Ease your child's dental pain

Ease Your Child’s Dental Pain

When your child complains of a toothache, it does not always mean there is a cavity. Many toothaches occur when a tooth temporarily becomes overly sensitive. Knowing how to relieve the pain—and when to call the dentist—are important factors in helping your child overcome tooth discomfort.

If your child develops a toothache, you can take several simple steps that may relieve the pain. At first complaint,

• ask your child to identify the tooth causing the pain.
• check for food or other objects which may have lodged between teeth.
• even if nothing is visible, very gently use dental floss on either side of the painful tooth to dislodge any tiny particles that may be causing the discomfort.
• have your child rinse his or her mouth with warm salt water, which may help reduce swelling and relieve accompanying pain.
• give your child an over-the-counter medication like acetaminophen if pain persists.
• use an icepack on the cheek or jaw for 20 minutes.

However, not all toothaches can be treated at home. We can determine the cause and treat your child if . . .

• the pain is accompanied by fever.
• the pain is very severe.
• your child’s face is swollen.
• your child continues to complain of tooth pain after a day or so.
  
  
  As always, we're happy to answer questions about your child's oral health. Give us a call at 509-891-7070.
  
  

The Surprising Ear-Nose-Tooth Connection

The link in children between dental malocclusion—condition in which upper and lower teeth are not correctly aligned—and the common middle-ear infection (otitis media) remains unclear. A child with ear infections appears to be more likely to have a posterior crossbite (a kind of malocclusion), but no significant connection between any kind of malocclusion and ear infection has been determined.

However, a child who has dental malocclusion—or its beginnings—and a tendency to develop ear infections may actually have an underlying problem that causes both: mouth breathing. Just as the name suggests, mouth breathing occurs when the nasal passages experience chronic blockage, and because the child can’t breathe well out of his nose, he breathes primarily through his mouth.

So, what can cause chronically blocked nasal passages? Seasonal allergies, surely. Another major cause is swollen tonsils and/or adenoids.

The change from nasal to mouth breathing often results in chronic middle ear infections, sinusitis, upper airway infections and sleep disturbances such as apnea and snoring. And mouth breathing has been shown to affect the growing face, causing not only the teeth and jaw to be mismatched but, over time, significant abnormal facial development that can affect a child emotionally and socially, especially if it occurs during the critical growing years.

If a child sleeps poorly, he may well act tired, behave poorly and have difficulty concentrating, especially at school—all of which can lead to a (mis)diagnosis of ADHD. In many such children, when the enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids are removed, “behavior, attentiveness, energy level, academic performance, and growth and development” all improve, according to Yosh Jefferson, DMD, in an article he wrote for the journal General Dentistry in 2010.

Once mouth breathing is resolved, dental malocclusions and craniofacial issues can then be addressed—leading to a happy, if often initially unexpected, ending.

Flossing 101

Flossing 101

How old should your child be before you encourage him to floss? Four, perhaps? After the first permanent teeth begin to erupt? As adolescence begins?

Actually, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends flossing “as soon as there are two adjacent tooth surfaces that cannot be reached by a toothbrush”—or simply put, when two teeth touch—usually during toddlerhood.

Plaque, the film formed by bacteria attaching themselves to the tooth’s smooth surface, knows no lower age limit. At first, the plaque will be soft enough to be removed by a fingernail or toothbrush, but it begins to harden within 48 hours and at 10 days becomes tartar, a hard substance that is difficult to remove at home. Unremoved plaque between teeth raises the risk of inflamed, swollen gums and gums that pull away from the teeth (gingivitis). In severe cases, untreated gingivitis can even affect the jawbone.

At age two, though, your child certainly won’t be thinking about the lifelong consequences of not flossing. All she needs to know is that it is something to do once a day, preferably at night, and that Mom or Dad will help until she is old enough to do it on her own.

Rather than use string floss, you may find it easier to manipulate a floss pick in your child’s small mouth. However, use whatever works best for you and your child. Once your child reaches an age when he has the appropriate manual dexterity, probably by age 10 or 11, he can begin to floss his teeth himself.

The teen years are a time when flossing becomes especially important. Teens who don’t eat as well as they should and get too little sleep will find their resistance to infection lowered—including gum infection. Girls, whose hormones make them more susceptible to gum sensitivity and disease anyway, may find that their gums hurt and even bleed in the days before their period begins. While flossing might be uncomfortable at those times, its importance doesn’t diminish.

Taking a few days off from flossing, for whatever reason, only allows the plaque to accumulate and harden, meaning even greater discomfort when flossing resumes. Starting your child on a schedule of regular flossing, even as early as toddlerhood and continuing through adolescence and beyond, can ensure a healthy mouth for a lifetime.

Healthy Teeth = Better School Performance

All parents quickly learn one thing about their children: Sickness is inevitable. And sick children miss school. Although asthma is sometimes cited as the most common childhood disease, the actual leader, according to the National Institutes of Health, is dental caries. More than four in 10 school-aged children suffer from caries; that means your child is more than five times more likely to have caries than to develop asthma.

Early tooth loss caused by dental decay can lead to a wide range of problems:

*failure to thrive

*impaired speech development

*absence from and inability to concentrate in school

*reduced self-esteem

Dental problems in children have been linked to shyness, unhappiness, feelings of worthlessness and reduced friendliness. These effects grow as children get older; unhappiness and feeling of worthlessness peak for adolescents between 15 and 17 years.

Studies have suggested that children miss more than 1.7 million school days annually due to dental issues. And children who miss school don’t do as well socially or academically as do children with regular school attendance. Children with dental problems are more likely to have problems at school and less likely to do all their homework. Children suffering from a toothache cannot concentrate on their schoolwork and do not score as well on tests as do healthy children. Their school performance suffers, which tends to have a negative impact on their self-esteem.

But not all school absences have equal impact on a child’s progress. In a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Public Health, a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina found that “school absences caused by dental pain or infection were significantly related to parents’ reports of poor school performance, whereas school absences for routine dental care were not. These findings underscore the likelihood that school absence is not a stand-alone factor in considerations of school performance, providing further evidence that children experiencing pain or infection may have a diminished educational experience because their discomfort may inhibit their ability to perform well while at school.”

Good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist, even if those visits have to be scheduled during school hours, help keep your child’s teeth healthy. And children with good oral health are more likely to have better outcomes at school.

To celebrate the season of giving, we sponsored a "Giving Tree" contest on our Facebook page.  Participating offices were given a tree to decorate and asked to sponsor a charity.  Then, they posted a picture of their decorated tree to our page.  Fans of KiDDS Dental voted for their favorite tree.  Each vote earned the charity one dollar.  The results are in . . .

Simonds Dental Group earned $25 for St. Judes with this tree:

EPJ Orthodontics earned $25 for Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery with this tree:

Dr. Scott Ralph earned $25 for Inland Northwest Baby with

this tree:

Our second place tree was decorated by DaBell Orthodontics and earned SCRAPS $50:

 And the tree with the most votes was decorated by Lakeside Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.  They earned $100 for the
Inland Northwest SIDS Foundation.

The Most Confusing Aisle in the Store?

If you have been shopping for toothpaste lately, you know that it can be very confusing.

Unlike the old days when the choices were few, these days it seems that there are way too many options! Whitening toothpastes, tartar control, paste or gel, gum health, desensitizing, – which is best? This is a question we get asked all the time. Sometimes it seems like the best thing to do would be to forget the labels and buy whatever is on sale!!

The fact is – buying a particular type or brand of toothpaste is usually not as important as the way you brush and how often you do so. But in any case, here is a quick run-down.

Tartar control toothpaste:  Tartar is calcified plaque which naturally forms and can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums. While tartar control toothpaste has been shown to reduce the formation of new deposits, it can’t remove current ones and does nothing to prevent these formations where they are the most dangerous – underneath the gum line.

Paste vs. gel: No significant difference here; it’s more of a personal preference.

Desensitizing toothpaste:  These pastes have ingredients in them which block the small tube-like channels that connect to the nerve tissue inside of your teeth. If you have exposed roots due to gum recession or teeth that are generally sensitive to hot and cold, this may be a good solution for you. But please be patient – it takes 4 to 6 weeks for the magic to kick in.

Whitening pastes:  The abrasiveness of these products may reduce surface stains, but they do little to treat the actual yellowing of teeth from the inside. The good news is that most teeth can be whitened with the right treatment. Be sure to ask us what the proper whitening method is for you.

“Gum Care” toothpaste: Studies have shown these to be questionable at best, and they may not be as valuable as standard toothpastes in preventing cavities.

Expensive or bargain brand? The good news here is that price doesn’t seem to be related to effectiveness when choosing a toothpaste. As a matter of fact, recently Consumer Reports magazine rated an expensive paste near the bottom of their list with bargain basement Ultra-Brite near the top in several categories!

So which brand should I use?

Most studies are fairly inconclusive on this one. Your best bet is always a brand that contains fluoride and has the American Dental Association seal of approval. And if that brand happens to be on sale – all the better!!

In the end, the most important thing is to brush often (morning, night-time, and after every meal), use a soft brush, try to reach every surface of every tooth, and spend two minutes doing so. And, don't forget to floss! Make time for that at least once a day.

The proper technique is important as well, and we will be glad to demonstrate this to you at your next visit to KiDDS Dental! If you have any more questions or would like to set up a visit, please give us a call at 509-891-7070. We are here to help you!

Did you know that we are now on Facebook? Please “like” our page at www.facebook.com/KiDDS.Dental for great dental health tips, contests, and great special announcements! Visit our website at www.GrowUpSmiling.com.

Do YOU Brush Your Teeth Correctly?

Hey Mom and Dad!  Do You Brush Your Teeth Correctly?  Probably Not!

Almost everybody brushes their teeth, but only one in ten people are doing it effectively!  And, if you aren't doing it right, how are you going to teach your children?

Don’t worry!! Your friends at KiDDS Dental are here to help you. So sit back and open wide as we present….

The Top Eight Toothbrushing Tips!

1.     Size Matters!

Many people use a large toothbrush head thinking “the bigger the better.” But you can brush just as effectively if not more so with a smaller brush, especially if you have to strain your mouth to use a larger one.

According to dental consumer advisor Dr. Richard Price, "the more comfortable it is in your mouth and your hand, then the more likely you will use it and use it properly." 

2.     It’s Good To Be A Softy!

It would seem to make sense that firmer bristles would clean your teeth better, but many times they just wind up damaging your sensitive gum tissue. The American Dental Association recommends a soft-bristled brush and we agree!

3.     Don’t Do A Rush Job!

While most people spend fifteen seconds or so per round of brushing, a full two minutes is best. And to make sure you don’t play favorites, divide your mouth into four sections (upper right, lower right, etc..) and spend thirty seconds on each.

Some electric toothbrushes actually have timers, but you don’t need to be so fancy. Find a thirty second song and sing it to yourself for each mouth quarter. Or multitask by watching TV until the full two minutes is up.

4.     What’s Your Angle?

While we typically picture toothbrushing to be a horizontal affair, that leaves out many important tooth surfaces, including the crucial area where the tooth meets the gum line. Aim your bristles at a forty-five degree angle and make sure they gently dip below the outer surface of your gums. This can get very tricky, and we recommend that you have one of the fantastic members of our dental hygiene team give you a full demonstration!

5.     It’s An Inside Job!

The inner surfaces of the teeth are often overlooked, but just because they hide from daylight doesn’t mean you should neglect them! Take the time to brush all tooth surfaces, inside and out. Oh – don’t forget your tongue either!

6.     Rinse-a-rama!

After you brush, loose bacteria are floating around in your mouth having a big old party. It’s time to finish them up with a rinse of mouthwash or even water. They’re on your toothbrush too, so it’s always a good idea to run that under the sink for a few seconds when you finish!

7.     Forced Retirement

Many people get nostalgic over their old toothbrushes, but keeping them for too long is a big mistake!! Frayed bristles can’t clean correctly, and even worse – they harbor all kinds of nasty germs. The American Dental Association suggests changing your toothbrush every three to four months – but we think that may even be too long of an interval for many. When in doubt – toss it out!

8.     And There’s One More Thing…..

Even though we are discussing toothbrushing, it just wouldn’t be complete without mentioning those tooth surfaces between your teeth – the ones that can’t be reached with a brush. Yes, that’s right – we all need to floss!! Daily flossing prevents cavities and helps to keep your gums in good shape.

At KiDDS Dental, we want you to be a good example, with strong healthy teeth and gums, fresh breath and a beautiful smile!  When you are at your child's appointment, ask any of your questions about keeping your and your children's teeth and gums nice and clean.  We are here for you!  Call us at 509-891-7070 to schedule your child's appointment today!