What is Tartar and Dental Plaque?

Tartar also called calculus, is hardened dental plaque.
Dental plaque is soft, extremely sticky, and is the buildup of
millions of bacteria. It then gets hardened
and is called tartar.

Plaque damages tooth enamel and leads to cavities.
It can get under your gums and irritates gum tissues.
It also sticks to fillings and other dental work.
Tartar also absorbs stains, and causes cosmetic issues.

Signs and symptoms of Gum Disease:
Red or swollen gums
Tender or bleeding gums
Painful chewing
Loose teeth
Sensitive teeth
Gums that have pulled away from your teeth

Gingivitus:
According to Crest, 75% of Americans will experience
gum disease at some point in their life.
When the gums bleed and become swollen, plaque has made its
way under the gum line. This is called gingivitis.
This can lead to pain and weakened tooth enamel as well.

Causes:
Poor oral Hygiene,
Not fully removing plaque,
poor nutrition,
(sugars and starches), such as Candy, milk, Cakes,
soft drinks, or raisins are frequently left on the
teeth
Chronic diseases

Prevention:
The best way to treat this problem is
to get it early.
Brushing twice a day and flossing at least
twice a day will help you to eliminate
as much plaque as possible.
Mouthwash can also be helpful to eliminate
plaque.

Many children tend to get tartar quickly due to
things like candy, cake, and soft drinks like soda.
Make an appointment as soon as you can so a
dental professional can remove plaque and tartar
from your child's teeth.
Professionals use special tools to accomplish this.

Removal:
Dental Hygienists and Dentists make it look easy when
removing tartar from your teeth. This leads
to the belief that one can do the removal themselves
and save themselves from an appointment.

It is very important that you don't attempt
to remove tartar on your own. It can be very dangerous
to do this because it can cause damage to your
gums and create recession in the gums.
This is where gums move away from the teeth and expose
roots. These roots are sensitive, can be damaged,
and can lead to infections.

All in all, maintaining your child's dental care
routine can be easy.
If your child has not had a dental visit in a while,
or if you don't have a Children's general dentist for your child,
please contact us.

To schedule a first consultation or visit, please contact us at
one of our locations:
SCHEDULE an appointment here

It's great practice to brush your teeth
at least twice a day, floss, and rinse your
toothbrush with water after every use.
Rinsing your toothbrush often helps you to
minimize the accumulation of bacteria and residue.

You may very well know you need to and do
change your child's toothbrush,
but how often should one change out a toothbrush?
Answer: We should change our toothbrush around every 3-4 months

More Facts about changing your toothbrush:
 - Bacteria can build up on the brush
 - Always replace the brush after illness
 - The bristles get worn out, they are not as effective.
 - Softer bristles are gentle on gums.
 - Maybe it's time to buy a fun toothbrush with a character
 - Great as party favors
 - Maybe you need a toothbrush that can help to reach further back on molars
   or one with a tongue cleaner
 - Brushes come in different shapes, sizes, and designs.

All in all, maintaining your child's dental care
routine can be easy.
If your child has not had a dental visit in a while,
or if you don't have a Children's general dentist for your child,
please contact us.

To schedule a first consultation or visit, please contact us at
one of our locations:
SCHEDULE an appointment here

Allergies in children

Children can develop allergies. Although it is impossible
to control what can trigger allergies in their children, parents
can monitor closely what they eat, what they are exposed to,
and symptoms.

Spring kicks off typically around March 20th, but allergies can
peak as early as February. Sometimes allergies stick around for long
periods of time.

It is important to know that allergies can sometimes feel like
a cold, a flu or even covid.

Monitor allergies vs covid:

Here are symptoms of covid:
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

Childrens allergy symptoms include:

Skin rashes or hives (atopic dermatitis or eczema)
Difficulty breathing (asthma)
Sneezing, coughing, a runny nose or itchy eyes
Nasal Congestion
this happens.
Stomach upset
Fatigue
Headaches

Children's common allergy triggers:

Outdoors: tree pollen, plant pollen, insect bites or stings
Indoors: pet or animal hair or fur, dust mites, mold, spring cleaning
Irritants: cigarette smoke, perfume, car exhaust
Foods: peanuts, eggs, milk and milk products

How Allergies affect your oral health

- Dry Mouth
- Tooth Pain
- Bad Breath

Can a Sinus Infection Cause a Toothache?

Dental Sensitivity can arise from allergies due to sinus infections.
Sinus infections attack the tissues of the teeth.

It causes redness and swelling. This can lead to a toothache.
This infection becomes more severe when you are experiencing
dental sensitivity. There are different things you can do to help
with this condition. You can use dental care products that help
with the discomfort caused by dental sensitivity.

Typical Toothache vs Sinus Toothache

How can we tell which is which?
Sinus toothaches will radiate pain typically in the upper molars.
This can lead to multiple teeth hurting.
If your child is feeling swelling in the face surrounding the nose
just above the gums together with molars in pain, this can indicate
a sinus infection. Sometimes pain can be felt with body motion.

A typical regular toothache can have severe pain and will most liklely
have a main single source.

Toothache treatments:

- Over the counter ibuprofen may help temporarily
- 30 second Saltwater rinses can help with inflammation.
- Cold and hot compresses for 15 minutes can help to alleviate pain

Types of allergies:

Food allergies:
Most common food allergies are peanuts and milk.
but this can include fish, eggs, wheat, soy, and shellfish.

Nasal congestion:
Your child may breath through the mouth when

Allergic rhinitis (hay fever): This includes runny and itchy noses.
In addition, it is common to see red teary eyes, ear problems and plenty
of sneezing.

Ear infections:
Allergies cause inflammation within the ear and should
cause fluid accumulation which will develop ear
infections and a decrease of hearing

Children at school and triggers:

Some of the triggers can include:
- School pets
- Dust irritation
- Blackboard dust

What can you do?

You can use over-the-counter prescription allergy treatments.
Have your child avoid irritants to the best of your ability
Work with the school to keep your child away from the blackboard dust
Be careful - keep children away from dust during spring cleaning

If you are visitng the dentist, tell your dentist that your child has
allergies.

Easter is a time for joy and family!

Hello!  Kids just love coloring. It keeps them actively creative and entertained.
We have provided below a link to follow for Easter egg coloring instructions!

Easter Activity Links below:

Check out "My Frugal Homes"
Instructions for Easter Egg coloring here
Download the Easter Coloring PDF Here

Here is what the coloring PDF looks like:

Happy Easter everyone!