Keep Those Primary Teeth Intact

Keep Those Primary Teeth Intact

Children often seem to have an innate ability to find trouble in the strangest places. As a parent, you worry about scrapes, cuts and other assorted boo-boos. But too often, you don’t think of tooth injuries. Simply put, tooth injuries involve any loss, chipping or cracking of a primary (baby) tooth.

The best starting point for you as a parent is to instill a consistent daily dental regimen. Insist on having your child brush his or her teeth both in the morning and before going to bed at night. This will help prevent general decay, which has the potential for weakening enamel and causing teeth to crack.

Using a fluoride toothpaste means that your child will receive a regular infusion of fluoride that naturally strengthens tooth enamel—simply by brushing his or her teeth. Not allowing your child to chew on hard objects, such as ice or pencils, will help prevent chipped or cracked teeth.

Because trauma is generally the result of some sort of impact, it is important that a parent reduce the potential for these types of injuries. When driving, be sure that your child sits safely in an appropriate car seat and that seatbelts are used correctly. If your child is learning to walk, restrict access to staircases and make sure all hard edges are babyproofed in case of falls. Belt your child into his or her stroller or high chair, and use an abundance of caution when your child rides in a shopping cart or a wagon.

If your child participates in sports, make sure that he or she wears a mouthguard. Constructed of hard rubber and composite plastics, this simple piece of equipment will help prevent trauma to the teeth and gums. It also provides the added benefit of helping to prevent concussions.

Despite your good efforts, chances are your child will do something to surprise you. As a parent, your job is to provide the best protection against your little one’s winding up at KiDDS Dental with a cracked or broken tooth. Take these precautionary measures, and those primary teeth just might make it to the next stage of your child’s development.

Click here to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared. Or give us a call at (509)-891-7070.

Keep Those Baby Teeth Healthy

Keep Those Baby Teeth Healthy

As adults, we understand and accept that good oral hygiene is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Poor oral hygiene in adults often leads to drastic complications over the long run. Why, then, would you not want to consider the health of your child’s teeth from their very first appearance? Even though these “baby teeth” will one day be replaced with a second set, there is no need to risk the quality of your child’s life because of poor oral hygiene.

It is easy to be a little lazy as a parent and allow your child to use a bottle or sippy cup as a secondary pacifier. You may not realize that those drinks you put in the bottle or cup are extremely high in sugar. Believe it or not, those drinks we think are the healthiest—fruit juices, sugar water, honey, even formula and milk—can coat your child’s newly growing teeth with sugar.

Sugar breeds bacteria, which in turn breed acid. Acid is the ultimate villain here; it erodes the outer layers of the teeth, weakening them and leading to the dreaded cavity. Cavities can cause severe pain while eating and talking and, in severe circumstances, require the teeth to be removed. This process alone has its own set of possible repercussions: infection, gum disease and misalignment of the adult teeth when they begin to grow in.

Your child’s baby teeth sometimes need to last him or her into early adolescence. For this reason, avoid contributing to the decay from the teeth’s very first appearance. Even at a very young age, it is important that you rub the gums and teeth with a damp gauze pad or washcloth. Once the teeth appear, start teaching and reinforcing the need to brush them. Most importantly, start bringing your child to us when his or her first tooth appears; once all the teeth are in place or by age 2 or 3, start scheduling regular visits with us.

Being a parent isn’t easy. Maintaining your child’s oral health is simply another added responsibility. But good oral health helps ensure that he or she grows up happy, healthy and strong!

Dr. Jared and his clinical team would love to meet you and your family! Give us a call at 509-891-7070 to schedule today!