Should You Keep Your Sniffling Child Away from Our Office?

Should You Keep Your Sniffling Child Away from Our Office?

Six months ago, when you scheduled your child’s twice-yearly dental checkup at KiDDS Dental, you had no idea he or she was going to wake up on the designated day with a runny nose and sore throat. You have already rearranged your work schedule to take your child to the appointment and don’t want to put it off, especially because your child has been complaining about some mouth pain. But should you still go if he or she is sick?

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends keeping the appointment even if your child has a cold. We always take precautions to avoid spreading (and catching) common viruses: We wear a mask, gloves and protective eyewear, and we thoroughly disinfect tools and equipment. A simple cold is usually not a problem, unless your child’s nose is so stuffed up that it’s impossible for him or her to breathe easily during dental work or if sedation is scheduled.

Because the flu can cause severe complications in some people (especially the very young), our illness policies may become more stringent during a particularly bad flu season. After all, your child doesn’t just sit in the dentist’s chair at an appointment. He or she also checks in at the reception desk and hangs out in the waiting room. Many people in our office, including other patients, don’t wear protective goggles and surgical masks, and we have a responsibility to protect them, too. Since it can be unclear whether your child has just a cold or something more serious (like strep throat or the flu), we may decide it’s better to be safe than sorry.

So, if your child wakes up with the sniffles on the day of a dental appointment, give us a call and ask if it would be better to reschedule. We know rescheduling may cause you some inconvenience. But remember that young children—just like all of us—can feel cranky when they are sick. Rescheduling may be in everyone’s best interest―including yours.

Give us a call at 509-891-7070 to schedule today!

Seven Ways to Protect Your Child’s Teeth

Seven Ways to Protect Your Child’s Teeth

Protecting your child’s teeth from an early age is the best way to minimize tooth- and mouth-related problems as your child grows. Use this seven-step plan to develop an oral hygiene strategy that works for you and your child:

1. See the dentist early. Ideally, your goal should be to take your child to see a dentist by her first birthday.

2. Start brushing with the first tooth. Although many parents may not feel a need to brush a baby’s first teeth, keeping even the earliest teeth clean and healthy is critical to good oral health later on.

3. Reconsider the bedtime bottle. Letting a child take a bottle of juice, formula or milk to bed is an invitation for decay development. If your child must have a bottle, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises filling it only with water.

4. Use sippy cups wisely. Sugary beverages + prolonged use of sippy cups = tooth decay. The AAP also recommends giving children no more than four ounces of 100% fruit juice per day and restricting sugary beverages to mealtimes only. Many pediatricians and pediatric dentists advise giving juice only as a treat.

5. Say “bye-bye” to the binky. Pacifiers may be appropriate for infants and until a child turns two, but after that, the pacifier should be avoided to avoid misalignment of the teeth and jaw, which can promote tooth decay and be costly to correct.

6. Keep an eye on medicines. Many pediatric medicines contain sugar and can promote the growth of bacteria, and prolonged use of antibiotics may cause a fungal infection called thrush. Children using medications to treat chronic conditions are at greater risk for tooth decay, so be sure to discuss these risks with your pediatrician or pediatric dentist.

7. Stay firm. Although children may complain about brushing and flossing, you’re not doing them any favors by allowing them to avoid good oral care. Get them involved by letting them choose, with your guidance, their own toothpaste or toothbrush, and reward efforts with stickers or other small tokens to keep them motivated.

If you have questions about your child's oral health, click here to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared. Or give us a call at (509)-891-7070.

Sealing Out Dental Cavities

Sealing Out Dental Cavities

If your child’s permanent teeth have started to erupt, we may have discussed dental sealants with you. This invisible coating routinely applied to the teeth protects all of their ridges, grooves, nooks and crannies from decay-causing bacteria. We usually recommend dental sealants for children as soon as their permanent molars are in, before the teeth have a chance to decay. Not only is this treatment simple but it can save a lot of time, money and discomfort in the future.

Sealants are applied at KiDDS Dental, using a quick and comfortable process―your child will not even see or hear a drill.

To apply this protective coating, we will usually do the following:

• Thoroughly clean and dry the teeth to be sealed.
• Put a special acid gel on the chewing surface of the tooth that roughens the surface and helps the sealant bond to the tooth.
• Rinse off the gel and dry the tooth.
• Paint the sealant onto the tooth, where it will bond to the tooth’s surface. Sometimes a special light is used to help the sealant harden in place.

Once a sealant is placed, it can last for up to 10 years. At each subsequent dental appointment, we will check the sealants to ensure that they are intact. In some cases, we may have to reapply the sealant so that it continues to protect against decay.

While sealants protect the top surfaces of the tooth most likely to decay, your child still has to brush and floss regularly. Regular brushing (twice a day) and flossing (once a day) are critical to protect all surfaces from decay and gum disease throughout a child’s and adult’s life.

If your child’s permanent teeth are starting to come in, it is very important that he or she comes in to see Dr. Jared. Call our office for an appointment so we can assess your child’s oral health and, if the time is right, apply sealants to protect the chewing surfaces of the teeth from bacteria and decay.

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

Save That Knocked Out Tooth!

Save That Knocked Out Tooth!

If your child comes running to you with a bloody mouth and hole where a front tooth used to be, don’t panic. Take a deep breath. If your child lost a baby tooth, let it go. If your child lost a permanent tooth, that is a dental emergency. But teeth can often be re-implanted. You can increase your child’s chances of keeping the tooth by taking the following steps.

1. After ensuring that your child has no other serious injuries, do your best to find the tooth. If the tooth is whole, pick it up by the crown (the top part that you use to chew) instead of the root. This is very important—holding it by the root can damage the most fragile part of the tooth, which needs to be in good condition for the tooth to be implanted successfully.
2. Rinse the tooth gently in saline or milk. (Tap water can be used if these aren’t available, but the chlorine in the water can damage the tooth; use water only if you have no other option.) Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water.
3. If your child is old enough to keep the loose tooth in his mouth without swallowing it, reinsert the tooth into the socket, and have your child bite down gently on some gauze. If the tooth is broken or fragmented, or your child can’t keep it in his mouth for any reason, you can either place the tooth in a glass of milk or keep it inside your own mouth, between your lower gum and cheek. This will keep the tooth “alive” until you can come to our office.
4. Come directly to our office (or the emergency room if the accident occurs when we aren’t available). We will place the tooth back into the mouth, along with a “splint” that will hold it in place.

Sometimes, the body will reject the tooth and it can’t be able to be saved. But if you take these measures, you are giving your child the best chance to remember the accident as a funny story rather than as a permanent injury.

Give us a call at 509-891-7070 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared today!

Saliva: Nothing to Spit At

Saliva: Nothing to Spit At

Saliva plays an important role in maintaining oral health. The mouth has six major salivary glands, while your mouth and throat have hundreds of minor ones, all of which deliver saliva by way of salivary ducts. Every time you chew food or suck on candy, your body makes more saliva.

Composed mostly of water, saliva plays an important role in maintaining a healthy mouth and smile. It contains vital substances that help digest food and keep teeth strong. Although you probably don’t spend much time thinking about it, saliva

• helps you chew and swallow by moistening and breaking down food
• washes away particles of food from teeth and gums
• provides proteins and minerals to help prevent cavities and other infections
• delivers high levels of calcium, fluoride and phosphate to the surface of your teeth
• prevents bad breath

Because saliva does so much to keep your mouth healthy, a reduced saliva flow causes dry mouth; it can lead to cavities and other oral health problems. Diabetes, mouth-breathing, dehydration, cerebral palsy and chemotherapy, along with a wide range of medications—including medication for severe acne—can lead to dry mouth. Although dry mouth is much more common in older adults, children, too, may experience it.

Left untreated, dry mouth can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. If your child or teenager has too little saliva in his or her mouth, we might recommend drinking more water, chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free candy, all of which help to stimulate saliva production.

If your child complains of dry mouth, tell Dr. Jared so he can assess his or her condition. Addressing this problem early on can head off tooth decay and other oral health problems.

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

Dec 2020 COVID-19 Update

Some of our patients may have seen recent news coverage indicating that non-urgent dental care in Washington will be suspended starting December 3. We want to inform you that these reports are incorrect. Non-urgent dental care in Washington is not being suspended.

Your safety is our foremost concern. We want to reassure you that we are following guidelines from the American Dental Association (ADA), CDC, and Washington State Department of Health to keep our patients and team healthy and safe, and that these guidelines are working. To date, according to the CDC, there has been no documented transmission of COVID-19 in a clinical dental setting.

Oral health is integral to your overall health. We look forward to safely welcoming you to our office.

As before, if you have been exposed to or have symptoms of COVID-19, please call or text our office at 509-891-7070 to reschedule your appointment. 

Safety First: Preventing Dental Injuries

Safety First: Preventing Dental Injuries

Dental injuries and emergencies can happen to children anytime. Research suggests that when children start to walk and run—generally between the ages of 1 and 3—they are at high risk. Toddlers are often uncoordinated, which places them at major risk for falls and bumps.

Another high-risk time is between the ages of 8 and 11 years, when children are more active and less cautious. Injuries to children’s teeth can be stressful to them and their parents. Dental injuries tend to occur from

*sports accidents

*falls inside or outside the home

*road traffic accidents

*fights

Playing It Safe

Fortunately, you and your children can use some strategies to help prevent most dental injuries. Knowing what to do is also important in the event of a dental injury, so talk to Dr. Jared about your child’s activities and what to do should an injury occur. You can help to prevent dental injuries by advising your child to

*avoid walking or running with an object in his or her mouth

*never suck or chew on hard, sharp or pointed objects

*wear a mouth guard for sports activities that could cause injury

*always wear a seat belt in the car

Buying and Wearing a Mouth Guard

Mouth guards are especially important in sports such as rugby, hockey and boxing. Usually made of rubber, they provide a protective cover that shields teeth and gums. Although you can purchase them in sports stores, it’s best if we make a custom-fit one for your child. This ensures that your child can talk and breathe normally while wearing it. As new teeth develop and their mouths change, children need to have their mouth guards replaced.

Dental injuries are common but largely preventable. Follow the tips mentioned to prevent the likelihood of trauma. Make sure you also talk to us about risk factors for injury and how you can best prevent problems with age-appropriate strategies.

Call us to schedule an appointment today!  509-891-7070. We'd love to meet you and your family!