Wash Park Pediatric Dentistry Blog

Growing up, you may have heard some nasty stories about root canals and tooth pain. In the past, this treatment has had a bad reputation and has inspired fear in patients of all ages.

So, when you find out that your precious child needs to have a root canal or pulp therapy, you start to worry. You naturally don’t want them to suffer and wonder whether you can put off this treatment to a later date. However, doing so is a bad decision! Why? Here are just a few reasons you shouldn’t postpone a root canal for your child.

When you become a parent, especially for the first time, you can run into many scenarios that you might not have thought about before or know much about. For example, when your child has a bad toothache, you take them to your pediatric dentist to identify the problem. They may say your little one has a cavity and needs root canal treatment or pulp therapy.

Maybe you are not familiar with this issue or what the procedure looks like for kids, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there. So here are four truths you need to know about pulp therapy for kids.

When you have an anxious or antsy child, even small things can lead to meltdowns. Your job as a parent is to help them learn how to deal with their anxiety in healthy ways, such as talking with a parent or professional, deep breathing, writing or drawing, and other methods.

However, when it comes to dental anxiety, which can be a lifetime struggle, you have another arrow in your quiver: nitrous oxide sedation. But before your kid receives this medication, you probably have questions about it, especially this one—is nitrous oxide sedation safe for your child?

The quick and simple answer is yes. Nitrous oxide sedation can be safely used on patients of any age, including kids, but understanding more about it can help put any remaining concerns you have to rest.

With kids of any age, particularly little ones, bumps and accidents happen almost daily. As much as you try to avoid them, dental emergencies can come up with your child. When you need this professional the most, your pediatric dentist is there to help! Being aware of the possibilities and the treatments available can help you be prepared and act quickly if one of these scenarios occurs.

When your child started playing sports, you may have daydreamed about them excelling to the point that they become college or professional stars. But, for now, you watch them learn in practices and games—until one day, they are hit in the face and a tooth is knocked out of its socket.

What should you do in this dental emergency? What can be done to fix the problem? The specific answer may depend on what type of tooth it is, but regardless, they will need a visit to their pediatric dentist.

If you have a child, you have seen them put countless random things in their mouth. Early in life, babies and toddlers learn about the world in part using their mouth, but eventually this tendency subsides. However, even long after this stage comes and goes, kids can continue to put certain objects in their mouth that don’t belong there and could cause a dental emergency. In fact, if their pediatric dentist knew, they may wince! What are the things your child shouldn’t put in their mouth? Read on to find out.

When you hold your newborn baby for the first time, you not only are filled with love for this tiny human, but you also quickly realize just how much you have to learn about being a parent. Nothing fully prepares you for this steep and ever-changing learning curve. Whether you breastfeed or not, there are things you need to know about your baby’s oral health within the first year. Understanding these concepts can help you keep their adorable smile strong while they’re tiny and while they grow.

Some decisions in life shouldn’t be made flippantly. Most decisions aren’t absolutely permanent, but others cannot be undone, which means the choice needs to be taken seriously. For example, having one of your child’s teeth extracted is a decision you need to carefully consider because it is a permanent change to their smile.

Fortunately, you don’t have to make this decision by yourself. Your pediatric dentist can offer professional insight and advice, but why would you ever need to think about tooth extraction for kids? Check out these three reasons for this procedure!

You knew it had to be done. Your teen’s wisdom teeth needed to come out to save the rest of their smile, but it still isn’t easy watching them go through the extraction process. Your pediatric dentist did a great job keeping your child comfortable during the procedure, but now it’s up to you. They encourage lots of sleep for your teen’s recovery. As a caring parent, you wish you could take all the pain away so they can get back to normal. But how can you facilitate their sleep? Make sure your child gets these three things.

With summer just around the corner, your child is undoubtedly excited to go swimming, spend time outside, and enjoy cool treats. Does anything beat having an ice cream cone on a hot, sunny day?

However, if your child has tooth sensitivity, ice cream may be the last thing they want. In fact, it can be downright uncomfortable. In this situation, you may be wondering what you should do, what could be causing sensitive teeth, and when you should seek a dentist’s help. Keep reading to get all this information before summer kicks off so your child can enjoy all that the season has to offer!