Month: May 2022

Every parent wants what is best for their little ones. Parenting, as amazing as it can be, is also challenging. You must ensure that all aspects of your young one’s life are catered to. This also includes their oral health. For this reason, bringing your child to our children’s dental clinic near you would be an excellent idea.

As you may know, dental health is tethered to your overall health, so it cannot be overlooked. Hence, you need a pediatric dentist to journey with your child from infancy to adulthood to help lay the proper oral health foundation. Let’s peer into what a pediatric dentist is all about without further ado.

Who Is a Pediatric Dentist?

Most people may not know why it is vital for their children to visit a pediatric dentist instead of a general dentist. Even though a general dentist may know a thing or two concerning children’s teeth, a children’s dentist is trained to cater to these young and developing teeth.

For starters, pediatric dentists are certified and trained to handle dental care for children. Pediatric dentists have dedicated their entire time to caring for these developing teeth. To be a pediatric dentist, one must complete four years of dental school. Plus, two additional years of residency dentistry training in handling infants, children, teens, and kids with special needs.

Proper dental care for your little ones is critical; if there is a lack of it, your kid’s risk of decayed teeth and oral diseases may have lifetime consequences.

Also, remember that children’s teeth are different from adults’, so catering to them would need extra knowledge. Plus, let’s not forget children behave differently from adults, so it can be challenging for a regular dentist to deal with your little one’s oral health issues.

When Is the Right Time for Your Child to Visit Our Pediatric Dentist?

Most parents, especially first-time parents, always have a problem figuring out when to introduce their kids to dentists.

So, if you are wondering when to start oral hygiene practices, remember that the process starts in infancy. In other words, you will need to wipe your child’s gums with a soft wet cloth after meals.

Then, when their teeth erupt, which is usually around six months, schedule your first dental appointment with our pediatric dentist. This is critical since it gives our dentist enough time to conduct examinations to jump-start your kid’s oral health journey.

However, it’s never too late to cultivate dental habits if your child is older. You can bring them as soon as possible to ensure that they are caught and treated early if there are any issues.

What Are Some of the Issues Solved By a Pediatric Dentist?

As mentioned earlier, your dental health will always impact your overall health. Those little pearly whites should be cared for as regularly as possible. Therefore, seeing our pediatric dentist can help solve the following issues.

• Teething Problems

If your kid’s teeth take time to erupt, then our pediatric dentist is the person to see. Developing baby teeth and jaws is critical if you successfully wean your child into solid foods.
Speech is also affected by how teeth erupt, which means that timely eruption would ensure appropriate speech development.

• Malocclusion

Malocclusion is a dental term used to describe a scenario where your lower and upper jaws don’t meet when you close your mouth. C chewing difficulty and speech problems easily arise from a bad bite.
So, if our pediatric dentist spots your child has a bad bite, they may receive braces to address the issue.

• Cavities and Gum Disease

Some people reason that since kids have milk teeth that will eventually be removed, there is no need to care for them. However, they must be maintained since tooth decay can expose the pulp, and toothaches or infections can ensue.
Also, those young gums are susceptible to gum disease, just as likely as adults. So, our dentist can ensure that the teeth are clean and healthy.

Beyond Basic Care

Our pediatric dentist goes beyond giving your child basic oral care. We strive to focus on preventive oral care. Also, you will receive nutrition and diet guidance, resources for developing healthy habits, and extra advice tips for parents.

So, if you need to care for your kid’s smile, contact our children’s dental clinic near you, Sunny Smiles Kids, to schedule an appointment.

A beautiful smile dramatically impacts the overall wellness of adults and children alike.
Fortunately, since a child’s mouth is still developing, dental issues such as teeth misalignments are easily corrected when addressed on time. For this reason, you should visit an orthodontist near you as soon as possible if you notice that your kid’s teeth aren’t developing normally. The orthodontist will review their condition and advice on the most appropriate treatment plan.

Different Types of Braces

Initially, only traditional braces corrected teeth misalignments. But thanks to modern advancements in orthodontic treatments, now you have several options to put your child’s dental health on the right path. These include:

• Traditional Braces

While still effective, traditional braces are among the oldest tooth alignment treatments available today—traditional braces correct teeth misalignments through metal brackets, wires, and rubber bands. The brackets are attached to teeth while the wires create a system of pressure that gently moves the teeth to the desired position.

There are many benefits of using traditional braces. First, traditional braces are incredibly effective and highly recommended for severe teeth misalignments. Unlike other options, traditional braces give the orthodontist complete control to correct teeth misalignments. It makes the treatment highly effective and ensures that your child gets the smile of their dreams in no time.

Additionally, traditional braces are the most cost-effective tooth alignment treatment. You can still give your child a perfect smile despite your limited budget. The strong and durable materials ensure that the braces stay in shape. On the downside, most people don’t like the visible nature of the braces. Additionally, there are food restrictions to avoid damaging or detaching the braces. With these braces, your child should not eat hard, crunchy, or sticky foods.

• Partial Braces

If your child only has a few teeth that need correction, they don’t require full braces. Partial braces are traditional braces used to target specific teeth that need alignment.

• Mini braces

Mini braces are very similar to traditional braces. The only difference is that they use smaller and less metal. The children’s orthodontic braces are lighter and more comfortable, thanks to their smaller design. Additionally, they are less noticeable and impact your kid’s appearance less. Like traditional braces, food restrictions require readjustments to change the rubber bands.

• Self-ligating braces

Self-ligating braces also work closely with traditional braces. They consist of metal brackets and wires but with metal clips instead of rubber bands. Compared to conventional braces, they straighten faster. These braces are difficult to break or detach due to their solid and durable nature. They are visible, and there are food restrictions.

• Ceramic braces

If you don’t like traditional-based braces’ visible nature, you can opt for ceramic braces. These braces use a system of clear braces to straighten teeth. They have a lesser impact on the appearance of your kid. On the downside, these braces are larger, making kids uncomfortable. Additionally, they are fragile, meaning they can easily break when chewing or playing.

• Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are currently among the most popular teeth alignment treatments. Unlike traditional braces, which use metal brackets and wires, clear aligners use a system that helps move the teeth to the desired position. Clear aligners are customized according to the patient’s conditions and changed every two weeks.
Since the aligners are removable, the treatment doesn’t have food restrictions. For effectiveness, the aligners should be worn for at least 20-22 hours daily. The only major downside with clear aligners is that they aren’t ideal for complex teeth misalignments. While there are strong, you should handle them with care. They are only suitable for children with a high level of maturity. The higher cost of Clear aligner treatment might also concern people on a budget.

Which Is the Best Type of Braces for Children?

The ideal type of braces for your child depends on several factors, including:

• The severity of the condition. Traditional-based braces are ideal for severe teeth misalignments.
• Appearance. Ceramic and Clear aligner ces are virtually invisible.
• Budget. Traditional-based braces are the most affordable, with clear aligners as the most expensive option.
• Toughness and durability. Traditional-based braces are the most strong, durable, and easy to maintain. While ceramic and clear aligners are durable and strong, they require a high level of maturity.

The Benefits of Braces for Kids

Some benefits of using braces for kids include straighter teeth, improved appearance and self-confidence, and improved oral functions such as chewing, speaking, and brushing. Correcting dental issues at a younger age also prevents the risk of developing oral conditions such as TMD.

Braces Give Kids a Lifetime of Healthy Teeth

Using braces to straighten your child’s teeth will give them a lifetime of beautifully straight and healthy teeth. Whatever braces your kid uses, they will enjoy tremendous oral and overall well-being benefits. For more information about children’s orthodontic braces, contact Sunny Smile Kids.

Crooked or misaligned teeth can negatively impact your appearance and self-confidence. More importantly, they can encourage plaque and bacteria buildup in the mouth, increasing your risk of cavities and gum disease.

Orthodontic treatments are a great way to straighten crooked teeth and improve the appearance and function of your mouth. The treatment can also help maintain the long-term health of your teeth, jaw joints, and gums.

Mainly, orthodontic treatments aim to correct numerous imperfections such as:

• Closing improper teeth gaps
• Aligning the tips of your teeth
• Correcting an improper bite
• Straightening crooked teeth
• Boosting the long-term health of your teeth and gums
• Correcting overbites, underbites, and crossbite
• Correcting overcrowding
• Improving chewing and speech abilities

What is Meant by Orthodontic Phases?

Orthodontic phases are the number of phases your treatment will take. On average, orthodontic treatments take about 6-12 months to complete. Depending on the severity of your condition, type of dental devices, and the patient’s perseverance, orthodontic treatments can occur in several phases.

The Different Phases of Orthodontic Treatment

The various stages in orthodontic treatments include:

Stage 1 – The Planning Stage

As the name suggests, the planning phase involves learning about your condition to make an exact diagnosis to align your teeth. It includes:

• Medical and dental evaluations – Your orthodontist will ask about your medical conditions, allergies, and medications. This evaluation ensures that existing dental and medical issues are under control before the treatment begins. In some cases, oral problems can affect medical complications.
• Study model or bite Impressions – Your orthodontist might ask you to bite down into a mouthguard-like tray filled with a gel that hardens around the teeth. It helps to create models of your teeth.
• Panoramic X-rays – Your orthodontist needs x-rays scans to view your teeth and underlying structures such as roots and jawbone joints.
• Computer-generated images – Your orthodontist also need digital photos of your mouth to make a customized plan. These images also help determine how specific treatments affect your face’s shape and jaw’s symmetry.
• Photographs – Your orthodontist may suggest taking pictures before, during, and after the treatment to assess the progress and impact of your treatment.

Stage 2 – Active Stage

The initial stage focuses on diagnosing your condition and developing a customized treatment. In the second stage, the orthodontist will recommend customized orthodontic devices to help move the teeth to the desired position. The device may be removable or fixed depending on your condition and preferences.

If you don’t like fixed orthodontic devices such as traditional braces, you can use removable devices such as clear aligners, facemask, and headgear. These devices should be worn for a few hours daily over the entire phase of the treatment.

Whatever orthodontic device you use will need to be adjusted or changed regularly to ensure the adequate and continual movement of the teeth. If your device gets damaged during treatment, notify your dentist immediately for a replacement.

Stage 3 – Retention Stage

Once you’ve finished the treatment and your teeth are correctly aligned, you will no longer have alignment devices. You will have to wear a retainer to ensure that the teeth do not shift back to their original positions.

Aligners must only be worn for a few hours daily over a specified period. The jawbone will gradually reform around the newly aligned teeth and stabilize them in the correct alignment.

Benefits of getting Orthodontic Treatment at Sunny Smiles

There are numerous benefits of getting your orthodontic treatments with us. These include:

• They improve your oral health: Straighter teeth are easy to clean, protecting your future oral health from issues such as gum disease and cavities.
• They improve your appearance: Straighter teeth make you look more beautiful, attractive, and youthful.
• They treat jaw problems: Correct teeth and jaw alignments can help treat and prevent jaw issues such as pain, poor bite, and TMJ problems.
• They improve oral function: Crooked teeth or improper teeth gaps can make biting and chewing harder. You should avoid certain foods which can cause malnutrition. Straightening crooked teeth and closing teeth gaps will restore your bite function for better feeding.
• They improve your self-confidence: Orthodontic treatments enhance your teeth’ appearance, positively impacting your self-confidence and overall wellness.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Do you or your kid need orthodontic treatments? Contact a kid’s dentist near you or Sunny Smiles Kids Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics for more information.