Canadian Dental Group’s Kids Zone has information that focuses on what concerns
children most about their teeth. Adults too can benefit from the information here.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a good quality toothbrush and toothpaste. Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the brush loses its effectiveness or the bristles are worn or bent.
Try to clean between teeth daily with dental floss. Sometimes just brushing alone can’t reach all the tooth surfaces. Bacteria often still remains between teeth where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. Flossing helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line.
Imagine talking to someone who has food and plaque stuck in their teeth…. Not a pretty picture is it. Has anyone ever spoken to you and when you smelt the unpleasantness of their breath you had to turn away.
Now imagine how embarrassed you would feel if that person was you. Take care of your teeth!
Practicing proper dental hygiene at home is very important to your oral health. It is also essential that you visit your dentist or dental hygienist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams.
Dental cavities are a common ailment characterized by small holes or pits in the tooth. Often, this type of problem causes a “toothache”. A cracked or fractured tooth, an exposed tooth root, or gum disease can also cause a toothache. Cavities are mainly caused by some bacteria.
The bacteria are contained in a film called "plaque". Plaque begins to accumulate on teeth within 20 minutes after eating. If the plaque is not removed thoroughly and routinely, tooth decay will occur.
Bacteria produce acids that demineralize the hard part of the tooth (enamel and dentin) and eventually reach the pulp chamber.
Cavities are most common on the back molars, just above the gum line on all teeth, and at the edges of fillings.
You may have a cavity if you experience an increased sensation to cold and/or sweet foods or drinks or feel a weakening of the tooth.
While there are several ways in which a dentist can fix or restore form and function of a tooth with a cavity, prevention is key. Oral hygiene habits can help prevent tooth decay and cavities by not allowing bacteria to settle on the tooth and create damage.
Treatment of a cavity generally consists of removing the decayed portion of the tooth and then rebuilding the missing tooth structure.
Orthodontic braces are devices used to help align and position teeth. They are commonly used for crooked teeth, jaw problems, underbites, overbites etc. Treatment with orthodontic braces may last for a short period of time or can last for several years depending on each patients needs. There can be some discomfort when wearing braces at first for a few days to a week.
After the course of treatment is complete with braces, a retainer is fitted. The retainer is designed to hold your teeth in place while they settle into their final position. These may have to be worn from just a few hours a day to sometimes years.
Modern techniques have made wearing these dental appliances more adaptable depending on your personality. For instance, they can be smaller, and made out of plastic or ceramic which can make them less obvious. On the other hand, some people have fun with their choice and use them as a source of personal expression. Colourful elastics can be used on your braces. And even retainers can be customized with pictures or logos.
If a permanent tooth is knocked out it should be replaced into the socket immediately. The tooth has an excellent chance of living, however the chances of it living get less with every minute that the tooth is out of its socket.
Do not allow the tooth to dry out.
Do not scrape or rub the root surface.
If the child is calm enough - get the child to clean the tooth with saliva.
If the child cannot clean the tooth, it is better to rinse it briefly with milk than water.
Do not rinse the tooth in water for any longer than 1 to 2 seconds if milk is not available.
If the tooth is clean, immediately replace it back into the socket and hold it there firmly with your finger or get the child to bite down on a soft cloth pad (gauze or a clean handkerchief) to hold the tooth in position. This also helps stop bleeding and reduces pain.
If a permanent tooth cannot be placed into the socket, completely cover the tooth in milk, or wrap it in some plastic wrap, to stop it drying out.
Seek immediate dental treatment.
If the tooth cannot be found, (the same applies to if the tooth can be found) it is essential to get immediate dental treatment, as there could be other damage to the jaw.
For children in organized sports, parents / coaches should plan for the unexpected by identifying dental offices near the location of the activity that provides emergency services. Check out our dentist directory search
Are you active in football, lacrosse, rugby, motocross, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, skateboarding, field hockey, gymnastics, mountain biking, martial arts etc. Then you may be in need of a little device designed to protect against cut lips, broken teeth and even concussions.
Mouth Guards are a piece of athletic equipment that is often overlooked mainly because it isn’t directly needed to play a sport. Also, athletes surveyed believe mouth injuries are rare in “their” sport. However, athletes in many sporting activities can suffer a mouth injury. Even sports where athletes are required to wear helmets like hockey and football, a mouth guard helps protect against jaw injuries and concussions.
Athletes from a young age should get use to wearing mouth guards. Soon they will be accustom wearing them and it will most likely be a non issue for the future.
There are generally 3 types of mouth guards:
Stock mouth guards are ready to wear and are the least expensive of the three. These mouth guards don’t fit as well as the other two and can be difficult to breath and talk. If the athlete feels comfortable wearing these then they should provide adequate protection.
“Boil and Bite” mouth guards provide adequate protection and is usually in the middle of the fit, comfort and price scale between the stock and custom.
Custom mouth guards provide the best fit of the three. While it is the most expensive option, it is usually the easiest for the athlete to get use to and function with and can be customized with different colours.
It’s important to remember the best mouth guard is the one that the athlete will be comfortable enough in to wear while active. If it’s sitting on the shelf because “it’s a bother” to wear, it’s not going to be very effective. From a cost perspective, the old adage “ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” holds true. Pay a little for some protection with a mouth guard now or possibly spend literally thousands in the future for orthodontic work (and many extra visits to the dentist). Find a dentist or hygienist on our dentist directory search page and ask about special rates for children’s mouth guards.
Many patients who fear dental visits in their adulthood confess that it started from childhood. These seeds of fear as a child are a major factor why in adulthood people don’t visit their dentist as regularly as they should.
Find out what it is about the dental visit that makes your child afraid. These are some of the common reasons we’ve found for fearing a dental visit.
Don’t like smell of the office; dental staff not “friendly”; don’t like the sound of the drill; afraid of the suction thingy; don’t like when they (dentist / hygienist) gets in my space; office looks
deathly dreary; dentist tools look like torture instruments; pain pain pain; my mouth is private and I don’t like people looking in there!; don’t like any flavor of polish they use; don’t like so many things in my mouth; dentist has a “funny” smell; x-ray machine might “zap” me; etc. etc. etc.
These are quotes from adults……. Imagine how any of these things are amplified in the mind of a child.
So far we haven’t come across a 100% sure fired way to cure the fear of a dental visit in all patients. However there are several thing that can be done to somewhat lessen those feelings.
Knowing how your child reacts in certain situations and telling the dental staff can help in dealing with a frightened child. For example, a child may less cooperative with the parent in the room or vice-versa.
Explanation of the procedure before starting (with special mention of if the child will feel any discomfort) can help “prepare” for what’s coming. Distract the child with interesting conversation or a funny story. If “scary looking” instruments are a cause for concern, the let the dental staff know to keep them out of view as much as possible.
Focus on what is good about a dental visit. Do they give out toys or treats after the visit. Is there a play area before the visit where you can have fun and forget about being at the dentist. Can you watch your favourite show or listen to music while in the chair. Do you get to miss school for a few hours. Is there someone friendly at the office who is cool or makes you laugh or remembers who you are.
A major key to relieve some of the stress or fear of the dental visit is to be proactive. Both Parents and dental staff should find out what the cause of the anxiety is and work to find a solution that will at least take the edge off any unpleasantness the child might experience.
