Teaching Children Good Dental Hygiene

Oral hygiene is an important part of overall health, and even young children can begin making good habits that can last a lifetime. Parents should begin brushing babies' teeth as soon as they appear although only a tiny smear of toothpaste should be placed on the brush. After the age of two, it is appropriate to use a little bit more toothpaste. Flossing should begin as soon as teeth start to come out that are next to one another.

How to Protect Your Kids' Oral Health at Home

Parents play a critical role in helping their children develop and maintain sound oral hygiene routines, especially during the first years of the children’s lives. From the day that your kid is born, you can start assisting him with his oral hygiene in the following ways.

Brushing Twice Daily Might Not Be Enough for Kids

Though encouraging your kids to brush their teeth twice daily might be a way to keep their teeth from decay and other oral problems, these might not be enough. It may seem surprising for some parents to know this, but the truth is that brushing alone isn’t enough to remove all food particles and plaque that may be building up in their children’s mouths.

First-Aid Tips for Kids’ Dental Emergencies

With school over, children are most likely enjoying the summer heat by playing sports outdoors. Doing so, however, can lead to knocked out or cracked teeth, especially if they haven’t been wearing a mouthguard or a helmet while playing. For these dental emergencies, take the following steps first before bringing them to a pediatric dentist for further treatment:

First-Aid for Cracked Tooth

Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water to keep the area clean. Apply a cold compress to the area of injury to avoid swelling and to soothe pain.

First-Aid for Knocked-Out Tooth

If your child knocks out a tooth, be sure that he didn’t sustain a more serious injury. Knocked out baby teeth need not to be moistened, though they should still be brought to a dentist. Permanent teeth, however, need to be kept moist at all times by placing them in a container with a tooth preservation product or milk.

Aid for Toothache

What if your child hasn’t sustained any injury, yet he’s complaining of a toothache? First, rinse his mouth with warm water to clean it, then gently use dental floss to get rid of any food particles that might have been caught between his teeth. Never use aspirin on your child’s tooth or gums for it could only burn the surrounding gum tissue. If the pain remains, immediately consult a pediatric dentist.

Proper Dental Care for Kids in Philadelphia

Some children in Philadelphia may be frightened to visit a local dentist; however, savvy pediatric dentists furnish their offices with a variety of toys and video games that appeal to kids of all ages. Indeed, it's important to give youngsters some incentives for visiting a dental office.

Additionally, the actual treatment rooms might have kid-friendly decorations of popular cartoon characters and other colorful themes. Such decor can ease some of the fear and intimidation that builds up in children who need routine dental care.

One important responsibility of a pediatric dentist in Philadelphia is to monitor the development of milk teeth in young patients. Kids who eat a lot of sugary food might be prone to dental cavities and tooth decay. Sometimes, early extractions may be necessary to prevent any painful complications from forming in children's gum lines or bone tissue.

Pediatric dentists can extract milk teeth for the sole purpose of preparing for the proper eruption of permanent teeth. Digital X-rays can reveal the outlines of buds in permanent teeth that have yet to erupt. A pediatric dentist is trained to predict the exact location of future eruption. If milk teeth are in the way of the buds, prompt removal has to be done.

Pediatric dentistry also focuses on educating children about the importance of oral care. Kids are taught proper brushing and flossing techniques in the dental office. Moreover, parents are encouraged to monitor their children's dental and oral care habits at home.

Taking Care of Baby Teeth

Babies would usually get their first tooth around four to seven months old, but among some infants, they show their first tooth at three months old, or later when they turn one. After this, teeth will start appearing one after another over a period of months, and the last teeth to appear typically come in by age three.

Fun Ways to Teach Kids How to Brush their Teeth

Is it hard for you to convince your kids to brush their teeth? A fair number of children don’t grasp the importance of keeping their teeth clean, and so they neglect brushing them. Teaching your kids to brush their teeth, however, doesn’t have to be a chore when you could actually make it an enjoyable learning experience with these fun activities.

Teaching Kids to Brush the Right Way

Clean teeth can not only give your kids a great smile, but can also have positive effects on their overall well-being. Pediatric dentists around the world recommend regularly cleaning children’s teeth as soon as the first set appears. They also say kids should be introduced to the toothbrush when they turn two or three years old.

Pediatric Dentist vs. Family Dentist

A common question asked by parents is what the difference is between a pediatric dentist and a family dentist. To put it simply, a pediatric dentist specializes in handling dental problems specific to children as well as understanding their needs. A family dentist may also be the same, but not every family dentist has familiarity in dealing with children.

Baby Teeth Work Hard, Too

Like their first step or first word, getting their baby teeth is a milestone in a child’s life. Typically, baby teeth will arrive at around 6 months and stay for a few vital years. While those little choppers may be cute and tiny, they perform essential functions for your growing kid such as:

Why Dentists Urge Early Oral Care for Children

Proper oral hygiene should start the moment a child’s first set of teeth erupts. In fact, even before teeth eruption, the mother should practice cleaning a child’s gums to prevent infection. The effects of not having proper oral hygiene could lead to a rude awakening in the form of cavities and toothaches.

It also doesn’t help that kids usually associate dental visits with pain, so they choose to keep mum about any sort of discomfort they feel in their mouths rather than tell their parents about it, until the toothache worsens.

Get your Child on the Way to Oral Health

Parents are often more concerned for their kids’ teeth as the children themselves. While your kids might dread going to the dentist or even brushing their teeth every night, however, there are a few tricks you can try to get them on the right path.

Make no mistake; kids are more likely to prefer playing with their toys over brushing after dinner. If you force the habit, they'll likely show resistance; i.e. running away, hiding, pretending to be asleep. Regardless, you will have to get to them somehow for their own good.

Children’s Visits to the Dentist Need Not Be Scary

Most children are not quite fond of their visits to the dentist. This may be attributed to the kids associating their agony from tooth aches and hurting gums to the whirring sound of the drills, and the other imposing equipment within their sight as they sit vulnerable on the dentist’s chair. It also doesn’t help matters that some dental experts do not exude a friendly or warm vibe when dealing with children.

For this reason, a pediatric dentist is encouraged to employ a pleasant and approachable demeanor when handling kids. One of the main duties of a pediatric dentist is to make sure that the kids do not feel stressed while they are operating on them. A pleasant voice and gentle manner on the part of dentists when addressing their little patients can make a huge difference in children’s perception of them.

This lets the children know that their dentists are there to help them with their pain. A friendly approach helps the dentists, too, because kids become more receptive to them, and more accepting of their instructions. The children open up more and feel free to tell their dentist where they’re feeling discomfort. It’s always more productive for all involved to cultivate this give-and-take relationship to make every appointment less stressful.

A relationship between dentist and child, like other relationships, require trust between both parties. Once the dentist gains that trust from the child, visits and check-ups should be more pleasant for both.

Things to Know about Your Teen’s Wisdom Teeth

When it comes to dental health, braces aren’t the only rite of passage your teen has to go through. Chances are, a pediatric dentist has also mentioned the possibility of extracting your child’s wisdom teeth.

What Keeps a Philadelphia Pediatric Dentist Busy?

Tooth decay is the most common chronic condition U.S. schoolchildren face today. According to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, this problem affects 25 percent of children aged 2 to 5 years old and 50 percent of 12 to 15 year olds. It’s a problem shared by the rest of the world, as it is estimated that 60 to 90 percent of schoolchildren in industrialized countries also suffer from tooth decay in some way. That said, tooth decay isn’t the only thing that keeps a pediatric dentist in Philadelphia busy all year.

Tooth Decay: Big Reason for Kids to Visit Dentists

What does tooth decay have in common with the common cold? They’re two of the biggest reasons why American children skip school every year. The situation is much worse than what parents might think: more than 25 percent of kids aged two to five, and at least 50 percent of children between 12 and 15 suffer from tooth decay. These numbers go as high as 80 percent in some places like North Philadelphia.

There are a lot of reasons for these staggering statistics. Aside from the fact that many households in the U.S. lack dental coverage, children are also often exposed to tooth decay-causing substances like candies, sodas, citrus fruits, and even bread. The sugar content of these foods can lead to tooth decay and cause cavities. Lack of proper oral hygiene is also a major factor.

Some may argue that it is “normal” for children to suffer from tooth decay, simply because their baby teeth are significantly weaker than the permanent teeth that they’ll eventually grow. That may be true to some extent, but it’s also important for people to know that decayed milk teeth can also result in more serious complications later in life. There are numerous studies that link childhood tooth decay with stroke, pneumonia, poor pregnancy outcomes, and similar health conditions in adult life.

How to Take Care of Your Children’s Teeth

Your children’s dental health is an important consideration while they’re growing up. Every parent wants to ensure that their children develop good oral habits to prevent a myriad of dental problems and health complications that could arise from the presence of a major dental disease. To provide the best care for your children early on, it is always best to consult with their pediatric dentist for proper care throughout their growing years.

On Curing Your Child’s Dental Fear

A child who actually likes going to the dentist can be considered a rarity. Even if your child knows that they have to take good care of their teeth, it is unavoidable for children to fear someone who will regularly place strange metal implements inside (and sometimes cause pain to) their mouths. 

As a parent, it is important for your child to understand the benefits of going to a good dentist. If he understands, but is still afraid of going to the dentist, then here are some things that you can do to help them get over their fears. 

Pediatric Dentists: Born Out of Necessity

General dentists cater to teeth of all ages. As they deal with families all the time, these dentists know how to treat teeth of each family member, from the father all the way down to an infant. If a general dentist is near you, is there still a need for one with more specialized training, namely a pediatric dentist?

Pediatric dentistry was born out of necessity, as with just about every invention humankind has ever made. Simply put, children have needs different from adults and the elderly. A general dentist may be trained to handle kids, but pediatric dentists take it to a higher level because of their specialized training.

Helping Your Kids Beat Dental Phobia

Early oral hygiene training for your kids is a good start but not really fully-integrated until they see an actual dentist. However, children don’t usually see dentists as friendly people with all those sharp tools and trinkets in hand, leading to unwillingness to come see them in the first place. Here are some quick tips to help ease your kid’s fear of a dentist. 

Start Early

Make your kid understand early in life that regular dental checkups are essential for his growth. This should allow him to form a “dental home” of sorts instead of associating the dentist and his tools with something negative.

Simplicity is King 

Don’t strain your kid with too much details when you’re telling him about going on his first dental checkup. At the same time, stop using sugar-coated words like “it won’t hurt a bit.” If he needs to undergo treatment on the first visit, he might lose trust in your word. 

Role Play 

To keep the visit stress-free for everyone involved, allow your child to imagine the scenario beforehand by playing dentist. Pretend that you are the dentist about to examine your child's teeth. Use toys, pretty colors, and everything you can to make sure he sees the visit in a positive light.