Crooked Teeth: No Laughing Matter

Crooked Teeth: No Laughing Matter

Uh-oh … one of your child’s permanent teeth is coming in funny. Is this a cause for panic, or at least immediate treatment? An abnormally positioned tooth has definite drawbacks:

• It might have an impact on appearance, especially if it’s a front tooth.
• It may cause discomfort.
• It could prevent easy flossing.

But how do you treat abnormal tooth positioning? That question is a bit trickier, because every child’s situation—and every tooth—is a little bit different.

In many cases, orthodontic treatment is the recognized solution. Orthodontists specialize in straightening teeth—with braces, wires, bands and other implements—to give your child a spectacular smile … eventually. It’s never too early to discuss whether your child needs corrective treatment. Our clinical team at KiDDS Dental will keep tabs on his or her developing mouth and teeth in order to help the orthodontist formulate a customized future treatment strategy.

First, Dr. Jared will determine the underlying reason for an emerging tooth’s crookedness. Was the baby tooth in its spot (or next to it) lost too early? Is your child’s mouth “crowded,” with seemingly insufficient room for all 32 adult teeth? If so, why? Will the crooked tooth straighten out on its own over time (as is often the case with permanent front teeth)?

Once the reason for the problem is ascertained, we can provide treatment or refer your child to an orthodontist. Space maintainers may be useful if a primary tooth falls out too soon. By placing one in your child’s mouth, we may be able to ensure that an adjacent permanent tooth doesn’t cause problems by invading that space and taking up two spots. The goal is to prevent the tooth from having a permanently abnormal position.

An orthodontist may recommend extracting one or more healthy permanent teeth if they are causing harmful crowding in your child’s mouth. This gives the other teeth room to spread out attractively and makes for more ideal positioning.

Dr. Jared can help your child achieve a healthy, attractive smile for life. Let us know at your next appointment if you have concerns about any teeth that are coming in funny.

Do you have any questions about early orthodontic treatment for your child? Call us to schedule an appointment today! (509)-891-7070.

Kentucky Derby Hat Contest

The KiDDS Dental 2017 Kentucky Derby Hat Contest Rules

 

Facebook in no way endorses or promotes this contest. It is solely promoted by KiDDS Dental. 

Win a lunch for your team!  Participate in the KiDDS Dental Kentucky Derby Hat Contest!

How to participate
1. Contact Alyssa@GrowUpSmiling.com to reserve your official KiDDS Dental Kentucky Derby Hat.
2. Decorate your hat.
3. Take a digital picture of your hat and email it to Brandie@GrowUpSmiling.com, making sure to note the name of your organization. 
4. Get votes! Each "like" or "love" your hat gets in our "Kentucky Derby Hat" album will earn your organization one vote.


Some ideas to get votes:

• Make a small sign to display with your hat explaining the contest and directing your patrons to "like" the picture on the KiDDS Dental Facebook page.
• Post a link to the contest picture, from the KiDDS Dental Facebook page, to your organization's Facebook page and ask your fans to vote.
• Include a link to the picture of your Kentucky Derby Hat in your company's e-newsletter.
• Ask your team to share the picture on their personal Facebook pages.

Voting for the KiDDS Dental's "Kentucky Derby Hat" photo contest begins April 28, 2017 and ends at 5:00 pm, May 4, 2017.  By submitting a photo, each entrant agrees to the rules and states that they are 18 years or older. 

Who may enter: A member of the staff for invited businesses may enter on behalf of their business.  KiDDS Dental will determine the eligibility of each photo submitted at its sole discretion.

What to enter: A picture of the provided hat that is decorated. 
Photos that violate or infringe upon another person's rights, including to but not limited to copyright, are not eligible. 

By entering the contest, entrants grant KiDDS Dental license to display, distribute, reproduce photographs. 

Judging:  Winner will be chosen by a popular vote.
Prize:  The picture of the hat with the most reactions on Facebook will be the winner. The office that submits the winning photo will earn a catered lunch for the entire team. 

Mother's DAY? No way!

We'll be celebrating mothers ALL WEEK on Facebook
and one lucky winner will get a Kindle Fire HD 8 just for playing along.

Look for a new way to enter to win each day

May 7th through May 13th.

Contest Rules:

By entering this promotion, participant agrees to a complete release of Facebook from any or all liability in connection with this contest. It is also acknowledgment that the contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

How to enter: Entries consist of following the directions (comment, "like," etc.) given in the official promotion posts on the KiDDS Dental Facebook page between May 7, 2017 at 9:00 AM and May 13, 2017 at 5:00 PM. One entry per promotion post per Facebook user is allowed. Multiple entries per promotion post will be disqualified.

Drawing: One random prize drawing will be held on or about May 14, 2017.  The winner will receive a Kindle Fire HD 8. This prize is valued at $89. Cash cannot be awarded in lieu of prize. Prize is not transferable. The winner is solely responsible for reporting and paying applicable state and federal taxes. If a winner is disqualified or if a prize is unclaimed, KiDDS Dental reserves the right to conduct another drawing to determine an alternate winner or to not award that winner's prize, at its sole discretion.

Odds: Actual odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries.

Eligibility: Legal residents of the United States are eligible to participate and win. Any person under the age of 18 must have a parent's or legal guardian's permission to participate and/or win.  Must be 13 years or older to enter. Employees of KiDDS Dental and their immediate families (spouse, parents, siblings, children, in-laws) are not eligible to enter. Winner must be available to pick up prize at KiDDS Dental in Liberty Lake, WA by May 19, 2017.

Decisions: By entering into the promotion, entrants and their parents or guardians (if the entrant is under the age of 18) agree to abide by and be bound by these official rules, and to accept the decision of KiDDS Dental as final.  Entrants and their parents or guardians (if entrant is under the age of 18) also agree to hold KiDDS Dental harmless from any liability arising from participation in this promotion. KiDDS Dental is not responsible for entries not received because of technical difficulties. KiDDS Dental reserves the right to disqualify any participant to a person who fails to follow these official rules or uses fraudulent means in participating. If for any reason this promotion is not able to be conducted as planned, KiDDS Dental reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this promotion and randomly draw from the entries received up to the cancellation/suspension date.

Liability Release: By participating, each participant and winner waives any and all claims against KiDDS Dental their employees and agents for any personal loss of any kind which may occur from the participation in the promotion.

Publicity: Each winner (and such winner's parent or guardian if any winner is under the age of 18) agrees to permit KiDDS Dental to use his/her name and likeness in promotional and other KiDDS Dental materials, without additional compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law.

This promotion is void where prohibited.

By entering the contest, entrants grant KiDDS Dental license to display, distribute, reproduce contest entries. Winners must sign a media release and will be responsible for paying any taxes they may owe on a prize.

Could Your Child’s Teeth Cause Ear Infections?

Could Your Child’s Teeth Cause Ear Infections?

Researchers have debated whether malocclusion—a less-than-ideal bite pattern, such as crossbite—plays a role in the development of middle ear infections (otitis media). Now, a recently published study says that the two conditions may be linked after all.

Middle ear infections occur when fluid builds up behind the eardrum. Symptoms of acute otitis media include redness, pain, fever and often pus. A second type, called otitis media with effusion, is more common and can be caused by an infection, allergies and exposure to irritants such as cigarette smoke. Both types can cause hearing problems, and repeat infections can cause scarring.

The study examined 50 children between 6 and 8 years of age, including 25 children with ear infections and 25 healthy children who formed a control group. Children in both groups were given an ear, nose and throat examination, and dental casts were made of the children’s mouths so measurements could be taken.

The researchers then looked at the relationships between these measurements and the children’s tonsils and adenoids to determine whether the examination findings and bite patterns were associated. They found that 76% of the children in the ear infection group, a significant number, had posterior crossbite malocclusion (a malocclusion involving the back teeth).

Despite the results of this study, earlier research examining the relationship between ear infection and malocclusion patterns has been less conclusive. In fact, both a 1998 study of 112 children under 6 years of age and a 2010 study of 100 children from 4 to 10 years of age found no relationship between bite patterns and ear infections.

So what does this mean for you as a parent? If your child has ear infections, let Dr. Jared at KiDDS Dental know. We can evaluate your child to see if he/she may benefit from having his or her bite analyzed. If a malocclusion does exist, you can consider options for having it corrected.

The effect of poor bite patterns can extend far beyond ear infections. Malocclusion can cause many oral health problems, including abnormal tooth wear, tooth decay and eventual tooth loss. A bite analysis performed early may prevent these more serious conditions from developing later in life.

Dr. Jared would love to discuss further information on the correlation between ear infections and malocclusion patterns. Call us to schedule an appointment today! (509)-891-7070.