cavities-pediatric-dentistry

Signs Your Child Has a Cavity

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A cavity is a hole in the tooth enamel caused by a combination of bacteria and sugar in the mouth. Cavities can be painful, and if they’re not addressed as soon as possible, they can become very serious. If you think your child has a cavity, it’s important to make an appointment with the dentist in Owensboro and Beaver Dam, KY.

The first step is to recognize the problem. Below are signs that your child may have a cavity.

Signs Your Child Has a Cavity

If your child has a cavity, they may complain about pain or sensitivity in their teeth. Their teeth may become sensitive to heat, cold or sweet foods. In addition, you may notice changes in the appearance of their teeth.

Your child’s teeth may develop whiter than normal spots – these are signs that the tooth enamel is breaking down. When a cavity forms, you may be able to see a hole in your child’s tooth enamel. The cavity may also look like a brown spot or a black spot.

One more potential sign of a cavity: bad breath. Your child’s breath should smell better when they brush their teeth. If their teeth smell bad even after brushing, this could be a sign of excessive bacteria in the mouth.

Think Your Child Needs a Dentist? Make an Appointment

Don’t wait to make a dental appointment for your child. If your child is experiencing tooth sensitivity or pain, see the dentist as soon as possible. Your child’s dentist can prevent the problem from getting worse.

To avoid problems like this in the future, bring you child in for dental cleanings in Owensboro and Beaver Dam, KY every six months. Call Dr. Travis Wilson Family Dentistry today to make an appointment.

teething baby

Your Baby Is Teething? What to Expect

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Is your baby teething? This is an exciting time in your child’s life! Once your baby starts teething, they should start seeing the dentist in Owensboro and Beaver Dam, KY. Knowing what to expect when your child starts teething and what happens when they see the dentist for the first time can make this experience easier. Here’s what to know.

Signs of a Teething Baby

Knowing the signs that your baby is teething is important. Below are some common symptoms babies experience while teething:

  • Drooling
  • Coughing
  • Skin rashes on chin
  • Gnawing on things
  • Coughing
  • Low grade fever
  • Diarrhea
  • Ear pulling
  • Cheek rubbing

It’s important to note that the symptoms of teething can look similar to the symptoms of an ear infection. Talk to your doctor about the signs your baby is experiencing to find out whether there’s a possibility they have an ear infection.

Dental Care for Babies

Once your baby’s teeth grow in, it’s time to start taking your baby to the dentist. If your baby’s teeth don’t come in by the time they’re 12 months old, bring them to the dentist anyway.

When you bring your baby to the dentist for the first time, the dentist will look inside their mouth and examine their tooth or teeth. The dentist will also take this time to answer your questions about how to care for your baby’s teeth. This visit to the dentist will help your baby start to adjust to visiting the dentist, and will also give the dentist an opportunity to identify anything going wrong with your child’s oral hygiene.

After your child’s tooth grows in, you’ll be responsible for taking your child to the dentist regularly, and brushing your baby’s teeth nightly. The dentist will show you how.

Need to sign your child up for their first preventative dental care appointment in Owensboro and Beaver Dam, KY? Call Dr. Travis Wilson Family Dentistry today.

Should I Be Cleaning My Child’s Teeth?

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Many parents clean their child’s teeth for them until they reach an age when they can do it themselves. Knowing when, why and how to clean your child’s teeth can help you take care of your child’s oral hygiene. We’ve posted the article below to give some guidance on this issue. It’s also important to work with your dentist in Owensboro, KY to find out what you can be doing to help your child.

When and How to Clean Your Child’s Teeth

It’s common for parents to clean their child’s teeth until they’ve reached the age of about 7 or 8. Children do not have the manual dexterity to properly clean their own teeth, so they need help from their parents to ensure that their mouth is cleaned properly.

To clean your child’s teeth, use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Children who are too young to understand that you should not swallow your toothpaste should not have fluoridated toothpaste. Check with your child’s dentist to get a toothpaste recommendation.

Brush your child’s teeth for two minutes. Your dentist can show you some tricks for getting their teeth brushed properly. You can use a timer to time their tooth brushing, or you can sing a song for two minutes.

How to Ensure Your Child Has Good Dental Hygiene

Take your child for regular dental exams in Owensboro, KY to ensure that your child has good dental hygiene. Your dentist can tell you how often your child should be coming in for exams and cleaning. Children are prone to getting cavities, so don’t let this appointment slide! Call Dr. Travis Wilson Family Dentistry to make an appointment today.

Female dentist shows dentures to little boy

4 Tips to Soothe Your Little One’s Fears of the Dentist

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Some children have a fear of the dentist – especially when they’re so young that their experiences with the dentist are brand-new. If your little one is nervous about seeing the dentist, there’s something you can do about that! The following tips can help soothe your child.

1. Read Your Child Books About the Dentist

There are many picture books and even board books about visiting the dentist. These books serve as a good introduction to the dentist, and help your child develop positive associations with the dentist. Read to your child books about the dentist on a regular basis to help your child develop an idea about what to expect when they visit the dentist.

2. Play “Dentist”

Make up a game where your child is the patient and you are the dentist. Show your child what it’s like to visit the dentist. Ask your child to sit in a chair and open their mouth. Inspect their mouth and make comments about how beautiful their teeth look! When your child is done, let them inspect your teeth.

3. Talk Positively About the Dentist

After coming back from a tooth cleaning visit with the dentist, speak positively about your experience. Tell your little one about how you enjoy going to the dentist, because you like the feeling that your teeth are clean. If you feel like the dentist is nice to you (hopefully you do!), you should say that as well.

4. Interview Dentists With Pediatric Experience

Find a dentist with pediatric experience, and ask that dentist what they do to help little ones feel comfortable at the dentist. To find a dentist in Owensboro, KY with pediatric experience, call Dr. Wilson.

Your Child Lost a Permanent Tooth? What To Do

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It can be scary when your child loses a permanent tooth, but as long as you act quickly and seek help from the dentist right away, you may be able to save the tooth. Here’s what you need to know.

Find the Tooth

Did the tooth get knocked out of your child’s mouth and fall on the floor? If so, you’ll have to find it right away. Look on the floor, in the surrounding furniture, and in and under objects in the room until you find it. When you do find the tooth, grab it by the enamel – the part of the tooth that’s normally visible in the mouth. Do not grab the tooth by the root.

Clean the Tooth

Clean the tooth either with saliva, milk or a saline solution. You can also clean the tooth in a bowl of tap water. Whatever you do to clean the tooth, do it gently without touching the root. Do not clean it for more than ten seconds.

Store the Tooth Safely

One of the things that you can do to store the tooth is to put it back in the gap in your child’s mouth, root-first so it fills the hole that it came out of. Have your child bite down on the tooth gently to hold it in place. If your child is too upset or too young to do this, then you’ll need to find another way to store the tooth. Place the tooth in a bowl of milk, a dish of your child’s saliva, or have your child hold the tooth in the pouch of their cheek if they’re old enough to do this safely.

Call the Dentist – and Come Quickly!

Call the dentist to let them know that you’re having a dental emergency. Your dentist will let you know if they can service your child at this time.

At Travis Wilson DMD, we can help your child maintain healthy teeth. We provide a range of services including tooth cleaning and check ups. To find out more about how we can help your child take care of their teeth, call us today to make an appointment.

 

Why Does My Child Have Bad Breath?

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Halitosis, also known as bad breath, is surprisingly common in children. For parents, bad breath in children can cause anxiety, but once you determine the cause, treatment is available from your Texas dentist.

Poor Oral Hygiene

Poor oral hygiene is one of the most common causes of bad breath in children. Children are notorious for saying they brushed their teeth when they didn’t or just giving a quick brush to one or two teeth and calling it a day. To eliminate this possible cause, supervise your child while they brush for a week and see if the bad breath goes away.

Old Toothbrush

if your child is using an old toothbrush, he or she may be reintroducing bacteria into the mouth every time they brush. Be sure to replace toothbrushes at least once a month.

Dehydration

Drinking plenty of water is very important for the body, but it is also important to keep the mouth moist. A dry mouth can cause bad breath in children. Although you might not think it’s possible for your child to become dehydrated, it’s actually very common. Kids are very active, and they lose bodily fluids at a fast rate due to their fast metabolism. See to it that your child drinks plenty of water—not juice—to ensure they are not dehydrated. If their bad breath goes away, then you’ve found the cause.

Acid Reflux

Children sometimes suffer from acid reflux, a condition in which partially digested food can cause acidification of the digestive tract. Children who get acid reflux may also have difficulty breathing due to a lack of absorption of partially digestible food. If this is a problem for your child, ask your pediatrician if you need to change his diet or receive other treatment for acid reflux.

Enlarged Tonsils

An enlarged adenoid layer in the posterior pharynx can harbor many bacteria that can lead to bad breath. Large tonsils can also be a cause of snoring and sleep apnea, and in severe cases, your child may need to be examined. Your dentist in Texas can easily have a look to see if a visit to a pediatrician is warranted.

If your child suffers from chronic bad breath, the first thing you should do is schedule a visit to your Texas dentist’s office. To book your appointment now, please contact us.

5 Tips to Protect Your Child’s Teeth

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As a parent, you may not automatically know what you need to do to protect your child’s teeth. For instance, it’s very common for parents to ignore the health of children’s teeth until the first permanent teeth come in. This is just one mistake first-time parents make. Here are X tips to protect your child’s teeth.

1. Get an Early Checkup

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child has their first dentist visit by their first birthday, or within a few months after the appearance of the first “baby” tooth. It’s important to understand that tooth and gum problems can occur this early in life, even before the first baby tooth erupts. To ensure a good start with dental health, get an early checkup.

2. Avoid Sugary Drinks

Try to avoid letting your youngster sip on a baby bottle of juice too frequently. Remember that even purely natural, no sugar added fruit juices contain natural sugars. This bad habit could lead to tooth decay in your child.

3. Teach Good Habits

Children can learn a lot about good dental care by watching their parents. Be a role model for dental health. Let your child watch you brush and floss after each meal. Instruct your child in how to clean their teeth with child-appropriate toothbrushes and toothpaste.

4. Ensure They Wear Protective Mouth Guards

Once your child is old enough to participate in organized sports, make sure your child wears a protective mouthguard. The unexpected physical impact can chip or otherwise damage teeth, but a mouth guard may keep an injury from occurring.

5. Have Issues Treated

If your child has crooked teeth, an overbite or underbite or some other dental issue, have the issue treated as soon as you can. Left untreated, dental issues tend to get worse, not better. Consult with your child’s dentist to learn about available treatment options so you can plan accordingly.

When your child grows to adulthood, their teeth will be their responsibility. In the meantime, you can do a lot to protect your child’s dental health. Use these five tips to help ensure your child enjoys a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.