Did you know that snoring is pathological and not normal? Snoring can be an indication of restricted airway. If your child is snoring or has restless sleep it could be due to a number of reasons. Some of the most common are enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Or narrow jaws. Normal breathing should occur through the nose. If there are enlarged tonsils or adenoids it could cause your child to mouth breath and snore. Some children have such narrow jaws that they cannot breath properly leading to snoring and reduced oxygen intake at night. Early diagnosis is key to alleviating snoring symptoms as improper breathing or reduced oxygen level can affect a child’s growth and development. An ENT referral may be necessary or even early Orthodontic intervention to alleviate some of the anatomical barriers that could be leading to reduced air intake.
As much as we don’t like to think about them, injuries can happen to children and teens when they play a sport. The typical protective precautions are well known: helmets for football players, chest protectors for softball and baseball catchers, face masks for hockey goal tenders.
But you must think ahead about protecting your child’s teeth. Consider the mouth guard. Without one, your child can be up to 60 times more likely to suffer a dental injury. And mouth protection matters as much at practice sessions as it does in actual games. The mouth and teeth are most at risk in football, ice and field hockey, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, volleyball and gymnastics. But any activity that requires your child to make quick moves or has an object flying about can result in oral injuries. Some leagues and schools may mandate mouth guards for players. Mouth guards protect not only the teeth but also the tongue, lips and cheeks, too. You and your young athlete can choose from three basic kinds of mouth guards: Stock: This type of mouth guard (also called “universal” or “off-the-shelf”) often includes gel in the surface closest to the teeth, to accomplish something like a custom fit. These provide the least protection. “Boil and bite”: The thermoplastic material of this guard softens in hot water. In that state, as your child bites down, the guard gets shaped to his individual “toothprint.” Custom-fitted: At Dental Works 4 Kids we offer completely customized mouth guards that will give your child exceptional protection. While a mouth guard made specifically for your child will cost more than will the other options, the individualized fit is more comfortable, offers better protection and is less likely to fall out. Be vigilant in helping your child keep the mouth guard intact and clean, since, of course, it goes into the mouth. Store and carry it in a durable container that allows for air circulation. Before and after each use, rinse it well or, better yet, brush it, using a toothbrush and toothpaste. Keep it out of the sun and hot water—either can distort the guard’s shape—and when it inevitably does become distorted or overly worn, replace it. If you and your child are unsure about which type of mouth guard is most suitable, consult us. We’ll be happy to evaluate your options and guide you to the one that fits best—in every sense. Did you know that approximately 40% of all dental injuries in teenagers occur while playing sports? If your children are involved in athletics, you need to learn about prevention and treatment of sports-related dental injuries so you can protect your child’s smile. And while you may think that only heavy contact sports such as hockey put your child at high risk for a sports injury, accidents happen anytime there are fast-moving bodies, balls or hard equipment being swung around.
The best way to handle sports-related dental emergencies is to prevent them from happening in the first place. By having your child wear proper protective gear, you’ll reduce his or her chance of sustaining an injury to the face, jaw or teeth. • Mouth guards are essential for any contact sport, especially for young athletes playing hockey, football or lacrosse. But even basketball and soccer players can benefit from using mouth guards, which not only protect the teeth but also provide a cushion to protect the jaw’s temporomandibular joint (TMJ) from impact injuries. We can custom make a perfectly fitting mouth guard for your child. • Helmets are another way to protect your child’s mouth because they protect the entire skull. • Face cages, often used in hockey, prevent anything from striking the face. Because the most common dental injuries sustained during sports affect the front teeth, the cheeks and the tongue, they have an impact on more than just the appearance of your child’s smile. Dental injuries can also lead to eating, drinking and speech difficulties. That’s why it’s important to see us immediately after a sports accident, especially in the case of a chipped or knocked-out tooth. The sooner you get medical attention, the more likely the tooth can be salvaged. Before your child’s next sports season begins, be proactive. Talk to us about the best protective gear for his or her particular sport, and avoid having to make an emergency dental clinic visit in the future! If you have ever looked in on your sleeping child, expecting the sounds of easy breathing and an occasional sigh that accompany sweet dreams but hear grinding and gnashing sounds, your child may be exhibiting bruxism, the scientific term for what dentists call teeth grinding. Teeth grinding is a very common occurrence. About 30% of babies and children do it in their sleep. But why? There is more than one answer to that question. Known causes of teeth grinding include
o feelings of tension or anxiety o pain—frequently from earaches or teething, but also potentially from other causes o malocclusion—dental talk for teeth that aren’t properly aligned o breathing problems—stuffed noses and allergies are the primary culprits here o inheritance—if you were a grinder, chances are your kids will be too o night talking—children who talk in their sleep are more likely to grind their teeth Some of these causes are preventable or treatable. Some of them are not. Most children will outgrow this habit by the time they reach their sixth birthday. Now for the inevitable follow-up question: Is teeth grinding harmful for children? It can be, but the effects are usually minor and treatable. Among the possible side effects of teeth grinding are: o Chipped and flattened teeth: If your child outgrows teeth grinding before his or her adult teeth grow in, this isn’t a big deal. But if it happens later, teeth grinding can lead to more severe consequences, including teeth flattening, chipping and breaking. o Facial and jaw pain: If teeth grinding persists long enough, children can develop temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease. o Poor sleep: Grinding can make it much harder for children to get enough restful sleep. Just because your child will probably outgrow it doesn’t mean that you should treat teeth grinding as anything less than an important issue. If your child grinds chronically, make sure you tell us the next time you visit our office. We will check for tooth damage, determine a course of treatment and prescribe a mouth guard, if necessary, to prevent the more damaging side effects. Orthodontic treatment is vital for your child’s development, including his or her oral health, self-esteem and even their ability to speak clearly. It’s well worth spending a bit of time in braces to get the advantages of straight teeth, a more attractive smile and improved oral health. In fact, these days, it’s recommended that children get their first orthodontic consultation at the age of seven to optimize healthy development. An early consultation with our specialists can provide a number of benefits over waiting until the teenaged years, and your child will appreciate the following developmental advantages:
1. Braces can help your child develop and maintain self-esteem in the long run. With early correction, treatment can last as little as 10 months, and once it is over, children score higher on standard markings for emotional and social well-being. If more correction is needed later, children who have had early correction work may not need to wear braces for as long once they’re teenagers. 2. Early correction can affect the development of the jaw during critical years, resulting in better facial development, less risk of speech defects, and an overall improvement in your child’s appearance. 3. Straight teeth are easier to keep clean than crooked, crowded teeth, reducing the potential for developing tooth decay and gum disease. In the event your child needs fillings or crowns later in life, it is far easier for dentists to do the work if the teeth are straight. 4. Straight teeth are more efficient when your child eats; a child with crooked or poorly placed teeth can end up with digestive problems and reduced nutrient absorption, which can negatively impact his or her physical and mental development. Children who have had corrective treatment are also less likely to develop bad oral habits such as thumb sucking. 5. Protruding front teeth are prone to injury. Because of the rate at which children develop, correcting over and under bite can only be done early in life, reducing the risk of damage to the teeth. Applying corrective work early reduces the risk of the child needing jaw surgery or extraction of healthy permanent teeth later, and reduces the risk of impacted wisdom teeth. Flavored waters seem harmless enough. After all, they are not sodas, and drinking plenty of water is an important part of staying healthy. And some of them even contain vitamins! Sounds like a smart way to keep your child hydrated, right? Not so fast. While flavored waters may seem like healthy choices at first glance, studies have shown that many ingredients in flavored waters—including high fructose corn syrup, ascorbic acid and artificial colors—actually contribute to tooth decay and the erosion of tooth enamel.
Sure, getting plenty of vitamins is important, but combining vitamins with sugary drinks is not the best choice. What’s more, the vitamin C contained in many flavored water drinks can cause the protective enamel on the tooth’s surface to wear away over time. Vitamin C (often added as ascorbic acid) attacks tooth enamel, causing it to break down. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should avoid vitamin C, but bathing your child’s teeth in ascorbic acid isn’t the best way to do it. A better option: Feed your child foods high in vitamins and skip the vitamin-enriched waters. Getting vitamins from natural food sources also allows them to be better absorbed by the body. The same goes for corn syrup. Although, ounce for ounce, corn syrup has been shown to result in less tooth decay than refined sugar, drinking flavored waters on a regular basis poses a much more serious cavity risk than plain water or even unsweetened fruit juices. And despite their healthy hype, flavored waters contain a lot more sweetener than you might imagine. Many bottles of flavored water contain as much sugar as a doughnut. What’s more, studies have shown that regular consumption of flavored waters increases the risks of both obesity and diabetes. The bottom line is this: While an occasional bottle of flavored water may not be harmful, turning it into a habit is not a good idea. Teach your child to drink plain water when thirsty, and provide lots of vitamin-rich natural snacks, like fresh fruits and vegetables. If you let your children indulge in flavored water as a treat, make sure that they rinse well once they finish drinking to remove traces of ascorbic acid and to reduce the risk of dental erosion. Dental caries is the single most common chronic disease of childhood but it shouldn’t be!
Cavities or tooth decay can occur when plaque and bacteria become accumulated on the surface of teeth. Sugary foods act as a fuel for the bacteria causing harmful acids to be produced leading to a softening of the enamel of your child’s pearly whites. With proper care, cavities can be avoided. The following are some general tips to prevent tooth decay. 1) It is very important that we brush our teeth properly. At Dental Works 4 Kids we suggest that you should brush for at least 2 minutes so that all the food particles are removed. 2) Flossing is as important as brushing. Food particles get accumulated in between our teeth, which need to be removed. This however, is not possible with a normal brush. Flossing helps remove this so that your gums and teeth are safe from decay. 3) For good oral and dental health, it is very important to have a healthy diet. Increase calcium intake for healthy teeth. Apart from this, it is wise to reduce sugar intake especially in the night. Consult a nutritionist if required. 4) Using a good mouthwash is also important this is because it helps reduce bad breath and fights cavity. 5) It is also suggested that chewing a sugar free gum can also help prevent cavities. This may sound astonishing; however, it is true. The gum will increase the saliva in your mouth, which in turn will reduce the formation of cavities. These are just some tips that can help reduce the formation of cavities. Apart from this, it is wise to have regular check-ups to ensure your teeth are staying healthy. |