In many households, the bedtime routine is no fun. One of the trickiest parts for some parents is getting their kids to brush their teeth. However, it’s not a part of your child’s routine that should be skipped. To help make taking care of their teeth fun for children, here are some ideas for parents.
Toothbrushes
Provide your kids with fun toothbrushes! By choosing a brush decorated with their favorite character or color, your children will think of their toothbrush more like a toy than a dental tool. Consider getting more than one toothbrush, so each night they can choose the one they want to “play” with at the time.
Toothpaste
Children are picky about their toothpaste flavors just like their foods. Select toothpaste that you know your kids will like. Some of the flavor options include bubble gum and fruits, as well as the standby mint.
Floss
If they start flossing at a young age, your kids will likely view it as part of their oral hygiene routine all of their life. Try using some of the fun flossing tools on the market today, because they may help get your child interested in flossing. There are many colors and shapes to choose from, so keep trying until you find one that motivates your child.
Rewards
Enticing your children with rewards is often an easy way to encourage them to perform a task without arguing. Consider making a rewards chart and giving them a sticker each time they brush and floss. By the end of a week filled with good dental hygiene, a special reward will await them!
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Feeling unhappy with your smile can leave you wondering how you can obtain a stylish new look. Instead of being turned off by traditional treatments like metal braces, consider the modern approach of Invisalign clear aligners.
This revolutionary treatment involves wearing clear plastic aligners made just for you to gently move your teeth into better positions. They are practically invisible and are removable for eating and cleaning. The smooth material makes them comfortable, and they do not have any bothersome metal brackets or wires.
If you are interested in Invisalign treatment, the first step is finding an orthodontist or dentist who provides this service. Not every professional is trained in this method, so look for a certified provider of Invisalign. Once you identify your choices, select the provider who is convenient, experienced and gives you confidence in your treatment.
Your initial appointment will allow the professional to examine your mouth to make sure you are a good candidate for Invisalign. Unless you have poor oral health or severe teeth problems, most people qualify for Invisalign. The doctor will then prepare a treatment plan to guide your case and create your aligners. An impression of your teeth, X-rays, and photos will be taken to help with the process. A 3-dimensional image will be developed to help with your treatment plan, and also to allow you to see how your teeth will improve at each stage of the process and provide a timeline.
Once your aligners are ready, you’ll begin wearing them for about two weeks at a time and then switch to a different set of aligners in the series your doctor gives you. A checkup at the office is required about every six weeks to monitor your progress and get more aligners in the series as needed. The process will continue until treatment is complete, often in about one year. Then you’ll be ready to show off your brand new smile thanks to Invisalign.
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Being a teenager can be difficult, and being a teen whose smile could use some improvement can be even more difficult. If your teen suffers from gapped, crooked, crowded, or misaligned teeth, you may be looking into Invisalign with your teen’s orthodontist as a smile solution.
In the past, metal braces were the standard for teens, leading to “metal mouth” smiles and the worry that food is caught there during lunch or after snacks. Metal braces can lead to even more self-consciousness for your teen. Using Invisalign will lead to the same results as traditional metal braces. While metal braces use wires and brackets to straighten teeth, Invisalign uses clear plastic trays, allowing your teen’s process of tooth straightening to be less obvious.
The Invisalign process begins with impressions and x-rays, providing valuable information regarding the current condition of your teen’s teeth. The mold made from the impressions serves as the reference for creating the custom-made Invisalign trays. A series of trays are used, gradually altering the teeth, leading to a more comfortable straightening process.
Invisalign trays are removed before eating, eliminating the trepidation associated with eating in public with traditional metal braces. Because there is no hardware to dislodge, there are no food restrictions, and your teen may continue to enjoy whatever foods desired.
Your teen will need to have good oral hygiene habits. Flossing once a day and brushing after mealtimes or at least twice a day is best. Invisalign trays are removed prior to these activities, allowing for an ease of oral care not provided by traditional braces.
Be sure your teen wears the Invisalign trays as recommend by his or her orthodontist. In order to maximize Invisalign effectiveness, your teen must wear the trays at all times, except during mealtimes or when brushing or flossing.
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Your “third molars”, which are the molars in the very back that are the last to erupt, usually start to appear during the late teen years. They may not emerge for everyone, but when they do show up they are often problematic. Most people’s jaws don’t have room for them, and sometimes they are impacted and unable to erupt at all. Here are some common symptoms that you can watch for so you’ll know when your wisdom teeth might be the culprit.
The main thing many people notice is pain as their wisdom teeth develop. These teeth in the far back of your mouth, often two upper and two lower teeth, are very unpredictable. Sometimes they erupt sideways or crooked, causing your other teeth to become misaligned or overcrowded. If your wisdom teeth erupt, you might see them poking through your gums and creating an area of tenderness, inflammation, and redness. It can be painful to eat and brush your teeth. When wisdom teeth pain is very bothersome, dentists usually recommend removing them.
You may be one of the lucky people who don’t experience wisdom tooth pain. However, there are a host of other symptoms associated with these teeth. Some of these include:
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Difficulty swallowing
- Facial swelling
- Nausea
- Pus
- Lymph gland swelling
- Inflamed gums
- Bad breath
- Problems chewing and brushing
- Cysts around impacted wisdom teeth
Any of the above symptoms warrant a visit to your dentist. Even if wisdom teeth aren’t the cause, you should find out what’s behind these problems. If your dentist determines that your wisdom teeth are impacted, you will be advised to have them surgically removed usually by an experienced oral surgeon. Wisdom teeth extraction is a common procedure, so you shouldn’t hesitate to follow your dentist’s recommendation to take care of any problems with these teeth. Once you have recovered from this surgery, you will be glad the symptoms are gone and you no longer have to worry about your wisdom teeth.
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If you didn’t have your wisdom teeth out as a young person, you may be wondering about having them out as an adult. Your dentist may have recommended that you prevent future infections, cysts or pain in the jaw due to wisdom teeth that are growing under other teeth – known as impacted teeth. Even a type of tumor has been linked to impacted wisdom teeth.
Impacted teeth result when the wisdom tooth grows up under an existing tooth. Sometimes, adults have wisdom teeth that come in completely straight behind back molars. In rare cases, one or more of these teeth don’t grow at all. An x-ray can reveal the presence of the teeth. Impacted teeth cause problems with existing teeth and must come out.
Because the roots of wisdom teeth typically fully develop near the age of 24, removing them after this time can be more complicated. Roots can entwine with facial nerves, making extraction problematic. It’s recommended that adults receive a CT scan of their jaw, showing the clear positioning of facial nerves and roots, something not shown by x-rays. If the roots of the lower wisdom teeth aren’t touching or wrapped around the alveolar nerve, extraction is still possible.
Adults with wisdom teeth are at higher risk for gum disease. Gum disease has been linked to an increase of pregnancy complication and other health issues. Previously believed only to affect patients in their late 30s, this gum disease is now being shown to affect much younger patients, especially young pregnant women. Growing evidence is also connecting gum disease to inflammation due to chronic infections in the body, leading to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Talk to your dentist today to see if you should have your wisdom teeth removed. Be honest about any symptoms you’re having, such as pain or pressure, and let the professional evaluate your specific situation.
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One extremely common fear shared by many people is a fear of the dentist. Patients who possess this fear are often anxious and nervous about the sights, sounds and smells of a dentist’s office. Just imagining a routine visit can leave someone shaken and fearful, unable to sleep the nights prior to treatment.
Patients who share this common fear can put off necessary dental work. A fear of pain or needles can lead a patient to tolerate tooth pain or signs of infection in the mouth. If this sounds like you, talk to your dentist about sedation dentistry options.
Many people assume you must be fearful at a phobic level to benefit from sedation dentistry. This isn’t true! Sleeplessness, anxiety and low-level fear can all be helped with some form of sedation dentistry. Oral sedatives can be prescribed to be taken the night prior to a dentist visit, as well as the day of, to ensure a restful night’s sleep and an easy day before treatment.
Sedation dentistry during procedures is very safe, as you are monitored at all times by the dentist. Because of the deep level of relaxation possible utilizing sedation dentistry, more work can be done in a single visit, cutting down on trips to the dental office.
General dentistry procedures such as checkups, regular cleanings and cosmetic treatments can all be performed on a patient being treated with sedation dentistry. For a patient with fear and anxiety, each therapy can be made better with the addition of sedation dentistry.
Over time, with the use of sedation dentistry, some of your fears and anxieties can begin to lessen. Positive experiences can build up mental and emotional trust in the dentist, and patients can find that they need less and less of the sedation to feel comfortable.
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