Wash Park Pediatric Dentistry Blog

Just like adults, kids can have a wide range of fears. While some will happily do daring, dangerous things without realizing the risks, others will have a meltdown even while attempting the simplest, safest tasks. However, children’s fears usually come from something!

When dealing with dental phobia, understanding your child and the origin of their fear can help you know how to help them overcome it. After all, without the pediatric dentist, your child will likely face an entire lifetime of oral health issues and continual fear.

In theory, as humans grow older, they become wiser. They learn, and their brains develop, so logically, teens should be better off than younger children with more experience and knowledge, especially in terms of their dental health. However, up to 60 percent of teens have had at least one cavity by age 19, and about 13 percent currently have undiagnosed tooth decay. Without treatment or correction, teenagers can experience pain, additional damage to their smiles and confidence, and set themselves up for a lifetime of dental trouble!

Why are cavities still prevalent in teenagers? What can be done to help kids in this age group thrive? Keep reading to find out!

Waking up for feedings in the middle of the night, napping during the day, wearing diapers, eating mashed foods—these are all things that babies eventually outgrow. As they develop, they learn coordination, control, and skills to function better in the world. So, when a friend suggests that your baby who has a hard time breastfeeding and thriving might have a tongue-tie, you wonder whether this issue is something else that will go away on its own. When it comes to a lip or tongue-tie, don’t try to postpone treatment! Keep reading to learn more about this problem and why it needs to be addressed sooner than later.

Developing mentally and physically, kids eventually outgrow certain childish things, especially clothing and toys. At some point, usually by the time they become teens, they feel too grown up for a nursery-themed bedroom, their favorite stuffy to snuggle at night, or their parents’ frequent hugs and kisses. As they get closer to adulthood, you may wonder if your teenager is too old to visit a pediatric dentist, but here are some important reasons why they still need to go to this specialist until they turn 18.

Whether it’s a baby tooth that just had a rough start or a permanent tooth that wasn’t properly cared for, a dental crown is a second chance for decayed or injured teeth. Without this porcelain prosthetic, your child’s tooth would have to be removed entirely when most of it is still salvageable. But what happens if their dental crown comes out? What steps should you follow? Read on to find out!

From birth to the moment your child leaves the house for independence, you have to provide so much for them, and they go through many sets of clothes, shoes, toys, and even teeth. As they grow, you both will experience bumps along the way, and despite doing your best, your child may need a dental crown to compensate for a cavity or oral injury. Although this prosthetic is a great solution that enables them to carry on with confidence for quite a while, you need to be aware that their crown may require replacement at some point. What signs point to needing a new crown? Keep reading to find out!

As you have watched your little grow so far, you’ve realized their childhood won’t last forever. The days can feel slow, but the years pass by quickly. Before you know it, your kiddo won’t be one anymore.

When it comes to their dental health, it’s beneficial to keep certain expiration dates in mind so that their smile doesn’t skip a beat and stays healthy, strong, and beautiful. For instance, how long do dental fillings last for kids? Knowing more about these restorations can help you know what you should be doing to prepare your child for taking care of their own smiles as adults.

When your child starts to complain about a toothache, you think it must be a cavity. Don’t worry! About half of children have had at least one cavity before they turn 11. Based on your own experiences with dental work, this situation will likely require one of two restorations: a dental crown or filling. But what exactly sets these two apart, and when is each one used for a child? Keep reading to find out.

Once a myth starts circling around, it’s difficult to eradicate it. For instance, root canals or pulp therapy for kids have the unfortunate and inaccurate reputation of causing pain, but in reality, these procedures relieve it and save teeth from extraction. Pulp therapy involves removing the ailing tooth’s nerve, thus eliminating the source of the child’s pain. In other words, pain is not common at all after pulp therapy!

However, if your child undergoes this procedure, there are some symptoms you might see afterward. Some are normal and not concerning while other more serious ones need to be addressed right away. Keep reading to learn what these symptoms are and what you should do!

When your child is in pain, you would do anything to make it stop. Even going to extreme measures doesn’t seem so crazy if it will help. For instance, if your child has a bad toothache, you may consider having the tooth entirely removed. However, there is another option that doesn’t require extraction: pulp therapy.

Similar to root canal treatment, pulp therapy entails taking out the tooth’s nerve, preserving the rest of the natural structure. But why should you give your child’s treatment options serious thought? Why is pulp therapy preferred over tooth extraction? Keep reading to find out!