It’s fun for children to dress up in costumes to go trick-or-treating for Halloween, but parents should be on guard to make sure that the holiday’s festivities don’t play tricks on their children’s oral health. It’s never too early to start preparing your strategies to limit Halloween overindulgences.

Common problems addressed in pediatric dentistry include injuries due to trauma such as falls, which can knock a tooth loose or cause a broken facial bone.

There are many situations when having your child alert and paying attention to what is going on around them is warranted. However, extensive dental repair is not one of those times. When dental correction is required for your child, a visit with a kid’s dentist specializing in IV sedation may provide the best option for you and your child.

A tooth ache is a signal that there is something wrong. Decay, gum disease, or some type of infection could be the problem. A visit to the dentist is warranted … the diagnosis could mean the difference between treatment and tooth loss. When it is your child, concern goes into overdrive. A children’s root canal may be the best choice.

Children can encounter a number of dental emergencies that have potential long-term implications if they are not treated properly. One of the most common reasons that parents bring their sons or daughters to see a children’s emergency dentist is for a chipped tooth.

Cavities are also known as caries and refer to decay in teeth, usually requiring a filling. Nearly all patients that develop cavities have cavities form in the back teeth long before they form in any front teeth. This is largely due to poor oral hygiene habits such as mindless brushing or insufficient brushing and flossing. Cavities also tend to form faster with poor diet, especially when combined with poor brushing and flossing habits.

Ideally, a tooth after root canal therapy should require no special care. With a children’s root canal, there can be residual soreness or discomfort after the procedure. This discomfort can come from the use of a local anesthetic, having the mouth open for an extended period of time creating pressure on the low jaw and face muscles, or from the restoration process used to protect the tooth after the root canal therapy, depending on the type of restoration used.

For decades, dentists have used varying levels of sedation to promote patient relaxation and comfort—especially during lengthy procedures. Over the years, sedation methods have improved substantially, especially with the use of IV Sedation. Like adults, children sometimes require medication during dental procedures to alleviate discomfort or anxiety. Because our practice specializes in treating children, treatment is tailored to the needs of our younger patients by our kids’ dentist. IV sedation allows precise dosing that reduces feelings of worry or panic while also making our patients feel at ease.

Did you know that tooth decay is an infectious disease? The Center for Disease Control identifies dental caries (cavities) as an infectious disease because transmittable oral bacteria cause cavities. In fact, tooth decay is so common that roughly 99% of all people will develop a cavity at some point in their lifetime. When it comes to treating tooth decay, our children’s dentist offers restorative treatments such as fillings and crowns.

Ideally your child should have their first visit to the children’s dentist at around the age of twelve months. Children have enough primary teeth at this stage for an exam to be beneficial.