How Puberty Affects Your Child’s Oral Health

Puberty is the stage that brings many changes to boys and girls. Puberty in girls usually begin at around 10 to 11 whiles boys are a bit late at 11 to 12. In general, this stage often takes 5 to 6 years, in which children’s reproductive organs and sexual characteristics emerge to maturity.

Hormone levels rise, voice changes, bodies and muscles develops, sexual attraction starts and an overall increase in consciousness on self-image and appearance reveals. Along with this general changes, their oral health can also be affected.

How Hormone Changes Affect Their Dental Health

Hormonal changes during puberty often affects girls and as such, parents should give oral care utmost concern. Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone trigger changes in the girls’ bodies. Such sex hormones during puberty stage can cause a number of dental issues including puberty gingivitis, characterized by bleeding and swelling of gums.

The onset of menstruation causes an increase of hormones that encourage the growth of oral bacteria. In fact, many girls and even boys during puberty experience symptoms of gum sensitivity and gingival bleeding.

Some adult women still experience menstruation gingivitis before their menstruation start. Menstruation gingivitis symptoms include swollen, tender, red gums and mouth sores. Improper oral cancer can worsen these symptoms.

Increase in certain hormones can also increase microbial growth, which is the reason why cavities and bad breath are quite common among adolescents.

Other Issues on Oral Health

As children grows and permanent teeth starts to erupt, they may experience changes in the appearance of their mouth, including the shape of their bite. By the time puberty sets in, most of the adult teeth already surfaced. This is the time when certain orthodontic treatments usually begin.

One of the most important concerns for children with braces is the need to maintain proper oral care carefully. Due to the extra attachments on the teeth, there are many corners for food bits to stick to, causing dental carries.

Proper tooth brushing and having regular dental visit for professional cleaning are very important to prevent the development of carries.

Tooth staining is very common among teens. This is due to changes in diet and consumption of dark soda and tea.

How to Manage the Impact of Puberty on Oral Health

During puberty stage, many adolescents face many struggles, primarily on their emotional and social aspects. Peer pressure, increased self-consciousness to self-image and identity crisis can affect a child’s focus on proper dental care.

Good oral care can make a positive impact on an adolescent’s self-image. Parents should reinforce healthy dental practices through regular brushing and flossing and having proper nutrition. The puberty stage is often the time when a young person faces many changes in his/her life. This is also a great time to practice good dental care habits that they will follow for the rest of their life.

What is a Space Maintainer?

Space maintainers are dental devices used for children when they lose a tooth and wait for the permanent tooth to grow in. There are a number of reasons why your pediatric dentist might recommend this device.

What is the purpose of space maintainer?

Space maintainers are used to hold a gap in your child’s mouth when a tooth falls out. In general, they are not used for normal baby tooth loss but rather, are intended to keep the teeth aligned and properly spaced if the child has a tooth knocked out before it sheds on its own, if a tooth is lost due to cavities or if a permanent tooth is absent. When a baby tooth is lost too soon, it can affect tooth alignment. As such, this device serves as the lost tooth to help permanent tooth grow on their right positions.

Are there different types of space maintainers?

Space maintainers come in several types and your dentist knows the right type for your child. Removable space maintainers are generally made from acrylic, resembling an orthodontic retainer and can be removed when cleaning or eating.

On the other hand, a fixed space maintainer is attached to the teeth or gums. It is usually a better option for little kids who might not be able to care for a removable space maintainer. Some fixed space maintainers use wires and is held in place with a crown. This can be unilateral – only one side of the mouth, or bilateral – on both sides.

Another type is called a distal shoe. It is a fixed maintainer where the metal is place on the gumline to prevent a gap from closing when the first permanent molar erupt. Lingual space maintainer is used for more than one missing tooth. It is bilateral and the wire is placed on both sides of the molar teeth and behind the lower front teeth.

How to properly care space maintainer?

Taking proper care of your little one’s space maintainer will extend the lifespan of the device and makes sure it does its function properly. The device must be cleaned whenever the child flosses and brushes his teeth. For removable maintainers, it can be taken out from your kid’s mouth and cleaned while for fixed maintainers, it can be brushed like how he brushes his teeth. It is important to clean the gums where the space maintainer is attached. This will ensure that the area is healthy and clean, so by the time the permanent tooth emerges, there will be no issues that will affect your kid’s dental health.

Additionally, your pediatric dentist will have to check the device regularly to make sure that it is performing its job and isn’t causing any problems. If your child damages or loses a space maintainer, informs the dentist immediately so a replacement can be made. Failure to use the device properly will result in a misaligned tooth. This can be expensive and painful to fix. While wearing a space maintainer, it is important to have a regular dental cleaning.

What are Some Dental Tips for My Kids This Thanksgiving?

Birthdays, holidays and other special occasions are times when we catch up with family, friends and loved ones. Thanksgiving is fast approaching and we often celebrate this time of the year by preparing sumptuous goods that everyone enjoys.

But the feast shouldn’t be a reason to forget that we also have to be careful with the food we eat, especially for children. This will help prevent problems relating to dental health. For sure, dealing with dental-related problems can spoil a happy gathering.

Below are some useful tips to help you, as parents, prevent any dental-related problems.

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water, particularly when eating sweet foods. This will help eliminate food particles that get stuck between your teeth and prevent buildup of plaque. Furthermore, drinking water can help stimulate saliva production that help fight dental cavities. Compared to soda and juices, water is still the best fluid to drink.

Avoid sticky foods

Foods that are too acidic, sweet and sticky can cause immense harm to the teeth. This type of foods can create an ideal place for bacteria to destroy tooth enamel and infect the gums. If you cannot avoid eating these foods, be sure to wash your mouth with water after eating them, or brush your teeth 30 minutes after consuming those foods to eliminate any debris.

Avoid eating or snacking too frequently

The company of loved ones and friends can be very enjoyable, with all the chitchatting and drinking. With this, you may not avoid having continuous snacking or eating. But beware. The reason is that since you keep on exposing your teeth to acids present in food, it may cause bacteria to build up in the mouth, causing cavities.

Be sure to brush and floss

When visiting a friend or loved one for a gathering, make sure to bring your toothbrush and dental floss with you to make sure you and your child maintain optimal oral health. Remember that it’s necessary to be diligent on your dental hygiene, especially during celebrations such as Thanksgiving. You can also bring Xylitol, a sugarless gum and chew this after eating a meal. Sugar-free gums can eliminate food debris left on your teeth and help with digestion by stimulating saliva production.

After the gathering, visit your dentist

Holidays and other celebrations are the best times of the year, yet these are the times when people experience more dental-related problems. If you are concerned about dental cavities and gum problems, consider seeing your dentist as soon as possible. The dentist will check your mouth and do professional cleaning to make sure plaque buildup and other dental issues will be addressed. This will also help avoid further dental complications from happening in the future.

What to Do with a Child’s Loose Tooth

If you have a child with a loose baby tooth, you may think if you should try to pull it or simply wait for it to loosen and come out on its own. Pulling a loose tooth from your little one’s mouth is quite tempting, but this isn’t always the best thing to do.

Below are some things you should know before attempting to pull a loose tooth.

Why is It Loose?

A loose tooth does not mean that a permanent tooth is about to erupt. Sometimes, children know their teeth when they accidentally fall or when playing. In case a tooth is knocked loose, it is best to schedule an appointment with your dentist so he can check it to prevent the risk of having an infection or even damage to the permanent tooth.

Children often lose their teeth in about the same order that they emerge. The frontal teeth loosen first, often between the age of six and seven. When the permanent tooth begins to erupt, the baby tooth’s roots dissolve until it loosens and painlessly fall out with very minimal bleeding.

If the loose tooth isn’t ready to fall out naturally, trying to extract it could affect the sensitive roots, causing unnecessary pain. If you are unsure why one specific tooth is loose, and you are not sure why it’s too early, you may talk to your pediatric dentist about this matter.

How to Help Your Child Loosen Baby Teeth

Kids usually start to lose their baby teeth between the age of four and seven. But some baby teeth can still remain until the age of 12. Although they naturally fall out and are replacement by permanent adult teeth, in some cases, baby teeth require a little help in coming out.

Before you start, be sure to wash you and your child’s hands with soap and water. Next, check the loose tooth to see whether the baby tooth is really loose. If you think that it’s loose enough, here is what you can tell your child to do to help him/her remove the baby tooth:

1.       Tell your child to gently wiggle the tooth. Don’t twist or pull, just move the tooth back and forth to make it looser.

2.       Have your child move the tooth around to determine if there’s any pain. If there is, it’s not ready yet to be removed.

3.       Give your child something crunchy to eat, like an apple, to help loosen the tooth.

4.       Have your child brush their teeth several times a day to help loosen it.

It’s strongly advised to let your child pull their own tooth, because they are only the ones who can best tell it the loose tooth is ready to come out. This will help reduce the amount of bloodor pain that could result from a tooth coming out prematurely.

What are the Effects of Teeth Grinding in Kids

You may look into your child’s bedroom at night while deep asleep and find out a strange noise, like two hard objects rubbing together. Teeth grinding or bruxism in children happens quietly frequently, about 30 percent of children do it. Children grind teeth for several reasons; misaligned teeth, stress and certain medical conditions such as cerebral palsy may cause teeth grinding. Sometimes, teeth grinding resolves on its own. However, if the symptoms persist, it can have several effects on the child’s mouth and general health.

Short-term Effects of Teeth Grinding

If the child shares a room with another member of the family, the noise or loud sound of grinding may bother the brother or sister at night. When the child wakes up, he/she may have a headache or complain of pain around or in the ear because of the pressure of grinding and clenching the jaw at night.

Wear and tear of the teeth enamel due to grinding may lead to teeth sensitivity and pain when chewing. If a child has a medical condition or under a medication that causes teeth grinding, a healthcare provider may have to add or change prescriptions.

Long-term Effects of Teeth Grinding

If the condition is left untreated, it can lead to a number of long-term effects on your child. It may lead to substantial damage on the teeth due to grinding and clenching for long periods. The teeth enamel will not only wear down but the teeth may broke, chip or flatten. In case the child grinds heavily for a long period, there is a possibility of developing TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder, causing more pain in the jaw and could make it hard for a child to open his mouth or chew.

Aside from physical discomfort, teeth grinding may cause children to have difficulty adjusting to school or have problems mingling to others, possibly because teeth grinding interferes sleep.

Tips for Parents

If a parent finds out that his child is grinding at night, there are ways to help. Your pediatric dentist can recommend the use of special mouth guard to wear every night. Kids should also use toothpaste with fluoride to strengthen their teeth and enamel. If the teeth grinding is associated to stress, parent can help their child relax by reading bedtime stories, or doing relaxation exercises. If the child is old enough, parents can talk to them about their anxieties or problems and help them find a solution to it.

Your child’s dentist can be your reliable ally when it comes to coping up with teeth grinding. Aside from the use of a mouth guard, the dentist can monitor the progress and check if the grinding appears to be lessening. They can also provide tips and techniques to how to help the child cope up and make sure everybody get a quality, good night’ sleep.

How to Maintain Kids’ Oral Health During Winter

Keeping your child’s teeth and gums healthy is a year-round job. Yet during winter, dental health and safety for kids signifies having the right balance between the necessary things for mouth care and the fun of a snowy weather. Hot treats, drier air, winter activities and more can put your teeth at risk for damage.

Below are some ways to maintain your kids’ teeth and gums health and happy throughout the winter season.

Protect their Teeth

If your child loves to do winter sports or enjoy the ski slopes, it is necessary to wear some protection from injuries. Physical damage during sports contribute to 10 to 39 percent of dental injuries in children, based on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Having your kids’ wear face mask or mouthguard when playing winter sport will lessen the risk of dental injury. There are mouthguard available in the drugstore or have your child meet a dentist for custom fitting.

Keep Your Child Hydrated

If your child spends more time playing a winter sport, they put their health at risk of becoming dehydrated. Kids are more susceptible to dehydration than adults since they weight loss and often times, they are not as able to distinguish thirst. He might also be dehydrated if he’s suffering a terrible flu or cold.

To ensure your child’s health and safety, it is best to drink lots of water during winter. If possible, have him drink fluoridated water as it can help protect their teeth from cavities and decay.

Watch Out for Sugary Drinks

When your child is suffering from sore throat or cough, it is not surprising to use cough drop for relief. Many kids drink juice to battle a cold or have a cup of hot cocoa after doing winter play. But cough drops, hot cocoa and fruit juice can have a bad effect on your child’s teeth since they tend to contain plenty of sugar, leading to decay and cavities.

To avoid consumption of too much sugar, give your child sugar-free cough drops. Water will always be the best substitute for juice when you are sick. As for the hot cocoa, try using dark chocolate and real milk, as these contains less sugar.

Encourage Proper Dental Habits

To protect your kid’s dental health in the winter, it is important to keep proper dental habits. Brush two times a day and floss once a day even when your child has cold or flu. His immune system needs all the help it can have to fight cold or flu virus. To encourage your little ones who are sick to brush their teeth, try using a flavoured toothpaste that comes with satisfying flavors like watermelon and strawberry.

When it comes to protecting your child’s health during winter, it’s more than just ensuring they stay warm and free from flu. It also means keeping an eye on your child’s dental health and doing some measures to protect their teeth and gums.

How to Make Dental Hygiene for Kids Fun and Enjoyable

At Mint Kids Dentistry by Dr. Soo Jun, we know how important dental hygiene is for kids.

Do you find it hard to encourage your kids to brush his/her teeth before school? Young kids do not understand the importance of dental hygiene or overall dental health. For parents, dental hygiene for kids should not concentrate on the nuts and bolts of dental care. Your child may be too young to understand how plaque forms. Instead, create a fun and enjoyable experience of mouth care in the family.

Buy a special brush and toothpaste

One way to ignite your child’s interest is to buy a colourful, fun toothbrush. Replace an old toothbrush with new, fun brush with colourful, soft bristles or one that is adorned with your child’s favourite cartoon character.

Aside from the toothbrush, you can also buy a special toothpaste to go along with it. Your toddler may not be running to the bathroom to use your hot, minty toothpaste. But he can feel excitement cleaning his teeth using a watermelon or gum-flavored toothpaste packaged in his favourite cartoon character.

Do it together

Another way to make mouth care fun for kids is to do it together. Make your child interested by brushing and flossing together. Kids love to copy what their parents do. Guide your son or daughter with the proper way of brushing, including tongue brushing. After you brush, floss your child’s teeth or help them if they’re old enough to do it by themselves. Make routine brushing exciting and fun by singing a fun song or a rhyme about keeping the teeth clean.

Keep track of time

The American Dental Association recommends brushing for only two minutes, two times a day. To make sure your child brushes only for that time period, use a two-minute sand time. Simply flip it over and start brushing. 

Another way is to use mobile apps like the Disney Magic Timer that is available in App Store for free. This app features 23 characters from Marvel, Star Wars and Disney. By using this app, it will bring more fun to daily brushing routine, encouraging kids to brush longer.

Play a fun video

Look for some fun video on dental hygiene for kids. Videos and stories designed for kids are effective teaching materials for kids on how to take good care of their teeth and of making mouth care something they can relate to.

Create a reward system

Make flossing and brushing more enjoyable by making your own gold star reward system. You and your son or daughter can make a poster and decorate it with toothbrushes, teeth, oral health themes and healthy snacks to represent the days of the month. Then, every time they brush their teeth, give your child a gold star sticker to put on the poster.

Pediatric dental visits

Regular check-up is a very important aspect in keeping good dental hygiene for kids. Visit your child’s pediatric dentist every six months to help maintain your child’s sparkling smile. Make every dentist appointment fun by heading to the park for a picnic after the visit.

How to Brush My Child’s Teeth?

While they do eventually fall out, it is still very important to take good care of your child’s milk teeth. Milk teeth helps them chew and bite food, and speak clearly. Underneath their teeth, roots of adult teeth are growing in place.

According to research, children who develop dental cavities in their milk teeth are more susceptible to develop cavities as an adult, so don’t take pediatric dental check-ups for granted. Even though they are still young, their teeth are still prone to the same damage and conditions that permanent teeth face. If he/she is at high risk for tooth cavities or decay, it is time to reduce consumption of starchy and sugary snacks and beverages.

Tips on How to Brush Your Child’s Teeth

Teaching your child on how to properly brush their teeth can instill a lasting habit that will promote a healthy mouth. Read below on how to get started with this routine.

Pick the right toothbrush

Take your child on a toothbrush shopping. Be sure to get a soft-bristled tooth. Kid’s toothbrush often come in different character themes and color – allow children to pick their toothbrush. There are also rotating, battery-operated toothbrush, which may come in handy for feisty toddlers.

Set the stage

It is advised to brush your teeth twice a day. Timing is also another crucial factor. When getting started, choose a time when your little one welcomes the idea of brushing like after breakfast and before bedtime. Of course, before naptime is a must, however, do not wait until he is tired or sleepy. Develop a ritual, like letting him/her go to the bathroom and turn the faucet. In this way, your child looks forward to the tooth brushing process and you are likely to be dealing with a cooperative toddler.

Start brushing

Prepare the toothbrush with toothpaste only a pea-sized amount. Next, determine his/her most comfortable position. You can use a step stool or a stand or your child can sit on your lap.

Begin by brushing the inside of the teeth first. Focus on brushing the gum line by moving the brush at a 45 degree angle. Move the toothbrush back and forth. Do the same on the outside of the teeth. Aim the gum line and do the same routine again.

Don’t forget to brush the top portion too. If your child gets cranky, take breaks but don’t forget to rinse their teeth and tell them not to swallow the toothpaste. Lastly, teach them how to properly rinse and spit using proper technique.

Make the experience fun

Turn toothbrushing into a game or sing a song to go along with it. This will help your child practice brushing and get the hang of it. You can also look for videos of their favourite cartoon character brushing teeth. In this way, you can make the experience fun and memorable, helping your toddler to enjoy tooth brushing and taking care of their dental health.

Mint Kids Dentistry’s top priority is bringing children and adolescents on the right path to dental health and proper oral hygiene. Dr. Soo Jun believes that early education will prepare kids to a lifetime of optimal dental health. Hence, she educates the importance of routine dental checkups and proper oral care.

Schedule an appointment as http://www.mintkidsdentistry.com/.