Is your child ready for their appointment? Here’s how you can prepare your child for that first dentist appointment.

Begin with Playtime

Books, stuffed animals, and a few toys can help you prepare your child for their visit to the
dentist. Yes, it’s true! You can practice looking into each other’s mouths with a flashlight. Read
children’s books about going to the dentist so they’re more familiar with the different types of
tools that will be used as well as the exam and cleaning procedure.
You can even have them treat their stuffed animals as patients to examine their teeth and talk
about brushing and flossing. Playing dentist as well as talking to your child about what will
happen during their appointment can help them become more familiar with the experience.

Visit Before Your Appointment

Finding the right dentist to take your child to is important. Pediatric dentists will help your child
feel more comfortable, be more experienced at treating children, and help you relax too! It’s a
good idea to visit the dentist office that you’ve chosen to be your child’s dentist. You can take
your child with you so that they can meet the staff and see the office.

This will give your child a chance to become familiar with the office and the staff before they
actually go in for their checkup. When you do actually go in for your appointment, allow your
child to bring along a favorite book or toy if they’re nervous. The waiting room should have
plenty of toys too!

Be a Positive Role Model

Being a positive role model for your child when it comes to visiting the dentist might just be
your greatest asset to making this visit go well. Letting your child see you brushing and flossing
at home can help them establish their own routine similar to yours. When you go to visit your
dentist, let your child know or take him or her with you if you can.
And finally, being calm at the dentist office can help your child to relax too. Your child can tell
when you are anxious or upset. By being reassuring and remaining calm yourself, you can set
your child up for positive feelings about the dentist right from the start.

Your child’s relationship with the dentist will be an important one that protects his or her smile!
You can help prepare your child for the dentist by incorporating play, visiting the office, and
being the best role model possible for your child. When it comes to dental checkups, preparing
your child will help the process go smoothly for everyone!

The post How Do I Prepare My Child for Their First Dental Appointment? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Studies Show Avoiding the Dentist Makes You Unhappier

Recent research has shown that people who avoid the dentist tend to be unhappier in their lives. This is because people who regularly skipped their dental appointments were more likely to have missing teeth, gum disease, and other oral health issues that impacted their day-to- day life.

The research also showed that people who neglected to care for their oral health were also more likely to have poorer overall health. People who have a healthy, beautiful smile are more likely to be happier and take better care of their bodies than people who don’t. This is why having your best smile is so important—not just for overall health, but for your happiness!

Research Proves Smiling Improves Your Mood

Studies have also proved that smiling—whether genuine or faked—can boost your mood and even your immune system. This is because the act of smiling releases endorphins, and your body can’t tell the difference between a real and a fake smile. People who smile more tend to be happier and more confident!

Unfortunately, people who are severely self-conscious of their smiles often avoid smiling altogether. Having oral health issues such as gum disease or tooth decay can progress if not treated. These problems often get to the point where your smile is compromised and you no longer feel comfortable showing your teeth. When you have a gorgeous smile, you can speak and laugh without holding back and enjoy the increased happiness that comes with it!

A Beautiful Smile Increases Success and Confidence

Often, self-esteem begins in childhood. While having an imperfect smile is considered cute among children, it can be hugely damaging to the image of an adult. Having a subpar smile can impact your success, confidence, and even your approachability. A beautiful smile can make you more attractive and appear more trustworthy and approachable. Your smile affects how people perceive you. A great smile can help you be more warm and open, while hiding your smile or having an unpleasant smile can lead people to be more distrusting or less attracted to you.

Don’t wait to get the smile of your dreams. With all the benefits a perfect smile offers you, why not see what can be improved? Maybe you need a simple whitening to help get your confidence back on track, or maybe you need more involved restorative work. Regardless, schedule a consultation with an experienced dentist to talk about your perfect smile!

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You ideally want a dentist who can treat all ages when you have a family. Finding the best dentist for every member in your household can make keeping up with dental appointments easy. How can you find the right one? Here’s how you can find one great dentist to fit all your needs in one place!

Find a Dentist Who’s Experienced

Finding an experienced dentist is a must regardless of what age you are. However, when you have a family, you want a dentist who’s equally experienced with children and teenagers. Children often require more skills to treat than adults, and you want the dentist to be kid-friendly. You should also take into account any special needs your family has. Does one of you experience dental anxiety, or do you have a child with special needs? Talk to the dentist you’re considering about their experience in working with different patients. The right dentist will be able to accommodate all your needs!

Your Family Dentist Should Take a Holistic Approach

When searching for a dentist, you want a professional who cares. If you have a cavity or gum disease, your family dentist shouldn’t just fix the problem, but talk to you about preventative measures in addition to treatment.

Your ideal family dentist will take a holistic approach and talk with you about your oral health habits. He or she should also be able to offer tips on what you can do better. From avoiding sugar to becoming a better brusher, your dentist should be invested in your oral health just as much as you are. Look for a dentist who offers more than just treatment during appointments—find a dentist that wants you and your family’s oral health to be the best it can be.

Visit the Office and the Dentist

Visiting the dentist you’re considering can make all the difference. Evaluate the location and cleanliness of the office. Check for play areas and look for staff members who are friendly with kids. You want an office that offers emergency services when needed and has the experience to handle everything your family needs.

If you have dental anxiety, talk with the dentist about their accommodations. They may offer sedative dentistry or even laser dentistry to help you feel more at ease. You want a staff and a dentist that’s great with kids and gets to know you and your family.

Finding the perfect dentist in one location with appointment flexibility and expertise is well worth the effort. Ask your friends and family for recommendations. Visit local dentists in your area and talk to the staff. Your family dentist should be conveniently located, friendly, and knowledgeable. Get all your oral care needs in one place with the right dentist for the entire family!

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Getting a professional teeth cleaning not only looks and feels great, but has other important purposes. When we brush and floss regularly, we’re doing our teeth a huge favor. However, people are not expert tooth cleaners. Tight spaces or areas behind teeth often get missed during brushing. A professional cleaning can remove plaque or tartar in these areas while your dentist can let you know how to brush better. Getting a professional cleaning also regularly removes surface stains, helping your teeth remain whiter!

Evaluate Gum Health

Our gums are instrumental in keeping our teeth and their roots healthy. However, gum problems tend to be sneaky. Gums that are slightly red, irritated, or puffy could be indicative of gum disease. Your dentist can closely inspect your gums to determine if any signs of gum disease are present. Gum recession is often only noticeable after tooth sensitivity occurs around your roots. Visiting your dentist can ensure gums are doing their job and not experiencing any problems.

Oral Cancer Screening

Many dentists now conduct an oral cancer screening during your routine exam. This means your dentist will feel around your face, neck, and jaw to identify any unusual growths. The inside of your mouth will also be checked for persistent sores or discoloration. Early detection can help save your life when it comes to oral cancer, so don’t skip this important screening even if you feel fine!

Check for Cavities

Tooth decay has a tricky way of developing when we’re unaware of it. Often people go to the dentist to find that they have several cavities that they didn’t know about! Your dentist is an expert at looking for cavities. Small cavities are easy to fill, while large cavities could compromise your entire tooth. Get regular checkups to monitor any existing tooth decay and check for new cavities.

Talk about Concerns

Your dentist is a professional. Bring your oral health concerns with you to the office—talking to your dentist about any symptoms or concerns you have gives you peace of mind and the best care. While searching on the Internet is a popular alternative, talking to a real dentist about your specific smile always yields more accurate advice!

Just because your teeth look and feel okay doesn’t mean you should skip the dentist office. Don’t wait until you have problems to go—schedule routine visits at least once a year with your local dentist. He or she can let you know whether or not you need to come more often. Take great care of your smile for life with regular checkups!

The post My Teeth Look and Feel Fine. Do I Need a Checkup? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

An oral cancer screening is done in a dentist’s office, usually during a regular appointment. The dentist examines your mouth visually, and while wearing gloves, feels inside your mouth for lumps or other abnormalities. If you wear dentures or other removable dental appliances you will be asked to remove them for the exam. Other tests for oral cancer include a dye test in which you rinse your mouth with a dye which may cause abnormal cells in your mouth to turn blue. Another test involves a light that is shined in your mouth and shows abnormal tissue as white.

Abnormalities discovered in a screening may not be cancerous. If any abnormalities are found, you will have to undergo additional testing. Usually a follow up screening is performed a few weeks later to see if the abnormality is still present. A biopsy, which removes a sample of the cells and tests them, can determine if the cells are cancerous or benign.

Oral cancer screening can detect cancer or precancer, but some oral cancer can escape detection by a screening exam. There is no evidence that oral cancer screening saves lives, but it may lead to early detection of oral cancer and increase the chances of survival.

If you would like to learn more about oral cancer, its risk factors and oral cancer screening, call for an appointment. The decision to have oral cancer screening can only be made by careful consideration by you and the dentist.

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The goal of routine dental checkups is to discover any problems before they become serious so that treatment is easier, and your teeth and gums can remain healthy. If you practice good oral hygiene at home, you are less likely to develop gum disease or tooth decay, but you are not completely immune to oral health problems. Gum disease can be caused by illness, certain types of medications and heredity, so even if you take good care of your teeth and gums, you should still have routine dental exams at least once a year.

People who are at higher risk for oral health issues should see the dentist twice a year for checkups, or possibly even more often. This includes smokers, people with diabetes and people with weakened immune systems. If you feel that you do not practice good oral hygiene, for example, if you don’t floss or don’t brush your teeth at least twice a day, you should probably have dental checkups at least twice a year.

You should always make a dental appointment any time you experience any of the following: toothache, bleeding gums, swollen gums, sudden sensitivity to hot or cold foods or beverages, bad breath that gets worse or seems unrelated to foods that you eat, popping sounds in your jaw or painful jaws, a crack in a tooth, a loose tooth or a sore or spot in your mouth. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or another medical condition or if you are you pregnant, you should see the dentist to discuss how your condition may affect your oral health.

If you have a dental problem, frequent appointments may be necessary during treatment. Remember that early detection makes treatment for most problems easier, and routine exams are usually quicker and more comfortable than some treatments may be.

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