill Baby Teeth

Posted on by Playtime Dental

It would be safe to say that the fear of cavities is a main reason why most parents encourage their children to brush their teeth. No one likes the idea have having tooth pain or experiencing that first drilling, but what happens if you or your child’s dentist finds a cavity?

When a cavity is found in a baby tooth, there are options on how to treat them, such as a preventive resin or a traditional filling. Your dentist will review the options with you so you can choose together your best course of action for your child’s oral health. If you are be reading this and wondering why we would fill a tooth that is only going to fall out in a few years anyway, rest assured, there is a reason!

It is estimated that 51 million school hours are lost due to dental disease each year. Imagine trying to concentrate on multiplication when your tooth hurts! Additionally, a decaying tooth can abscess causing severe pain. Cavities that are left untreated can bring a host of complications that go as far as school performance and peer relationships. Yes, those teeth are going to fall out eventually, but right now they are very important to your child.

Baby (or primary) teeth hold space in your child’s mouth for the permanent teeth to grow in. Therefore, if a tooth is lost to untreated decay, the nearby teeth may shift into the empty space and actually prevent the permanent tooth from erupting properly. When this happens, a crooked smile is often a sad result.

If you find or suspect a cavity in your child’s teeth, don’t hesitate to have it checked out. Of course, we all desire to prevent cavities from forming, but if one sneaks in, early detection and treatment is important!

Children at Risk

Posted on by Playtime Dental

Overall, children in America have the benefit of the best oral care in the world.  The care they receive is so good that only half of the children who are enrolled in our schools have ever had a cavity! We have the advantage of fluoridated water in many public supplies and dental care that is easily accessible. This is wonderful news for our children and their smiles!

Sadly though, 25% of the children we speak of are the ones who have 80% of the cavities in this demographic. Children who have special health care requirements have just that: special needs. Those children, who are chronically ill, physically impaired or developmentally disabled, are some of the children who find themselves in the 25%. Some of these children are in families that rely on Medicaid, as those with medical problems often find themselves in a position where they qualify for this benefit. But even with this benefit, only 7.8% of Medicaid dollars are spent on dental care. Almost all children who are developmentally disabled are likely to have moderate to severe gum disease, which alone can be responsible for many, many trips to the dentist. A child with Down’s syndrome must have an x-ray of the neck before any dental treatment, to determine the position of their spine.  If anything is awry, it may be safest to have their dental work done while they are under anesthesia.

Children fall into the at-risk category when they are from lower income families who have not placed, or have not been able to place, an emphasis on dental care. Not all community water is fluoridated, such as Mansfield, which also places these children at risk for dental disease.

Research has shown that dental disease may negatively impact a child’s performance in school as the pain and discomfort from any tooth decay is distracting and impedes the ability to focus on studies and eat a healthy lunch, which fuels him or her through the day.  Every child deserves to have a healthy and attractive smile. Children with healthy mouths have a better chance of a good general health. With a healthy smile, children are more likely to have confidence in their appearance.

How to Select a Dentist for Your Child

Posted on by Playtime Dental

For many children, the idea of going to the dentist instills fear. Choosing the right office for your child can help alleviate dental anxiety and shape a positive self-image.  Successful oral health can be achieved by educating parents and patients about daily dental care and diet combined with periodic office visits.
 
The office you select to care for your children must understand the needs of our young and growing population.  Does your dentist have the necessary tools and amenities that fit your child?  Do the staff and dentist speak in a manner that a child will understand?  Children need to be handled and spoken to in ways they can relate to. A good dentist for children recognizes these differences.

Every child is unique.  Depending on the child’s age, different approaches may be used to manage behaviors that guide dental development.  The dentist and staff will help your children avoid future
dental issues by understanding his or her individual needs. 

The office you choose should have a team that caters to children. This will help provide a smooth dental visit and aid in the overall health of your child.  A kind, caring dental team will leave a lasting impression on a child and the oral health education is more likely to be utilized to promote good oral health.  Positive reinforcement with children is the best motivator.

Selecting the right dentist for your family will establish good oral hygiene practices that are directed by a group of caring professionals. When good habits are followed and maintained at home, it reduces the incidence of dental disease and makes for a more pleasant dental experience. By picking a dentist that best suits your child’s needs, you are being proactive in the dental health of your children.

A good dental team is continually advancing its knowledge of the best dental practices and techniques through continuing education.  As professionals they understand dentistry and how it is evolving, so rest assure, the oral health of your child is in good hands.

Research the office where you would like to take your children to see if they have a special way of relating to the patients. Call and talk with the staff about how the team helps calm the fears of the children. Knowing how the office operates will provide insight in to their ability to handle children.

A reputable dental practice will be glad to discuss any concerns you may have before your child’s first visit. The dentist office should not be a scary place but one that helps build self-confidence and productive dental habits that will last a lifetime.

To set up an appointment for your child, call Playtime Dental today, (419) 774-7529.