During this appointment, your kid-friendly dentist will gently but thoroughly examine your child’s smile and can even help determine if your child could be at higher risk for cavities. How can you prepare your child for their first dentist appointment, especially if they are older?

Stay Positive

Even if you yourself are not a fan of the dentist, it’s important to stay positive and not pass your fears onto your child. Children are perceptive and may pick up on your anxiety prior to their appointment. Do your best to be optimistic and confident about their appointment, both when talking about the visit beforehand and on the way to the dentist office to help your child stay relaxed and worry-free for their first appointment.

Educate Your Child

Let your child know why they’re going to the dentist as well as what will happen during the appointment. They don’t need to know every single detail, but you should give them a good general idea of what to expect [2]. Some things that will happen during your child’s first dental visit include:

• An exam of their teeth, jaws, bite, and gums
• A gentle cleaning (if needed)
• A review of proper oral care techniques for brushing and flossing
• Depending on your child’s age, x-rays may be recommended (typically only for older
  children)

The entire visit will take approximately 30-45 minutes. If your child is old enough, you can use books or videos to help explain what will happen during the appointment so that your child isn’t apprehensive and has a better idea about what to expect. You can also play dentist at home—act out the appointment or have your child play dentist using stuffed animals!

Consider the Appointment Time

It’s a good idea to make your child’s first dentist appointment during a time when they are generally more relaxed and comfortable. For example, making the appointment during naptime or lunchtime may make your child more tired or irritable during the visit.

Generally, morning times work better for children, as they are rested, alert, and have already eaten their first meal of the day. Ask your dentist what appointment times are available so you can better prepare your child!

Find a Great Pediatric Dentist

Your child’s dentist will be their partner in oral care as they grow and develop their permanent teeth. Working with a dentist you trust and whom you feel has a great rapport with your child is important. Research pediatric dentists in your area, or consider using the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s tool to find an accredited practice near you [3]. Your child’s smile will be strong and healthy for life with regular dentist visits!

Sources:
1. https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/august/aapd-research-
2. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=a-childs-first-dental-visit-fact-
3. https://www.aapd.org/publications/find-a-pd/

The post Preparing Your Child for Their First Dental Appointment appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

A chipped tooth has the potential to cause your baby discomfort, so what can you do if this
happens? Here’s how you can treat your baby’s chipped tooth until you can get to your child-
friendly dentist.

Contact Your Dentist

If you’re able, contact your child’s dentist after you notice your baby’s tooth has been chipped.
Your dentist can provide you with more specific instructions about what to do, and may even
be able to squeeze you in for an appointment.

Your dentist may want to know if the tooth is bleeding, if the tooth fragment has been found,
or if your child appears to be in pain. It’s a good idea to keep contact information for your
child’s dentist and pediatrician on hand for events such as these.

Rinse and Store

If you’re able to find the fragment of your child’s tooth, you can rinse it gently with water and store in saliva, milk, or water until you can bring it to the dentist. In the meantime, you can gently rinse your baby’s mouth with warm water—this is especially important to do if you cannot locate the tooth fragment and there’s a chance it may still be in your child’s mouth.

Your dentist can provide you with further instructions about storing the tooth fragment until
you can get in for an appointment. In some cases, as long as the tooth fragment is kept moist,
your dentist may still be able to reattach it to your child’s tooth.

Utilize a Cold Compress

If your baby appears to be in pain, you can utilize a cold compress to reduce any discomfort or
swelling. Never give a baby any over-the-counter pain medication or numbing gel without first
consulting with your dentist or pediatrician.

Quick action after the accident can help prevent infection and discomfort, so never ignore your baby’s chipped tooth and always follow your dentist’s instructions for handling the problem to keep your baby safe and healthy.

Just because your baby’s primary tooth isn’t permanent doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek
treatment for your child. A tooth chip can not only be painful, but can also allow bacteria to
enter the tooth root, which can cause an infection and even early tooth loss, which can disrupt
the alignment of the adult teeth that will come in in a few years.

By securing the tooth fragment if you’re able, rinsing your baby’s mouth, and keeping your baby comfortable, you can ensure your child is ready for their dentist appointment to repair the chipped tooth!

The post How Do I Treat My Baby’s Chipped Tooth? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Many kids love sugar and some are actually twenty times better at identifying
sugar than other kids — their genes are to thank for this. These kids will find it
even more difficult to decrease the amount of sugar they consume, but a good
trick is to let them eat a bit of sugar at mealtimes if they simply can’t resist
having a sweet snack. Eating healthy foods at the same time as a sugary treat
encourages more saliva to be produced in the mouth, which will protect their
teeth against decay by washing away sugar residue.

There are other things you can do to encourage healthy teeth and prevent
cavities.

Let Them Brush With Fluoride

Cavities develop from acids in foods, such as sugar that destroy minerals in
tooth enamel. But tooth decay can be reversed if it’s caught early, because
enamel can heal by getting the minerals it needs to be strong from fluoride in
toothpaste. It’s therefore essential for your children to be using a fluoride
toothpaste to protect and repair cavities before they get worse.
If you’re worried about fluoride consumption, teach your kids to spit toothpaste
out instead of swallowing it.

Replace Candy With Healthy Sugars

Your children will be glad to know that not all sugars are bad for them. Simple
sugars found in beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, are natural. Such
foods also contain many other nutrients children need to be healthy, as well
as fiber. Foods high in fiber delay the body’s absorption of sugar, which isn’t
only good for teeth but prevents blood glucose levels from getting too high.

Find sweet veggies and fruits to feed your children to give them a sugar hit in
a healthy way. Examples include melons, papaya, berries, and carrots.

Encourage After-Snack Brushing

Children should brush their teeth at least twice a day, but if they’ve consumed
a sweet snack it’s a good idea to send them back to the bathroom for another
brushing session. This is because some sugary foods are sticky, such as
raisins and jelly beans, and they can get stuck onto teeth. Children should
brush this residue away so that they don’t cause cavities. Baby teeth have a
thinner coat of enamel than permanent teeth, so it’s even more important to
brush your baby’s teeth after sweet snacks.

Avoid “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay”

Get out of the the habit of giving your infants baby bottles that contain sugary
liquids, such as fruit juice. It might be marketed as healthy, but one cup of fruit
juice contains 23g of sugar, which is almost five teaspoons. If you're topping
up your baby’s bottle with fruit juice throughout the day, they could easily be
consuming 10 or more teaspoons of sugar a day. That’s way too much,
especially if you consider the sugar limit for adult daily consumption is six
teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men.

Start weaning babies and toddlers off these liquids by diluting their baby
bottles with water, slowly and over a period of a few weeks. You could also
switch them over to healthier liquids, such as milk that contains calcium to
fortify their teeth.

Stick To Dental Appointments

Have your child’s teeth broken through their gums yet? That’s a sign they’re
ready for their first visit to the dentist. Children should see their dentists at
least every six to 12 months so that they can prevent cavities from developing.
This also gets them into the habit of looking after their dental health as they
grow older, while showing them that dental appointments don’t have to be
scary.

If you’re not mindful of your children’s sugar-eating habits, their teeth could
become one of the casualties. Getting them in the habit of healthy eating as well as good dental care from an early age will go a long way to keeping their teeth strong and their smiles beautiful.

The post How To Protect Your Child’s Teeth From Sugar Damage appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

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.

Wiggling the Tooth

To wiggle that tooth out, use a piece of clean gauze and wrap it around your child’s tooth. Gently wiggle it back and forth. You never want to force a tooth to come out. If the tooth doesn’t feel very loose, leave it alone. If, however, the tooth is very loose and practically hanging there, could can employ the wiggle method until the tooth comes out. You may try twisting a bit to encourage it. Using gauze will help you get a proper grip on the tooth and lessen the chances of a slip!

Eating Crunchy Foods

Crunchy foods are not only great for getting loose teeth to come out, they’re also great for your smile! Foods such as apples, carrots, and celery can actually act as little scrubbers on the teeth and remove plaque and bacteria. These are excellent snacks to keep on hand or to pack in school lunches. If your child has a loose tooth, you can simply encourage them to crunch into an apple or eat some carrots and celery. The chewing action combined with the crunchy, firm nature of these foods can help encourage the loose tooth to come right out!

Employ the Help of Floss

Flossing should be a regular part of your child’s oral care routine, as this important step can remove unseen plaque, food particles, and bacteria. Floss is an excellent tool for when you’re trying to get a stubborn baby tooth to come out as well. You can wrap the floss around the tooth just like you would during normal flossing. Gently pull on the floss near the crown of the tooth and see if the tooth is ready to make its exit!

Leave It Alone

It’s never a good idea to pull a baby tooth before it’s ready and this is never advised. Your child’s set of adult teeth are working their way in at their own pace. Removing the tooth too soon could impact the growth of the adult tooth, or cause unnecessary bleeding and pain for your child.

On the contrary, if the new tooth is clearly coming in and the old one clearly isn’t coming out, it could be time to see the dentist. Regular checkups are a vital part of any child’s oral care. Visit your dentist to ask how your child is doing with their tooth development. Your dentist can advise you what’s normal and even assist with pulling out that tooth!

Your child’s tooth will let you know when it’s ready to come out. Encourage your child to wiggle the tooth on their own until it’s ready. If your child needs assistance, employ one of these dentist-approved ways to remove your child’s tooth!

The post The Best (Dentist-Approved!) Ways to Remove Your Child’s Loose Tooth appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Protect your child from tooth decay by knowing your child’s risk. Which children have the highest risk for developing tooth decay?

Those Without a Regular Brushing Routine

You can start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they have teeth! Similarly, you can also start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as they have two teeth that touch together. As your child grows and is able to take over brushing and flossing, you should still supervise to ensure they’re doing a proper job.

Children without a regular brushing routine are putting their mouths at risk for development of plaque and tartar, overgrowth of bad bacteria that can cause enamel erosion and cavities, and even gum disease. It’s vital that your child brushes properly at least once a day, preferably twice a day for the most benefits. Flossing also helps to remove plaque and bacteria that can cause tooth decay!

Children Who Eat Lots of Processed Food

It’s easy to have your child eat a prepackaged snack or to make dinners from packaged foods. However, children who eat lots of processed food—namely carbohydrates and sugars—are at an increased risk for tooth decay. Your child’s body needs an abundance of nutrients, most of which can be found in fresh, whole foods.

Making the switch from processed foods filled with simple carbohydrates and sugars to whole foods is easier than you think. Instead of snack bars, buy apples and bananas. Instead of soda, buy seltzer water. For dinner, make at least half of their plate with fresh, colorful vegetables. This can give their smiles the nutrients they need to be strong and resist tooth decay.

Kids Whose Parents Have Cavities

If you have several cavities, your children are more likely to have cavities. This is because the bacteria that’s in your mouth was likely passed to them during infancy, whether through kissing or sharing utensils. This allows their own unique oral bacteria to grow with your bacteria—if you have lots of cavities, it’s likely that your child will be at a higher risk for them as well.

What Can You Do?

There are many things you can do to protect your child from tooth decay! Firstly, visiting your pediatric dentist for checkups every six months is crucial. Your dentist may also recommend dental sealants, which is a clear, protective barrier for your child’s back teeth, which are the hardest to clean.

You can also buy toothpaste with fluoride in it, which will help to strengthen your child’s teeth and prevent cavities. Your dentist may also recommend a fluoride treatment if your child needs it. Talk to your dentist about how much fluoride your child is getting, as too much or too little will be a problem.

What’s your child’s risk for tooth decay? Children who fail to brush and floss regularly, eat lots of simple carbohydrates and sweets, and have parents with cavities are at the highest risk for tooth decay. Visit your dentist to talk about your child’s risk and what you can do to minimize the chances that they’ll develop cavities. Your child’s teeth should be healthy for life—you can help make that happen!

The post Which Children Are at Highest Risk for Tooth Decay? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Tooth Decay Is Prevalent Among Children

Dentists today are seeing an increase in tooth decay among children—even among infants and toddlers. Many times the symptoms of tooth decay aren’t apparent until it’s too late. If your child needs to have a baby tooth pulled before they’re ready to lose that tooth, this could affect how his or her permanent teeth come in.

When you get regular checkups with your dentist, you can help your child to prevent tooth decay as well as notice the signs before it becomes widespread. Dentists also encourage healthy oral habits among children, such as brushing and flossing in addition to not eating too many sweets!

Does Your Child Need Braces?

Orthodontic work might be closer in your child’s future than you think. Many children need two-phase orthodontic treatment, in which the first set of braces is applied while your child still has most of his or her baby teeth. A second set of braces is applied when your child is older to finalize the treatment.

Your dentist can take x-rays of your child’s teeth and determine if they need to see an orthodontist. Often problems such as bites, overcrowding, and crooked teeth can be fixed faster and easier if addressed early in the child’s life, especially if the problem is complex. Braces can also help your child’s teeth to be straight and even, therefore boosting their self-confidence!

Wisdom Teeth Impaction

As your child grows, his or her wisdom teeth will begin to develop and push through their gums. This typically happens around age 17, but could happen much earlier for some children. Girls tend to get their wisdom teeth in before boys, so getting checkups is crucial to see where your child’s wisdom teeth are at.

If your child has had orthodontic corrective work, wisdom teeth can push the teeth into incorrect positions if there’s not enough room for them to come through. This is also called wisdom teeth impaction. When wisdom teeth are impacted, they may also be coming in at odd angles or not even fully come through at all. Wisdom teeth impaction almost always require that they be removed before they cause any damage.

Dentists do more than just clean your children’s teeth during checkups. They examine your child’s mouth for signs of tooth decay or gum disease. They can spot any corrective orthodontic treatment needed early. They can also see if your child’s wisdom teeth are coming in and if they’ll need to be removed. Schedule a checkup for your child at the dentist office—great smiles start with the best care!

The post The Importance of Early Detection for Your Child’s Dental Health appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Custom Bracket

WildSmiles offers an array of unique brackets for your child to choose from! The custom bracket is designed to work just like a regular bracket, except in comes in fun shapes that your child can choose from to customize their braces. They can work with any orthodontic treatment and are safe and comfortable. While traditional brackets are silver and square, WildSmiles offers brackets that come in shapes like hearts, stars, sports balls, diamonds, flowers, and footballs! With these custom creations,your child will be able to customize their experience with braces and choose the bracket that they feel fits their personality best. Children can even mix and match these creations—if they love flowers and football, why not get both! The custom brackets that WildSmiles offers helps children get more excited about having braces. Your kids will be able to boast of brackets that no one else has, and you’ll be able to mix and match them to be entirely custom for your child.

More Fun for Kids!

These custom brackets can be easily incorporated with the colorful bands that your orthodontist offers. With the combination of these special brackets and their personal colors, your child will feel truly unique with WildSmiles. WildSmiles custom brackets can be ordered and shipped to your orthodontist, so they can be there when your child first gets their braces on. While the experience of braces can be scary and a little painful for your child, you can help cheer them up and get them excited about braces with WildSmiles. The best part about WildSmiles’ stainless steel brackets is that they’re more comfortable than clear or ceramic brackets offered by orthodontists. They have a low-profile design that helps keep them comfortable in your child’s mouth while still being stylish and unique enough for them to want to show off their custom brackets. Kids can get excited about choosing their brackets and having a custom smile throughout their orthodontic treatment combined with the colors that your traditional orthodontist can place on the brackets.

Your child’s orthodontic treatment is important—both to you and to your child. Whether your child is already excited about braces or if they’re apprehensive about them, help get your child the custom treatment and smile they deserve with WildSmiles custom brackets!

The post Make Your Child’s Braces Fun with WildSmiles appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

When choosing toothpaste for a child who is under 3 years old, it is best to get one that does not contain fluoride. Fluoride is important throughout life to keep tooth enamel strong and reduce the risk of cavities, but very young children can’t spit toothpaste out, and fluoride should not be swallowed. This type of toothpaste non-fluoride toothpaste made for young children is sometimes called training toothpaste. At this stage in your child’s life you will be gently brushing their gums or newly emerging teeth with your finger, and then eventually with a soft bristle brush.

The time to switch to fluoride toothpaste is when your child is old enough to brush his or her own teeth and spit the toothpaste out. While most adults use mint-flavored toothpaste, kids often find milder flavors more palatable. Children’s toothpaste comes in a variety of fruit flavors as well as flavors like bubble gum or cotton candy. You can give your child the freedom to choose flavor of the toothpaste; as long as it carries the ADA Seal and contains fluoride you can be sure it’s a good choice.

The ADA Seal is important because it means that the American Dental Association has approved the toothpaste. In order to carry the ADA Seal, a manufacturer must submit ingredients lists and other information about their product, conduct clinical trials and provide evidence that the product is manufactured in properly maintained and supervised facilities. So when you see the ADA Seal, you know the ADA has confirmed that the product is safe, effective, and does what the label claims.

Finding a good toothpaste for your child that he or she likes is usually not too difficult. There are many flavors available, as well as brands of toothpaste and toothbrushes that are associated with popular characters. Making oral hygiene fun is the best way to get kids to brush regularly without complaints. Start them early and make oral health and dentist visits fun and exciting, to keep their teeth and gums healthy and begin a habit of oral hygiene that will last a lifetime.

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