Children’s Dentistry And That Critical First Visit

Children's dentistry has its own unique set of challenges and joys. With challenges come the ability to overcome those challenges and share helpful hints, tips, and inside tricks that work to ensure your children have a very pleasant experience at their dentist appointments. One lesson every professional in the field of children's dentistry will tell you is that the first visit a child can remember will set the stage for years, even a lifetime, of relationships with a dentist, good or bad. In fact, recent studies have proven what those who practice children's dentistry have known for a very long time. Roughly 45 percent of the American public does not visit the dentist with any regularity. Of that, a very large percentage can trace their refusal to go to the dentist to an experience or an unaddressed fear that stems from their childhood. Our goal is to make sure your child has a strong and healthy relationship with all fields of medicine, particularly dentistry, so they have great teeth and good oral health. To do this, we focus a great deal of attention on making sure children have good memories of our offices and their own dentist.

A child's memory of children's dentistry will not begin when they walk in the door of the clinic; rather, it will begin when they start asking questions about their first visit. We know that only about 1.5 percent of parents follow our advice and bring in their children as soon as the child cuts their first tooth or turns one-year-old. For the remainder 98 percent, the first foray into children's dentistry only happens when the parent perceives a need for medical attention in the mouth. At this point, the child is typically older, and may be in discomfort. We strongly encourage parents to have a pre-visit conversation with the child, as this is your opportunity to paint a positive picture, get the child truly excited about the idea of seeing their own doctor, and finally create a sense of learning and education within the child. We do ask that parents avoid going into details, as much of what we do needs to be explained in non-threatening language, something we have worked on perfecting.

During the visit itself, it is critical that you do not demonstrate your own dental anxieties. Children are very good at sensing and then replicating their parent's emotions. If you feel very strongly about the dentist and are affected by anxiety, you should consider allowing the other parent to bring the child in. At the very least, you should discuss things with your dentist, so we know to prepare, just in case. A child who sees their parent calm, collected, and fully trusting the children's dentistry specialists is also going to react the same way. Ironically, the more relaxed the child, the faster we will be done and the happier the visit will be. On the other hand, a crying, upset, or jumpy child can make it harder to diagnose and treat whatever the problem is.

Dental Office  >  Family Dentist

These Bad Habits Can Cause You to Need an Emergency Dentist

As an emergency dentist, we get calls for all sorts of reasons. We know better than most how easy it is to damage the teeth. Simple activities that may seem innocent are often what leads to a tooth becoming cracked, chipped, or even being knocked out. While it would be convenient to think that teeth are only damaged in severe accidents like a car wreck, this is simply untrue, so it is important to change your habits and decrease your risk.

Here are a few habits that frequently lead to emergency calls:

Opening things with teeth. We are not sure where this idea started, but people of all ages tend to use their teeth like scissors. This is all well and good until your tooth breaks. Your teeth should only be used for eating food because the time you save opening a package with your teeth is not worth the risk of you breaking one and needing emergency dental care.

Piercing your tongue. A tongue piercing is particularly dangerous because it is placing a hard metal object inside your mouth. As an emergency dentist, we know this can lead to teeth becoming cracked or chipped when they come in contact with the piercing. Sometimes this happens while you sleep because there is no way to prevent what happens all the time, making it best to avoid the situation.

Not brushing your teeth. Let's face it, while most people know that they should brush their teeth, it is rare to find someone who brushes or rinses throughout the day. The morning and evening routine may be good enough if you eat a healthy diet low in sugar and starch. If, however, you drink a lot of coffee or sports drinks and eat candy or snack on chips, you are placing things on your teeth that can lead to cavities. This makes it important to at least rinse your mouth after eating or drinking something.

Grinding your teeth. If you grind your teeth at night, it can cause damage to them. Grinding is particularly bad for you because it can cause your teeth to chip and restorations to become dislodged. You can also wake up with TMJ-like symptoms, which include jaw, face, and neck pain. To solve this problem and prevent emergencies, we recommend wearing a night guard while you sleep.

Not wearing a mouthguard. If you or your kids play sports, you need to wear a mouthguard. These simple devices are necessary for ensuring that your teeth do not become chipped, cracked, or knocked out due to a sudden elbow jab or flying baseball.

As an emergency dentist, we know these are only a few things that can lead to dental damage and the need for an emergency dentist. The best thing you can do is to eliminate any bad habits from your daily routine and practice good oral care. This includes brushing and flossing throughout the day, visiting our office twice a year for a teeth cleaning, and eating a mouth healthy diet.

General Dentistry  >  Cosmetic Dentist