Category: kid dentist

Common Tooth Injuries

Posted on by Playtime Dental

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.

Importance of regular dentist visits

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Maintaining good oral health requires one to select a dentist who can perfectly deal with their particular needs. Some dentists specialize in a certain field of dentistry. A pediatric dentist or a dentist who works with children, examines babies and kids until they start to become young adults. It is very important to take your children to a kids’ dentist as baby teeth start to erupt through the gums.  The first tooth usually erupts at about 6 months old.

During their visit, the kid’s dentist will inspect each tooth carefully and a hygienist will perform a thorough cleaning. Your child will be treated with a topical fluoride, checked for cavities, and probably get x-rays of the teeth. If the kid’s dentist detects any problems, he or she will take care of it early enough instead of letting it develop into something serious down the road. Most of the time, serious conditions start as small problems that could have been prevented if they were noticed early enough.

If your child does not see a pediatric or kids’ dentist regularly, long-term problems could occur. Cavities are common issues that can be caught with a routine check. If they are not addressed, they could sooner or later cause the whole tooth to decay, which not only causes pain and possibly infection, but also increases the likelihood of losing the entire tooth. Gingivitis and periodontitis can also generally be caught early with routine checkups.

In addition, many children need adequate fluoride in the diet or home care routine, which is essential for preventing cavities. This is done by using a fluoride rinse, drinking water that contains fluoride, or taking a daily supplement as well as brushing with a pea-sized quantity of fluoridated toothpaste. The kid’s dentist will be able to identify whether your child is not getting sufficient fluoride and can recommend supplements that will help to prevent cavities.
It is very important to note that baby teeth help guide the placement of the permanent teeth. A missing or a decayed baby tooth can result in misaligned or crooked permanent teeth, which can lead to various problems, such as difficulty in chewing, premature tooth loss and the inability to maintain good dental hygiene. For more severe scenarios, it can also interfere with TMJ or the temporomandibular joint, a joint that connects the skull to the lower jaw, which leads to much discomfort when an adult. Visiting a kid’s dentist early enough will certainly help to ensure simple issues don’t develop into something very severe.

5 Ways to Make Brushing Teeth More Fun

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Establishing good brushing habits and scheduling regular visits with a dentist are two important ways to help your kids achieve a lifetime of good dental health. Getting them excited for daily routines, however, can be a bit tricky. If you are having trouble convincing your kids that dentist visits and dental health are important, here are five ways to make brushing teeth more fun.

1. Get the Gear

The selection of electric toothbrushes for children is wide and it’s easy to find just the right brush for every child. Some have flashing lights while others play songs from pop artists. No matter which you choose, having the right equipment will always make the job more entertaining.

2. Sing a Song

Many children sing their ABCs while washing their hands to make sure they are scrubbing long enough and the same idea can be applied to brushing. Finding a song that is two minutes long, playing a two-minute portion of a favorite song, or choosing a four-minute song that can be started in the morning and completed in the evening are all fun ways to make sure your kids are brushing long enough.

3. Cavity Crusaders

Help younger kids get in the right mood for cavity fighting by turning them into superheroes. Even something as simple as a small towel that becomes a “cape” during brushing can help transform your toddler into a Cavity Crusader who must not stop until all the cavity bugs are defeated.

4. Rewards

One way to encourage daily brushing is to give rewards after brushing. Every child is different so pick a reward system and the frequency of rewards that suits your child best. Create a chart and let your kids place a sticker on each day that they’ve brushed. When they reach their goals, they get a special prize.

5. Play Copycat

Keep older kids engaged in dental health by having them demonstrate the proper way to brush, floss, and rinse so the little ones can copy what they are doing. As a bonus, big kids are usually extra careful with their techniques to make sure they are teaching the little ones correctly.

A Lifetime of Rewards

By making dental heath fun, kids will not try to avoid brushing and flossing like other chores they have to complete. Instead, they will begin to establish great habits that will last a lifetime.

Starch, Sugar and Their Effect on Kid’s Teeth

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Tooth decay is the primary cause of tooth loss, and one of the most significant culprits in tooth decay is what we eat. If a child’s diet consists of too many starchy and sugary foods, it can cause cavities. Now that school is in session, it is sometimes easy to fill kids’ diets with starchy and sugary foods. However, it is important to closely monitor snacking and to provide children with a well-balanced diet.

The Link between Diet and Tooth Decay

One of the best ways to help your child be cavity-free is by providing a healthy diet. Cavities are caused by bacteria that live in the mouth. The bacteria feed off of the starches and sugars, which produces an acid that sits on the teeth and dissolves the enamel (demineralizes) and starts the cavity process.

The Effects of Sugar

Sugar is one of the largest contributors to tooth decay. While in school, children are unable to brush their teeth immediately after eating sugary items, so the sugar is allowed to sit on the teeth for a longer period of time. Sticky sugars that are often included in school lunches and/or snacks will significantly increase the risk of cavities.

Starch and Tooth Decay

Starch is a type of carbohydrate that is typically found in foods such as bread, potatoes and rice. The leading culprits for starch in a child’s diet are foods such as pancakes and certain breakfast cereals. When these types of starchy foods are combined with sugars, such as syrup, it significantly increases the risk of tooth decay.

Eating a Balanced Diet

It is important to begin teaching children about healthy eating choices and good dental care, which includes visiting a kids’ dentist, even before they begin their first year of school. Children do not have to give up all of their favorite foods that contain sugar or starch, but they do need to choose them wisely and it is best to brush after consumption. A balanced diet includes milk and dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, whole-grain breads, and fruits and vegetables. Many foods, such as fruits, taste sweet without any added sugars.

Foods that contain sugar and/or starches are safer for teeth when they are eaten with meals, because there is more saliva released when eating a meal. Saliva helps wash foods from the mouth, so it reduces the effect of acids on the teeth. Sticky foods, such as fruit roll ups, fruit snacks, and candies are more difficult to wash away with saliva because they get stuck on the tooth or in a tooth groove, so there is a greater risk of tooth decay. Encourage children to brush at least twice each day with fluoride toothpaste, drink plenty of water, and see a kids’ dentist routinely.

Easing Children’s Dental Fear

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When a child first learns that he is going to be going to the dentist, his first thought is typically formed around the vision of some cartoon mad scientist or evil doctor. This perception is due primarily to the number of children’s television shows that portray doctors or dentists in a scary yet comical fashion. Let’s face it—older siblings with a sense of humor don’t help, either. Fortunately when it comes to kids’ dentistry, there are a few tricks of the trade that can help your child look forward to visiting the dentist.
Easing a Child’s Fears of the Dentist Starts with the Parent
Avoid using a few key words before going to the dentist. Words such as “hurt,” “shot,” “painful,” or “scary” shouldn’t be used. Instead, use a few details to tell your child about why going to the dentist is important. If your child has a favorite superhero or fictional character that has a sparkling smile, then be sure to use that character as a prime example of why going to the dentist can be fun and healthy. Try saying something like, “I bet Superman goes to the dentist every six months to keep his smile healthy.”
One of the most important things that a parent can do to ease a child’s fear of the dentist is to understand the child’s fear. Sometimes, kids are afraid because they have heard horror stories from their older siblings or seen something scary on television. Other times, kids are simply afraid of the unknown. No matter the reason, try to understand your child’s fear so that you can help show him or her why the dentist’s office isn’t a scary place to be.
General Dentist Tips for Easing a Child’s Fear
The final person who can ease a child’s fear of the dentist’s office is a kids dentist with caring hands. Below are the top three tips for helping to eliminate a child’s fear.
  1. Speak in a calming and friendly voice. If children hear a friendly or happy tone, then they are less likely to be afraid.
  2. Tell stories or anecdotes to distract the child. Stories are a fantastic distraction that can help to take a child’s mind off of the scary dentist tools and instead help the child to think about something more pleasant.
  3. Use simple words to describe a procedure or action. Remember that kids are often afraid of the unknown. This includes big, scary words that are hard to understand. Keep things simple, and the child is sure to be a little less afraid.

When it comes to kids and the dentist’s office, remember that a healthy smile is well worth helping your child to overcome any fears. For more helpful dentist tips, visit us online.

Kids Dental Emergencies

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Dealing with children’s dental issues can sometimes create stress in a parent’s life. At a very early age, children learn that their teeth can hurt. Helping your children to not fear the dentist as a result of sometimes painful dental experiences is very important. If you can help your children establish at a young age good dental habits and healthy emotions toward their dental needs, you can help them create a lifelong experience of good dental health. Here are a few ways to handle some common dental emergencies that you and your kids may face.
Toothache
Do not overreact to your child’s toothache; however, it is also important not to ignore your child’s toothache. Sometimes a toothache can be caused by something as simple as food lodged between the teeth or beneath the gum line. Rinse your child’s teeth with warm water and thoroughly floss to make sure this isn’t the cause of the discomfort. If your child’s toothache will require a dental visit, be sure to comfort your child by providing reassurance that a visit to the dentist will be a pleasant experience and will help him or her feel better.
Chipped or Fractured Tooth
A chipped or fractured tooth is a common childhood dental injury due to most children’s high levels of activity. A chipped or fractured tooth can be very painful, so it is important to not underestimate your child’s level of pain following this type of injury. Your kid’s dentist should be contacted immediately, and you should follow the dentist’s instructions precisely. Quick action can sometimes ensure that the tooth can be repaired. A chipped tooth should not be ignored, because a severely chipped tooth can become infected.
Knocked Out Tooth

If your child sustains a serious injury resulting in a tooth being knocked out, you should first make sure that your child has not sustained any other more serious injuries, such as a blow to the head. If your child’s tooth was knocked out as a result of a more serious injury, take your child to the emergency room. Recover the tooth and take it with you to the hospital. If your child is not otherwise injured, recover the tooth and visit your general dentist as soon as possible.

Why Wear a Mouth Guard for Playing Football

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Photo | Torrey Wiley
The popularity of organized youth sports brings with it a sense of fun sportsmanship. However, with those team sports also comes the risk of dental injuries, which can really affect the dental development of kids and teens. Student athletes are 60 percent more likely to sustain these types of injuries than other kids.
According to the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety, the best way to ensure that your child does not suffer from one of these injuries is to make sure your child or teen always uses a mouth guard. Mouth guards can greatly decrease the number of these injuries. It is important to make sure that your child’s mouth guard is fitted properly to their teeth shape and mouth size. This will increase the protection for your child.
Some of the injuries that can result from not using a mouth guard include dental fractures, which can be very painful and, in severe cases, can even cause fracture of the dental roots. If your child or teen does suffer this type of injury, it is important to recover the tooth fragments and to get to your dentist as soon as possible.
Avulsions are another severe type of injury that can be prevented with the use of a mouth guard. An avulsion is an injury resulting in the entire tooth, including root, being knocked out. This type of injury can be very painful as well as emotionally traumatizing for kids and teens who already have their adult teeth. This can result in extensive dental work, which is both expensive and stressful for your kids and for you.
Luxation is a severe dental injury that knocks a tooth loose and changes the position of the tooth in the mouth. This type of injury also creates the need for extensive dental work in order to reposition the tooth.

To provide your kids with the best protection, talk with your kids’ dentist or your general dentist to find out the best type and size of mouth guard for your child’s mouth.

How to Protect Your Baby from Tooth Decay

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Think you need to wait until your baby has a mouth full of teeth to begin dental care? Wrong! In fact, the American Association of Pediatric Dentists recommends that you take your baby to see the dentist when he or she gets that first tooth. The first visit is primarily informational, but it could mean that you and your baby are one step ahead on the road to healthy teeth.

Baby Tooth Care

You’ll want to make sure that you are instilling good oral care habits in your baby from as early on as you can. Pediatric dentists recommend that you don’t send your babies to bed with bottles, especially when those bottles contain milk, formula or juice. Once your baby gets his or her first tooth, you’ll want to gently brush their teeth gently with just a light smear of toothpaste to begin building proper hygiene and brushing habits.

Thumb Sucking

Do you have a thumb sucker? Pediatric dentists agree that a pacifier is their preferred choice in the pacifier vs. thumb debate. Ideally, your child shouldn’t use a pacifier or a thumb for sucking, but if it has to be one or the other, dentists recommend the pacifier over the thumb. Keep in mind that you should never dip the pacifier in any kind of sweet liquid before giving it to your baby, because the sugar in the liquid will simply remain in the mouth, potentially leading to future decay.

Using Bottles

Finally, wean your baby from bottles by the age of one. By this time, you will want to encourage your child to learn how to drink from a cup as you continue to encourage a healthy and nutritious diet for your child.

You can easily teach your kids how to prevent the possibility of future cavities and tooth decay by practicing proper brushing habits and instilling the idea of not having sugary drinks right before bedtime.

Encouraging Healthy Teeth for Kids

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children visit a dentist with the eruption of the first tooth, or at the latest, by age one. While some babies are born with one or two teeth, some won’t have their first tooth until after age one. The average age for the first tooth eruption is six months. The best way for us to prevent cavities in our children’s teeth is to address it at an early age.

Start Early

Children need to become comfortable with having their teeth and mouths inspected by parents and dentists. This can start in infancy, even before a tooth erupts. After meals, use a damp warm cloth to gently cleanse the gums. As your child grows, continue regular inspections.
As our children grow, we must be active and vigilant. We cannot simply ask our kids if they’ve brushed their teeth and hope they’re honest. Most kids don’t like to brush their teeth. Many lie about it! Some will run the toothbrush under water to “prove” they’ve brushed when they haven’t. Parents must actually inspect their children’s teeth. The best way to ensure our kids are brushing is for us to watch them brush.

Make Dental Hygiene Fun

Just by walking down the toothpaste and toothbrush aisle at the supermarket or drugstore, it’s obvious that marketers have figured out that fun products attract kids. Most general retailers carry a huge selection of kid-themed toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash. Kids like to have fun. Commercial packaging is designed to be fun and appealing to children. Make it fun!
Purchasing dental products with popular animated characters is the simplest way to start the fun. Take it a step farther by finding tools available through various other outlets. Sesame Street, for example, has a wealth of tools on its site for parents, such as activities, games, and informational brochures. YouTube is a great source for kid-oriented dental hygiene videos. There’s no shortage of fun videos on YouTube instructing kids on dental hygiene!

Insurance Providers as a Resource

For families with health maintenance organization (HMO) dental insurance plans, check with your provider to see what resources are available regarding your child’s dental care. Many HMO plans offer resources on their websites that will help with caring for your child’s teeth.

Teaching your Kids to Floss

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At Playtime Dental, we know that flossing is just as important for your child as it is for you, as it promotes healthy dental hygiene and prevents cavities and gum disease. Teaching your children how to floss will help them learn the importance of this habit as well as enjoy it. Here are a few steps to consider when teaching your little one how to floss.
1. Floss Length
Each time your child flosses, he or she should break off roughly 18 inches. A good trick to help you remember this is to make the floss the same length as the distance between your elbow and your fingertip. Once you have the floss in hand, you can either floss for your child, or if the child is old enough, you can teach him or her.
2. How to Hold Floss
Holding floss can be tricky at times, so it is important for your child to know the proper method. A best practice for this is to wind a good majority of the floss around one of the middle fingers. Then, the rest of the floss can go around the other middle finger on the opposite hand. After that, your child can firmly grasp the floss between his or her thumbs and first fingers to better control it and adapt it to the curves of the teeth.
3. Flossing Thoroughly

There are several steps involved when it comes to the actual flossing process. First, have your child gently guide the floss in between his or her teeth. After that, the child will need to make the floss into a C shape so that it can easily go into the spot between the tooth and the gum. Once the floss is in a good position, the child can hold it tightly against his or her tooth and then lightly rub the side of the tooth with the floss. This should be done in a slight up and down motion away from the gum. After this step is complete, the child can simply repeat the process until all of his or her gums are clean. It’s that simple!