Keep Your Teen Cavity-Free

Keep Your Teen Cavity-Free

It’s true: Teenagers do know everything. Just ask one; he or she will assure you that it is adults who have their facts—about pretty much everything—wrong.

Sometimes facing off against teen attitude can feel poignant, in an “I remember being like that” way. But when your adolescent decides that he or she has outgrown worrying about cavities, there is no cause for smiles, wry or otherwise.

Just like children, adolescents must maintain proper dental hygiene to prevent cavities. To help your teen do an adequate job, suggest that your teen brush his or her teeth twice a day for the length (or half the length, depending) of a favorite song. Flossing is important, too. Because the hormonal shifts of adolescence can sometimes increase gum sensitivity, work with your teen to find a dental floss or tape that feels comfortable.

As for diet, it’s unrealistic to expect a teen to avoid carbohydrates and sugars totally. And as for brushing during the day after eating lunch—at school? in the bathroom?—that might also be an unpalatable proposition. Suggest in-a-pinch substitutes: rinsing with mouthwash or water or chewing sugarless gum sweetened with xylitol.

Save your strongest arguments for insisting on pre-bedtime toothbrushing. The lessened production of saliva during sleep makes food residue more likely to contribute to decay formation overnight—and increases the possibility that any mouth piercings your child may have can become infected. Infections at a piercing site can lead to systemic infections, such as hepatitis.

Schedule your teen for regular appointments at KiDDS Dental. Professional cleanings contribute to cavity prevention (or easier treatment if they’re caught early); we also offer sealants that contribute some protection against decay. This makes the occasional teenage dental hygiene slip-up less of a big deal.

We promise that your adolescent will be treated like a young adult—no baby stuff, no balloon animals, and no SpongeBob or Dora stickers will be foisted upon them. Alert us in advance that a sensitive teen is coming in, and we’ll be extra-conscientious about leaving childhood references at the door.

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

Keep Your Child’s Smile Beaming

Keep Your Child’s Smile Beaming

As adults, we know that few things in this world are as beautiful as a child’s smile. But if those pearly whites are not well taken care of, tooth decay and misaligned teeth can take their toll. By the time your child reaches adolescence, he or she may avoid smiling or laughing because of unsightly or misaligned teeth.

A smile communicates positive qualities. People who smile are perceived as more sociable, trustworthy and intelligent, not only in social situations but in job interviews as well. The good news is that most dental health problems are fully preventable with good oral hygiene. But it is important to start at an early age.

The following tips can help your child develop a long-lasting, healthy smile:

• Do not share eating utensils with your baby, and never let others put your baby’s pacifier in their own mouth. These practices can spread bacteria and lead to tooth decay.
• Do not feed juice or soda to your baby, and do not let your baby go to sleep with a bottle. This, too, increases bacteria in the mouth and can lead to tooth decay.
• Bring your child in for a dental visit before his or her first birthday. We can help you establish good oral health habits from an early age, such as brushing your child’s baby teeth.
• As your child grows up, we may find that his or her teeth are not properly aligned. We will refer you to an orthodontist, who can more fully assess your child’s teeth and determine whether orthodontic treatment is needed. Although the prospect of braces is rarely welcome, orthodontic care has come a long way over the past generation in terms of aesthetics. More importantly, it is a short-term investment with lifelong benefits.

Remember: An attractive smile contributes to a person’s self-esteem and self-confidence. If your child is embarrassed or ashamed of his or her teeth, let Dr. Jared know at his or her next appointment with KiDDS Dental. Our clinical team can assess your child’s oral health and recommend treatment that will have your child smiling proudly.

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

Keep Your Child’s Gums Healthy

Keep Your Child’s Gums Healthy

When we consider their oral health, we tend to think of our children’s teeth most often. But their gums should be on our minds as well. Gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums, is not uncommon in children, and it can signify more than just a little redness.

Although gingivitis is a condition unto itself, if left untreated it also can lead to more serious periodontal (gum) disease. Gingivitis can run in families, but whether it has affected other relatives or not, you and your child should check regularly for these gingivitis symptoms:

• Bleeding: Gums may bleed with the gentlest brushing or flossing, or even at other times.
• Color changes: Gums may be red-purple or bright red, possibly with a shiny appearance.
• Swelling: A puffy appearance may accompany tenderness.
• Bad breath: If bad breath (halitosis) does not go away with vigilant flossing and brushing, gingivitis may be the cause.
• Receding gums: When gums recede, more of the front surface of the teeth than normal is visible, potentially exposing the roots.

If one or more of these symptoms exist, extra-vigilant oral care is the first line of defense to reduce inflammation, starting with a professional cleaning and evaluation. Afterward, even though gums may remain sensitive for one to two weeks, strict adherence to brushing and flossing routines has to begin. Mild anti-inflammatory pain medicine may help during this time. In addition, rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash or warm salt water may reduce the chance of recurrence. In severe cases, specialized therapies can be used to keep disease from spreading to nearby tissues and tooth-supporting bone.

As boys and girls reach puberty, circulating hormones increase blood flow to the gums, resulting in greater sensitivity. Flossing, for instance, may hurt more, as may food particles or plaque. While the sensitivity is real and understandable, and may last for a while, your child needs to maintain good oral habits.

Helping children to remember that their gums will always be as important as their teeth is a lesson worth its weight in gold—or a lifetime supply of floss.

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

Keep Your ADHD Child Decay Free

Keep Your ADHD Child Decay Free

Keeping your child as free of cavities as possible is always a partnership between you, the parent, and us, the dental professionals. This is especially true when your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a team, we’ll use the widely recognized tell–show–do approach, with its brief, clear, step-by-step instructions, to teach and reinforce proper toothbrushing habits.

Product choices are important. Some children with ADHD don’t like foaming toothpastes; for these children, a toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulfate would be a good choice. Your child may strongly prefer a manual or electric toothbrush; let him or her select. If your child responds to rewards for consistent good dental hygiene habits, use stickers or small change, instead of carbohydrate-filled snacks or sugary drinks.

In addition, ADHD medications can contribute to decreased saliva production, causing dry mouth (xerostomia). Since decay-causing bacteria tend to flourish in the absence of saliva, tell us if your child has xerostomia, so we can discuss management techniques (sugar-free gum, mouth rinses, etc.). Because of xerostomia—and because children with ADHD tend to “graze” and eat more times a day than usual—it is a good idea to have your child’s teeth cleaned by us more frequently than twice a year.

During a cleaning, we will take special care to make the experience as pleasant and unthreatening as possible for your child. We will discuss your child’s current ADHD status with you beforehand. Please make an appointment for the time of day when your child is usually at his or her best, and during a period when he or she is taking medication. We will schedule a longer-than-usual time slot for your child’s cleaning.

Because ADHD can challenge ideal dental hygiene practices, it’s especially important to consider sealants and fluoride treatments for your child. By adding an extra level of protection, these treatments can help to make up for lapses in maintaining oral health.

We are well acquainted with children with ADHD and want to help your child stay as cavity-free as possible. If it’s time for your child’s appointment, schedule it now at KiDDS Dental. We’ll work together to make the appointment a successful experience.

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

Keep Tooth Decay at Bay

Keep Tooth Decay at Bay

Tooth decay is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42% of 2- to 11-year-olds have cavities in baby teeth; 21% of 6- to 11-year-olds have cavities in permanent teeth. And tooth decay doesn’t just lead to cavities: When left untreated, it can lead to malnourishment, learning and speech delays, and even deadly bacterial infections.

To put it in perspective, tooth decay is actually five times as common as asthma and seven times as common as hay fever. But unlike asthma and hay fever, parents have the ability to reverse the effects of tooth decay. That’s because decay is a process in which bacteria attacks the enamel of the tooth. If you catch the decay early, you can avoid cavities or more serious problems down the road. Keep your child’s risk of tooth decay low by following these tips:

1. Watch the snacks. Every time your child eats something sugary or starchy, the food combines with bacteria in the mouth to create acids, the precursors to decay. Saliva is the best weapon against these acid attacks, so the longer your child’s mouth gets a “break” between eating to let saliva do its job, the better. If he or she wants to snack between meals, stick to healthy, low-sugar choices such as vegetables or cheese.
2. Skip the sodas. Sugary, acidic drinks like fruit juice, energy drinks, sports drinks and sodas are tooth decay’s best friends. Have your child stick to water.
3. Brush regularly. If your child is less than 6 years old, assist his or her toothbrushing routine to ensure that the teeth receive a thorough cleaning. Because young children tend to swallow most of what’s on the brush, use just a dab of toothpaste. Older children can brush their own teeth, but make sure they are doing so for at least two minutes, twice a day.
4. Visit your dentist. Professional cleanings are necessary to remove trapped food particles and monitor early signs of decay. If your child does have a cavity, it’s important to get it treated right away to prevent further complications.

Fortunately, tooth decay is preventable and treatable. By following these tips, you can minimize tooth decay and establish good oral health habits for life.

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

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!