How to Help Your Child Develop Good Oral Hygiene Habits

February marks National Children's Dental Health Month. It's important for children to form daily oral hygiene habits early, but how do you get little ones to take care of their teeth? Try these tips:

Describe your actions. When children are too young to brush on their own, gently brush their teeth for them, narrating as you go so they learn what toothbrushing entails. For example, "Brush, brush, brush, but not too hard," or "Smile big. Let's get the front teeth. Now let's get the teeth in the very back."

Make learning fun. Around age 3, children can start learning to brush their own teeth. To model proper technique, play follow the leader as you and your child brush teeth side by side, making sure to get all tooth surfaces. Then you both can swish and spit. After brushing together, brush your child's teeth again to make sure hard-to-reach surfaces are clean. Note that children generally need help brushing until at least age 6.

Encourage ownership and pride. Children feel more invested in their oral health when they get to pick out their own supplies, such as a toothbrush with their favorite character and toothpaste in a kid-friendly flavor. To boost pride in a job well done, reward your child with a sticker or star after they brush their teeth.

Keep your child brushing for two minutes. According to the American Dental Association, toothbrushing should be a two-minute task. To pass the time, play a favorite song or download a tooth-brushing app designed to keep kids brushing the recommended two minutes. For increased motivation, electric toothbrushes for children often have a built-in two-minute timer as well as appealing characters, lights and sounds.

And don't forget one more key to a lifetime of good oral health - regular dental visits. If you have questions about your child's dental hygiene or if it's time to schedule a dental visit, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. To learn more, read the Dear Doctor magazine articles "Dentistry & Oral Health for Children" and "Top 10 Oral Health Tips for Children."

How Teeth Whitening Brings Out Tara Lipinski's Winning Smile

What does it take to win a gold medal in figure skating at the Winter Olympics? Years and years of practice... a great routine... and a fantastic smile. When Tara Lipinski won the women's figure skating competition at the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan, she became the youngest gold medalist in an individual event in Winter Olympics history - and the whole world saw her winning smile.

"I love to smile, and I think it's important - especially when you're on-air," she recently told Dear Doctor magazine. "I am that person who's always smiling."

Tara's still skating, but these days you're more likely to see her smile on TV: as a commentator for the 2018 Winter Olympics, for example. And like many other athletes and celebrities in the public eye - and countless regular folks too - Tara felt that, at a certain point, her smile needed a little brightening to look its best.

"A few years ago, I decided to have teeth whitening. I just thought, why not have a brighter smile? I went in-office and it was totally easy," she said.

In-office teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures. In just one visit, it's possible to lighten teeth by up to ten shades, for a difference you can see right away. Here in our office, we can safely apply concentrated bleaching solutions for quick results. These solutions aren't appropriate for home use. Before your teeth are whitened, we will perform a complete examination to make sure underlying dental problems aren't dimming your smile.

It's also possible to do teeth whitening at home - it just takes a bit longer. We can provide custom-made trays that fit over your teeth, and give you whitening solutions that are safe to use at home. The difference is that the same amount of whitening may take weeks instead of hours, but the results should also make you smile. Some people start with treatments in the dental office for a dramatic improvement, and then move to take-home trays to keep their smiles looking bright.

That's exactly what Tara did after her in-office treatments. She said the at-home kits are "a good way to - every couple of months - get a little bit of a whiter smile."

So if your smile isn't as bright as you'd like, please visit our website at www.myparkdental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles "Important Teeth Whitening Questions Answered" and "Tooth Whitening Safety Tips."

Prompt Treatment for Gum Disease Could Ultimately Save Your Teeth

Your smile isn't the same without healthy gums - neither are your teeth, for that matter. So, maintaining your gums by protecting them from periodontal (gum) disease is a top priority.

Gum disease is caused by bacterial plaque, a thin biofilm that collects on teeth and is not removed due to poor oral hygiene practices. Infected gums become chronically inflamed and begin to weaken, ultimately losing their firm attachment to the teeth. This can result in increasing voids called periodontal pockets that fill with infection. The gums can also shrink back (recede), exposing the tooth roots to further infection.

Although gum disease treatment techniques vary, the overall goal is the same: remove the bacterial plaque fueling the infection. This most often involves a procedure called scaling with special hand instruments to manually remove plaque and calculus (tartar). If the infection has spread below the gum line we may need to use a procedure called root planing in which we scrape or "plane" plaque and calculus from the root surfaces.

As we remove plaque, the gums become less inflamed. As the inflammation subsides we often discover more plaque and calculus, requiring more treatment sessions. Hopefully, our efforts bring the disease under control and restorative healing to the gums.

But while gum tissue can regenerate on its own, it may need some assistance if the recession was severe. This assistance can be provided through surgical procedures that graft donor tissues to the recession site. There are a number of microsurgical approaches that are all quite intricate to perform, and will usually require a periodontist (a specialist in gum structures) to achieve the most functional and attractive result.

While we have the advanced techniques and equipment to treat and repair gum disease damage, the best approach is to try to prevent the disease from occurring at all. Prevention begins with daily brushing and flossing, and continues with regular dental cleanings and checkups.

And if you do notice potential signs of gum disease like swollen, reddened or bleeding gums, call us promptly for an examination. The sooner we diagnose and begin treatment the less damage this progressive disease can do to your gums - and your smile.

If you would like more information on protecting your gums, please visit our website at www.myparkdental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "Periodontal Plastic Surgery."

Don't Ignore Tooth Pain - You May Need a Root Canal

Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases in the world, nearly as prevalent as the common cold. It's also one of the two major dental diseases - the other being periodontal (gum) disease - most responsible for tooth and bone loss.

Tooth decay begins with high levels of acid, the byproduct of oral bacteria feeding on food remnants like sugar. Acid can erode tooth enamel, leading to a cavity that will require removal of decayed material around it and then a filling.

Sometimes, though, decay can spread deeper into the tooth reaching all the way to its core: the pulp with its bundle of nerves and blood vessels. From there it can travel through the root canals to the bone. The continuing damage could eventually lead to the loss of the infected tooth.

If decay reaches the tooth interior, the best course of action is usually a root canal treatment. In this procedure we access the pulp through the crown, the visible part of the tooth, to remove all of the diseased and dead tissue in the pulp chamber.

We then reshape it and the root canals to receive a filling. The filling is normally a substance called gutta percha that's easily manipulated to conform to the shape of the root canals and pulp chamber. After filling we seal the access hole and later cap the tooth with a crown to protect it from re-infection.

Root canal treatments have literally saved millions of teeth. Unfortunately, they've gained an undeserved reputation for pain. But root canals don't cause pain - they relieve the pain caused by tooth decay. More importantly, your tooth can gain a new lease on life.

But we'll need to act promptly. If you experience any kind of tooth pain (even if it goes away) you should see us as soon as possible for an examination. Depending on the level of decay and the type of tooth involved, we may be able to perform the procedure in our office. Some cases, though, may have complications that require the skills, procedures and equipment of an endodontist, a specialist in root canal treatment.

So, don't delay and allow tooth decay to go too far. Your tooth's survival could hang in the balance.

If you would like more information on tooth decay treatment, please visit our website at www.myparkdental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article "Root Canal Treatment: What You Need to Know."