Maintaining Your Child’s Teeth throughout their Life

Pediatric dental care in Houston is one of the best methods for preparing your child for a healthy life. Pediatric dentists focus on preventative measures that reduce the likelihood of developing oral diseases such as periodontal disease and they also keep teeth healthy and strong.

Children the world over tend to develop a sweet tooth early on in life and this can have a negative effect on their oral health.

When combined with poor oral hygiene, it can make them a candidate for gum disease and decay.

Taking Care of Your Child’s Teeth

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that children visit the dentist for the first time as soon as their first tooth comes in, but no later than 12 months old.

●     This first visit should just be a preliminary examination to check on the development of the teeth as well as to introduce the child to the dental staff.

By avoiding an invasive first visit, such as if a child’s first visit is due to a mouth injury or cavity, it helps the child to build trust with their dentist.

●     The ADA also recommends that children and adults have regular checkups every six months and x-rays once per year.

These checkups and x-rays are also non-invasive, helping to continue building trust, but also monitor teeth development and perform cleanings.

●     After the child’s molars have come in, they should have them sealed.

Sealing the molars is completely painless and helps prevent cavities by smoothing out the grooves of the back teeth, making them easier to brush.

●     Children entering sports programs should visit the dentist to have a custom mouth guard constructed to protect their teeth from injury.

Recreational activities like after school sports programs can be dangerous to partake in. Sudden impacts to the mouth from collisions or being hit by a ball or puck can damage teeth, causing them to be chipped or knocked out.

●     Once they reach their late teens, they should have their wisdom teeth checked to see if there is enough space to accommodate them. If not, they may need to be extracted.

Wisdom teeth erupt from the gums between the ages of 17 and 23, but if there isn’t enough space for them, they can press on other teeth, causing pain or damaging them.

Treating Children with Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry can be used to calm children who are hesitant or fearful about visiting the dentist.

For everything from root canals to fillings, sedation dentistry reduces pain sensation and calms the patient, allowing the dentist to accomplish a lot in a shorter amount of time.

This method can be especially helpful for children who are fidgety as well.

Sedation dentistry for kids requires extensive training and certification, so you can rest assured that your child is in good hands with this safe method of dentistry.

The level of sedation is continually monitored to ensure the patient is right on the cusp of consciousness, so nothing more than a gentle nudge is needed to awaken them.

For procedures that are less invasive, not even that much sedation is needed. The amount is regulated to give them just enough for the dentist to complete all their necessary tasks, and nothing more.

Preventing Gum Disease with Gingivitis Treatments in Houston

Often dismissed as a nuisance rather than a disease, gingivitis can ultimately have some far reaching consequences for those who don’t nip it in the bud when it first shows up.

Characterized by the tendency to have bleeding gums, gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease and is the most easily treated stage. Proper oral care can prevent gingivitis, but should they be necessary, gingivitis treatments are available in Houston.

Stages of Gum Disease

Stage 1: Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. It may not always show any symptoms and can often go unnoticed because of that, but the main symptoms to look out for are:

·         Swollen or puffy gums

·         Tender or sore gums

·         Perpetual bad breath

·         Gums changing color to a milky white

·         Receding gum line

Stage 2: Periodontal Disease is the second stage and brings with it more consequences.Most notably, the gums are painful and bright red, possibly with pus developing. You may also notice loose teeth or space developing between teeth.

Stage 3: Advanced periodontal disease is even worse, with teeth actually falling out, the gums receding great distances, and jawbone infections developing.

Taking care of gingivitis early on will prevent it from advancing to the later stages, which are much more difficult to treat.

Causes and Risks

The primary cause of gingivitis is the buildup of plaque along the gumline.

Plaque is the waste material of bacteria, and it becomes a haven for the disease spreading bugs to grow. As plaque hardens, it becomes tartar, which is more difficult to remove and protects the bacteria from at home care.

The main risks associated with developing gingivitis stem from poor oral hygiene. Taking care of your teeth will greatly reduce your chances of developing gum disease, though there are other risk factors as well.

Smoking, old age, prescription medications, and diabetes can all increase the risk of getting gingivitis.

Gingivitis Treatment in Houston

Your local Galleria dentist can easily diagnose and treat gingivitis, leaving your mouth clean and your smile bright. You should schedule an appointment with your Houston dentist as soon as you discover the symptoms of gingivitis developing.

Diagnosis of the disease is typically conducted with a thorough visual examination of the mouth and description of symptoms you’re experiencing. Should no obvious signs be detected, more thorough examinations such as x-rays may be necessary.

A complete deep cleaning of teeth is usually more than enough to treat gingivitis, and the best dentist in Houston certainly has the tools and methods needed to clean teeth exceptionally well.

Beyond a deep cleaning at the dentist, your Memorial dentist will also recommend brushing and home care techniques to prevent further development of gingivitis.

She will teach you the proper way to brush your teeth to effectively remove plaque from the teeth, along with flossing and rinsing to get rid of hidden plaque. All combined, these tips will help you keep your smile bright at home.

The Best Treatment from the Best Dentist in Houston

Taking care of your teeth is important to your overall health. We’re here to ensure your teeth get the care they need to be healthy.

Through teaching of proper cleaning techniques at home, you can prevent the onset of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Should you discover the symptoms of either of these two diseases, we’ll help you bring it under control so you can bring back your smile.

Finding Affordable Periodontal Treatment in Houston

Gum disease, known in the dental field as periodontal disease, is a very serious affliction of the gums that can ultimately lead to painful gums, tooth loss, and bone infections if left untreated.

Periodontitis can be prevented with proper hygiene and oral care, but if it does develop, you are not without help. A skilled Houston dentist can treat the problem and send you home with the means to stave off the infection and get back to normal.

Severity Level

Periodontitis is the second of three levels for periodontal disease.

Level 1:The first level is gingivitis, which is usually a nuisance, but doesn’t otherwise affect the patient on a grand scale.

Level 2:Once gingivitis advances, or is skipped entirely at times, periodontitis poses a more serious threat. At this stage, the gums can become tender to the touch and discolored, pus may be seen around the gums, and teeth may become separated from their neighbors or become loose.

Level 3:The next stage of periodontitis, advanced periodontitis, poses even greater risks, such as losing teeth and having an infection in the jawbone.

Risks, Causes, and Symptoms

There are certain factors that can affect the development of gum disease:

●     Carcinogens and toxins found in cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products increase the risk of periodontal disease and lung or mouth cancer.

●     Weakened immune systems of diabetics.

●     The greatest, most common risk, however, comes from poor oral hygiene habits. Taking good care of your teeth will do a lot more than make them look good; it can very well prevent diseases.

The actual cause of periodontitis is the hardening of plaque at the gum line to form tartar. This denser form of plaque is home to a whole colony of bacteria that looks for a new food source: the soft tissue of the gums.

Ultimately, this infestation leads to an infection, which becomes periodontitis.

           

The earliest symptoms of gum disease you might notice are those of gingivitis: swollen or bleeding gums. With great care, you can reverse the course of gum disease at this stage, but leaving it untouched can cause it to progress.

When the gums become a bright red or purple color, become swollen and tender, and have a perpetual bad breath even after brushing, they’ve reached the stage of periodontitis. In more severe cases, you might also notice loose teeth, a space developing between teeth, or pus.

Periodontal Disease Treatment in Houston

●     A visual examination is performed at our Tanglewood dentist office to determine the extent of the gum disease.

●     A dental probe checks for pocket depth under the gums. Shallow pockets mean healthy gums while deep pockets signify infection.

●     If deep pockets are found, x-ray imaging checks the inside of gums and the surrounding bones and teeth.

●     In minor to moderate cases of periodontal disease, we perform scaling to scrape the hardened tartar from the teeth and under the gums.

○     This process can be uncomfortable, but with sedation dentistry reduces the amount of discomfort felt during the procedure.

●     In more severe cases, root planing is also used. This procedure smooths out the roots of the teeth to reduce the area where bacteria can cling and cause further infection.

●     Lastly, an antibiotic may be prescribed to kill off any remaining infection.

Preparing and Caring for a Dental Crown

Teeth can be lost in a number of ways, including becoming badly decayed and falling out, being extracted by a dentist, or being knocked out from an injury.

In any of these cases, what’s left is a gap between your teeth that can make eating, drinking, and speaking more difficult.

Additionally, when a tooth is lost, the other teeth may shift position to close the gap, which can lead to a misshapen mouth or other issues.

While a space maintainer can be installed to prevent the other issues, most people prefer to resort to a dental bridge.

Preparing a Dental Bridge

Houston dentists will prepare your teeth to install a bridge so that the bridge is secure and comfortable within the mouth.

To prepare for the bridge, one or two teeth adjacent to the gap will need to be filed down in order to seat a dental crown.

The dental crown’s purpose is to serve as an anchor point for the bridge.

In between the two crowns (or next to the single crown for some) sits the pontic, or false tooth.

The pontic is usually fashioned from porcelain with a metal support structure. The support structure is laced through the pontic itself along with the crowns on the ends, forming a bridge structure.

After the teeth have been prepared, a mold is cast to get a scale replica of the inside of your mouth. This mold shows how the teeth fit together so a lab technician can fabricate the dental bridge.

Installing the Dental Bridge

After the first visit, the dental laboratory builds the dental bridge, carefully sizing and shaping it to match the patient’s mouth structure and layout.

Once the bridge is complete, the patient returns to the Houston dentist’s office to have the bridge installed.

The crowns will be placed atop the teeth adjacent to the gap while the pontic is suspended within the gap. The dentist will carefully mount them to ensure a snug, but comfortable fit.

If the bridge does not sit comfortably or securely, it may need to be remade, as poorly set dental implants can lead to complications such as infections.

After Mounting the Dental Bridge

Once the dental bridge has been securely placed, including any resetting, if necessary, the patient will be able to speak, drink, and eat normally. The false tooth will function just like its original counterpart.

Porcelain pontics are durable and look natural, but they are not impervious to damage. Taking care of your teeth with proper hygiene after getting a dental bridge will prolong the life of the bridge.

In most cases, dental bridges will last about 10 years, but with expert home care and regular checkups with your Houston dentist, they can last upwards of 15 years.

Should a dental bridge come loose or fall out, return to your dentist immediately. The exposed base of the teeth that were crowned are more susceptible to damage compared to whole teeth, and the gums need to be protected and clean to avoid infection.

The dentist will clean the area of your mouth the bridge was removed from and if necessary, have a new bridge constructed.

It is important not to hesitate having a loose bridge fixed by your dentist. Poorly fitted dental bridges can cause infections below the gums, which can lead to periodontal disease, including the advanced scenario that leads to bone infection.