Mind the Gap: Dealing with Prematurely Lost Baby Teeth

Mind the Gap: Dealing with Prematurely Lost Baby Teeth

People get two sets of teeth, their primary teeth and their permanent teeth. Losing baby teeth is a normal, healthy part of life. As children grow, their baby teeth fall out to make room for the larger adult teeth that should last them for the rest of their lives. But some children might lose them too soon, usually from cavities or accidents. For others, not all their baby teeth grow in normally. If this should happen to your child, we may recommend a space maintainer.

Without a space maintainer, the premature loss of a tooth could lead to problems when the permanent teeth grow in. The baby teeth on either side of the gap can move closer together as your child grows, which can cause the adult teeth to grow in either crooked or crowded and, perhaps, make it more difficult to chew and speak.

Space maintainers are generally made out of either metal or plastic. There are two common types of space maintainers:

• a fixed maintainer that will generally be cemented in place between two other teeth. Often this will be in the form of a wire loop that simulates the continued presence of the missing tooth. In other cases, it will take the form of a temporary crown.
• a removable space maintainer that is created from a mold of your child’s mouth. It looks something like a retainer.

It is important for children with a space maintainer to take extra-special care of their teeth. Poor oral hygiene can cause the gums to swell up over the wire in a fixed maintainer, which can cause infection. Young children are also prone to playing with their space maintainers, which can cause the maintainers to end up misshapen and less effective.

If your child has a space maintainer, you must bring him or her in for follow-up appointments at KiDDS Dental at least every six months. That way we can ensure that the space maintainer is still in place, shaped properly and doing its job.

If you have questions about space maintenance, click here to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared. Or give us a call at (509)-891-7070.

Make Toothbrushing Fun for Your Child

Make Toothbrushing Fun for Your Child

Getting your children to brush their teeth can be a lot like, well, pulling teeth, and it is a challenge many parents list among their greatest difficulties. But getting children to brush—and do it correctly—may require a change of perspective. Dentists have spent decades helping children view taking care of their teeth not as a chore to be dreaded but as a game to be enjoyed. Here are a few of their techniques you might want to try with your children.

Musical molars: Brushing the teeth requires a certain amount of time. Most electronic toothbrushes have built-in timers to make sure that at least two minutes are spent brushing teeth. But what if, instead of counting up to two minutes, you used music to pass the time? Pick a favorite children’s song at least two minutes long. Challenge your child to thoroughly brush each tooth before the song ends. If he or she manages to brush every tooth with time left, challenge the child to brush each tooth twice! Remember to monitor the toothbrushing. They cannot win the game if they don’t brush each tooth thoroughly or if they neglect their gum lines!

Harry Potter and the Plaque of Peril: Why not take advantage of your child’s love of make-believe? Turn toothbrushing time into a story featuring their favorite characters. Perhaps you could say that Lord Voldemort (of Harry Potter fame) put plaque on the teeth to help the Death Eaters control your child’s mind and that he or she must brush that plaque away before it becomes dangerous. For children who are easily scared, use a less-threatening villain.

ChoreMonster: An app for iOS, Android and Windows smartphones and tablets called “ChoreMonster” creates a reward structure for children who complete their chores. You set a schedule for how often a task needs to be completed, and assign from 5 to 5,000 points for completing it. When a certain point level is reached, the child can choose an appropriate reward that you have created. Many parents find that using the app helps motivate their offspring to become more disciplined about their personal responsibilities. Why not add toothbrushing to the to-do list?

Seasoned parents know that the best way to turn a child off from toothbrushing is to make it a struggle. We have many other easy tips and tricks to get children to brush their teeth in our oral care toolbox. Let us know if you need additional suggestions at your child’s next visit to KiDDS Dental.

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

Maintaining Good Dental Health: Easier Than You Think

Maintaining Good Dental Health: Easier Than You Think

Dentists use all sorts of weird, complicated-looking equipment during treatment. Keeping your child’s teeth and gums as clean as they are after an office visit would probably take as much time, work, education and expense as dentists have to go through when starting their practices, right? Wrong. Maintaining your child’s oral health is much easier and less complicated than you might think.

You don’t need any special training, tools or degrees to manage the health of your child’s mouth. Here are a few easy ways to maintain your child’s oral health.

• Set a routine: Most children’s lives are a series of routines. Once they learn them, they stick to them. If you make brushing and flossing a part of their daily schedule, over time they won’t even notice that they are doing it. It will become just another form of muscle memory.
• Use fluoride products: Easily available mouthwashes help keep your children’s teeth and gums clean and their breath fresh. A brief rinse every morning before they leave the house will not only help your children’s oral health but also make them much more pleasant to talk with.
• Watch what your children eat: Managing their sugar and carbohydrate intake is not just good for their oral health but it is beneficial for their health in general. A well-balanced diet helps their teeth and the rest of their body.
• Make sure your children pay attention to their own mouths: You don’t need to know as much as a dentist to recognize when something is wrong. Ask your child if something in his or her mouth feels uncomfortable, swollen, itchy or painful—then tell us during the next appointment. We’ll figure out what’s wrong and know how to fix it.
• Schedule regular cleanings and checkups: Don’t wait until your child’s mouth is in terrible shape to see the dentist. Bring your child to see Dr. Jared at least twice a year—more often if necessary.

If you follow these easy steps, taking care of your children’s teeth will become second nature in no time.

Call to schedule an appointment today at KiDDS Dental. (509)-891-7070.

Contest: Let the KiDDS Team Stuff Your Stocking!

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 December 2, 2019 at 9:00 AM and December 16, 2019 at 5:00 PM. One entry per promotion post per Facebook user is allowed. Multiple entries per promotion post will be disqualified.

Drawings:
For first choice of prize: One random prize drawing will be held on or about December 17, 2019.  The winner will receive their choice of the two prize stockings. This prize is valued at $100. 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.
 
For remaining prize: One random prize drawing will be held on or about December 17, 2019.  The winner will receive the remaining stockings. This prize is valued at $100. 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. Winners must be available to pick up prize at KiDDS Dental in Liberty Lake, WA by December 23, 2019 at 4:00 PM.

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.

Living a Sweet Life Without Sugary Beverages

Living a Sweet Life Without Sugary Beverages

You limit desserts and encourage your children to brush and floss daily, but they still get cavities. You wonder how this happened. If your children are fans of sports drinks, fruit juices or soda, you may have found the culprit.

Sugary drinks―even those that contain no added sugar, such as 100% juice―are very acidic. When you drink them, the acid combines with the bacteria in your mouth and attacks the enamel on your teeth. The more often you drink sugary drinks, the longer your teeth are exposed to this harmful acid. As enamel breaks down, your teeth may appear stained or yellow, become more sensitive and, most importantly, be more prone to decay.

If you can’t cut out sodas and juices completely, you can reduce the damage to your children’s dental health by following a few rules:

·    Limit juice intake to 6 ounces per day for children younger than 7 years old and to 12 ounces for older children.

·    Make sodas an occasional treat. Soft drinks are both highly acidic and void of any nutritional value. Also, the phosphoric content of soda can affect the way your children’s bodies absorb calcium, a necessary mineral for healthy teeth.

·    Serve juice with a straw, and tell your children not to swish the juice around in their mouths or sip it continuously for long periods of time. The more contact it has with their teeth, the more damage the acid can do.

·    After your children drink sweet beverages, have them swish some water around in their mouths to wash the acid and sugars away or brush their teeth.

·    Give your children plenty of water to drink to help quench thirst, which may also help them avoid cravings for other beverages.

While cutting out sugary beverages can be difficult, your children can benefit in so many ways that extend far beyond dental health. Talk to Dr. Jared if you are concerned about the damage done by sugary drinks, and make it your goal to decrease your family’s sugary beverage consumption. It’s a lifestyle change that will lead to a “sweeter” life.

Give us a call at 509-891-7070 to schedule today! We'd love to meet you and your family!

Know When to Take Away the Bottle and Sippy Cup

Know When to Take Away the Bottle and Sippy Cup

To a parent, the bottle and spillproof training cup (often called a sippy cup) are two essential tools that ensure your child is happy and content. We see these two innocuous objects, when used incorrectly, as the root cause of early-onset tooth decay in infants and toddlers.

So what is the problem with bottles and sippy cups? Both require a sucking motion, resulting in the liquid coating the six upper front teeth. That prevents the normal cleaning effects of saliva and promotes tooth decay. Because “baby teeth” hold the place for permanent teeth to grow in, this early childhood tooth decay can be highly detrimental. Movement or loss of the baby teeth from decay affects the way the permanent teeth grow into the gum.

The worst damage can come from the choice of liquid in the bottle or cup. Fruit juices or formula filled with sugar increase the amount of bacteria and acid generated around the teeth. In addition, these drinking aids do not develop any special oral motor skills and actually support the suckling habit detrimental to proper tooth development.

As children learn to walk, they often carry a bottle or sippy cup in their mouths. When they fall, the bottle or cup can be jammed into the mouth where it hits the teeth and gums, causing oral trauma. Think it can’t happen to your toddler? A 2012 study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, reported that every four hours another child ends up in the emergency room due to an injury from a sippy cup, bottle or pacifier.

The following are some simple measures you can take to limit the detrimental effects of the bottle and sippy cup:

• Wean your child off the bottle by the age of 1 year.
• Use a sippy cup as a transitional, not permanent, solution.
• Fill the sippy cup with only water unless it’s being used at mealtime.
• Have your toddler use a straw and an open cup when drinking fruit juice or sugary drinks.
• Begin a regular oral hygiene routine at a very early age.

Bottles and sippy cups may be a simple and easy way for a toddler to experience a small degree of independence, but easy and convenient do not always equal healthiest. If you are concerned about the effect on your child’s teeth from using a bottle or sippy cup, bring your toddler to KiDDS Dental for a checkup and advice about how to keep those baby teeth healthy.

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

Kicking the Thumb-sucking Habit

Kicking the Thumb-sucking Habit

Thumb-sucking is a common way for infants and very young children to soothe themselves when they feel anxious or stressful. Most children abandon the habit once they develop the ability to speak and voice their anxieties. However, for many children, the habit is not so easily abandoned; for them, the risk of developing dental problems such as overbite or jaw malformation is strong.

Although it was once believed that, until the emergence of permanent teeth, thumb-sucking caused no damage, experts now think that the negative effects of thumb-sucking can begin as early as age 2 or 3. If your child refuses to give up the thumb as he or she ages, there are some steps you can take to help your child kick the habit:

• Praise your child or offer simple rewards when he or she does not suck his or her thumb for a specified period of time, increasing the time period as the child shows repeated success.
• Remove the thumb from the child’s mouth after he or she falls asleep.
• Talk to your child about the habit and about the importance of stopping; be supportive and calm instead of scolding or threatening.
• Help your child become aware of the habit by calmly pointing out when he or she is thumb-sucking. Many children lack self-awareness at this age, and gentle reminders can help them recognize the habit and find other ways to cope (like hugging a stuffed animal, for instance).
• Remind your child in a positive way that he or she is growing up; point to older role models (cartoon figures are fine) who do not suck their thumbs.
• Avoid stop-gap measures, like foul-tasting liquids or mittens to prevent thumb-sucking, because these can actually increase a child’s anxiety. If needed, we can create a mouthguard or night guard that can help children quit the habit.
• For children who are ready to quit, use a plastic bandage on the finger as a reminder not to suck.
• Finally, don’t panic. Your anxiety will be picked up by your child and may cause him or her to increase the habit to alleviate increased anxiety.

If your child displays aggressive or long-term thumb-sucking habits, bring him or her to KiDDS Dental for an evaluation. Dr. Jared and his clinical team can give you a better understanding of how your child's thumb-sucking is affecting his or her dental development, and we can assess the possible need for dental braces or other orthodontic treatments in the future.

Call us to schedule an appointment today!  509-891-7070.