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Kids move through the stages of their development pretty quickly. Whether it’s cribs and swaddles, booties and shoes or toys and… teeth? Seeing as though your child will eventually shed their baby teeth, parents and kids alike might find themselves asking whether or not it’s actually important to take care of those primary teeth at all.

Despite the fact that your child’s teeth are deciduous—meaning that they’ll fall out—those early little food processors play a crucial role in your child’s development.

1. Good Habits, Better Smiles

Taking good care of baby teeth is about protecting your child’s future smile as much as it is about protecting their current smile. Establishing good dental and oral health habits early on, such as making brushing and flossing part of your child’s daily routine, lays the foundation for brighter smiles later on while also giving them the confidence to smile brightly now. Similarly, getting your child comfortable with regular visits to the dentist will help them later on when their oral and dental care becomes their own responsibility.

2. Baby Teeth “Pave the Way”

Your child’s first set of teeth acts as something of “space savers” for the permanent teeth that will eventually take their place. Generally speaking, primary teeth fall out in a specific order (refer to our baby teeth eruption chart) so that they can guide adult teeth into the right position as they erupt. Baby teeth that fall out early due to tooth decay or injury can cause other primary teeth to drift into the empty space, ultimately crowding out adult teeth or forcing them to grow out of position. Children who don’t take good care of their first set of teeth are likelier to need corrective dentistry interventions such as braces when their second set of teeth come in.

3. Protect Adult Teeth

Even though they aren’t visible quite yet, your child’s permanent teeth are forming beneath their gum line. Adult teeth develop right next to the roots of baby teeth, meaning that damage to baby teeth—either from injury or from poor dental care—can affect adult teeth. In other words, your child’s adult teeth are already in their mouth and affected by their childhood oral and dental health. Research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) concluded with strong recommendations for dental sealants for children with primary teeth and adolescents with permanent teeth alike.

4. Facial Development

Teeth, both baby teeth and permanent teeth, provide support for facial muscles and bones. Early on in your child’s development, strong and healthy baby teeth will play a crucial role in the formation of your child’s jaw and facial structure. Poor dental health early on can contribute to jaw dysfunction or orofacial myofunctional disorders as a child matures.

5. Speech Development & Education

Teeth aren’t just useful in chewing and breaking down food—they’re critical for speech as well. We use our tongues, cheeks and lips in conjunction with our teeth to make sounds and annunciate words. Children with missing or damaged baby teeth or improperly positioned adult teeth may find it difficult to form the sounds necessary for speech. Additionally, according to the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children with poor oral and dental health are also likelier to “miss more school and receive lower grades” than those with good oral health.

How to Take Care of Baby Teeth

Your child’s specific oral and dental care needs will change rapidly as they grow out of diapers and into daycares but some things will never change.

Gums and gams: Start by taking good care of your baby’s gums. Early on, they won’t have any teeth to brush but you can still clean your baby’s gums and get them accustomed to oral care.

Two front teeth: Most babies will get their first pair of teeth anywhere between 8 and 12 months of age. From there, parents can start brushing their baby’s teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. A trip to the dentist’s office at this stage will also help parents with brushing techniques and tools.

You are what you eat: Kids will almost always tend towards the unhealthiest foods. Parents can promote good oral and dental health by steering their kids away from cavity-causing foods such as sugary drinks and candy and towards naturally sweet alternatives.

At Treehouse Dental, we protect young smiles. Learn more about our pediatric dentistry services in the Greater Toronto Area and book a free virtual consultation to give your child a head start on a winning smile.

Breaking news: kids love games. What they don’t love so much is doing anything that might reasonably be classified as a chore. Activities such as taking out the garbage, cleaning their room, mowing the lawn, or even just taking a shower fall far down the list of priorities for most kids behind such pastimes as running around like a crazed person.

While we certainly want to encourage our kids to play, it’s only fun and games until someone gets a cavity. But maintaining good dental hygiene doesn’t have to be a chore.

Savvy parents can use games to get kids to brush their teeth—the tiny tots will be having so much fun that they won’t even notice how white their smiles are getting. If you’re having difficulty encouraging your child to take care of their oral health, try these games to make brushing more fun. They won’t even notice that it isn’t play time.

1.      Diaper Dentist

If you’re having a difficult time getting your child to brush their teeth, try playing a rousing round of “Diaper Dentist”—we promise, no diapers are actually involved. Diaper Dentist is a roleplaying game whereby your child—maybe even still in diapers—gets to play the role of the dentist.

You can start by pretending that you have little to no idea how to properly brush your own teeth. You can pretend to use the wrong end of the toothbrush, pretend to forget to use toothpaste or even do silly things like try to brush your ears. As the “dentist”, your child will have to educate you on how to use your toothbrush like a pro by demonstrating on themselves.

Diaper Dentist is a fun way to educate your child on good brushing habits and instill a sense of responsibility and ownership over their oral and dental health. It can be even more fun if your child has some props to work with so they can really get into character.

2.     Sugar Bug Hunt

Tooth decay and cavities, particularly in children, are often times the result of sugar bugs. Cavity-causing bacteria love sugar more than they love just about anything else. Making a game out of hunting down the sugar bugs can turn any child into a dental care professional overnight.

Parents of children who need a little extra encouragement can try adding a narrative or storytelling element to the Sugar Bug Hunt. Removing food particles and plaque with floss can serve as something of an “opening chapter” and foaming toothpaste can be the “exciting climax” with a thorough mouth rinse being the “happily ever after”.

Also, naming your child’s floss and toothbrush can add some vivid colour to their already active imaginations as they dream up the scenario in their minds.

3.      Pearly Whites, the Musical

If kids can turn the wheels of a bus into a song, then they can turn anything into a song. It’s little wonder that musicals are so popular with younger audiences. There are tons of fun ways to incorporate singing a song into brushing teeth so you’ll want to try out a few and see which ones work best for your child.

For some kids, simply playing their favourite song is encouragement enough to get them excited about oral care. Most songs last between 2 and 3 minutes which is the ideal amount of time for brushing. Kids can sign—albeit, with a toothbrush in their mouth—and tap their feet to a brighter smile.

Other kids enjoy making up their own song. Coming up with their own little “Tooth Brush Jingle” can make this part of their daily routine more comfortable and enjoyable. Help your child come up with some educational lyrics and they’ll be halfway to their dental degree before you’ve even spent a dime in tuition.

If you’re going to add a dance to the song so that your child has a whole song and dance routine, make sure that it doesn’t involve too many movements. Quick movements while brushing can result in oral and dental injuries.

4.     Flossing with Friends

If your child has a favourite stuffed animal or doll, Flossing with Friends can be the game that gets them to the sink. Parents can pretend that their child’s favourite inanimate friend has told them that they want to brush their teeth and use that as an invitation to get the oral care party going.

Not all children, however, will take kindly to their stuffed animal friends gossiping with their parents directly. In those instances, parents can ask their child to demonstrate good brushing habits on their dolls and stuffed animals.

Once your child sees how brightly their friends are smiling, they’ll be excited to get some pearly whites of their own.

Pediatric Playmates

As pediatric dentists, we spend approximately 50% of our time researching the latest trends in teeth brushing games. Not actually, but we do know more than a few tips and tricks to get kids excited about their oral health and hygiene.

Take a tour of our locations in Etobicoke, Thornhill, and Toronto or book your child’s next appointment with us today.

If your child has a tendency to breathe through their mouth as opposed to their nose or has difficulty making certain sounds, they may have an orofacial myofunctional disorder.

Orofacial myofunctional disorders can negatively impact your child’s oral and dental health and dampen their otherwise brilliant smile. Fortunately, the damage caused by these disorders doesn’t have to be permanent and your child can regain their radiant smile with just a little bit of therapy.

What are Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders?

The term orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) refers to any number of abnormal muscle movements in the face and mouth. OMDs are often characterized by abnormal resting positions of the tongue, lips and jaw but can also include abnormal speech, breathing chewing and swallowing patterns.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders?

Because OMDs refers to a range of conditions, the signs and symptoms aren’t always the same and will vary from case to case. Nevertheless, there are some symptoms of OMDs that are more common than others.

• Tongue thrust, where the tongue protrudes past the teeth and lips while speaking, chewing or swallowing.
• Mouth breathing as opposed to nasal breathing could be a sign of an OMD. Nasal blockages or sinus infections could also be the cause.
• Abnormal speech such as a lisp or difficulty making specific letter sounds is indicative of an OMD.
• Dental malocclusions such as open bites or overbites can either signal an OMD or cause one. Common adverse oral habits such as thumb sucking and nail biting can worsen OMDs caused by malocclusions.
• Open mouths and excessive drooling past the age of two (2) are also indicators of an OMD.
• Sleep apnea.

Diagnosing OMDs can be tricky. Oftentimes, babies, infants and children will develop temporary or transitory OMDs as they grow and mature. It is not uncommon for young children learning to speak to develop a lisp or to have difficulty making certain sounds. Similarly, babies almost universally will have tongue thrust as they move from breast and bottle feeding to eating softer prepared foods. Both of these conditions are temporary and should resolve on their own.

It is best to consult a professional before diagnosing your child with an OMD. Pediatric dentists, doctors and speech-language pathologists are all qualified to make proper diagnoses with respect to OMDs.

What Causes OMDs?

There is no single cause for OMDs and each case may have its own unique set of genetic and environmental contributing factors. Birth defects such as cleft palates can affect the formation of the roof of the mouth and facial muscles, leading to OMDs. Similarly, behavioural traits can affect tongue position and even alter the shape of the face. Once again, it’s best to consult a professional who can identify potential causes for OMDs.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

Most OMDs are easily corrected once diagnosed. Orofacial myofunctional therapists, speech pathologists and pediatric dentists can recommend tongue and jaw exercises to correct OMDs. Children with OMDs can usually see results within weeks of recommended exercises though, in some very rare instances, they will have to continue the exercises into adulthood.

In some cases, such as with OMDs caused by allergies, doctors and dentists may prescribe medications. Some OMDs require more than therapy and medication to rectify. Depending on the nature and severity of your child’s OMD, they may require orthodontic treatments to regain the proper function of their orofacial muscles.

Talk to Your Pediatric Dentist Today

As is the case with most other medical conditions, early diagnosis and treatment of OMDs is the best defence. If left untreated, OMDs can have adverse effects on your child’s oral and dental health.

At Treehouse Dental, we’re proud to offer some of the most comprehensive pediatric dentistry services in Toronto and the surrounding community. If you believe that your child has an OMD or has been diagnosed with one, book your appointment with us today or schedule a virtual consultation.

Did you know that 1 in every 5 children between the ages of 5 and 11 have an untreated cavity? Or that as much as 30% of children will develop bruxism (teeth grinding) at some stage in their development? Shocking as those statistics can be—especially for concerned parents—they’re very much true.

From the time that they come screaming into the world until they’ve shed their last baby tooth, just about all children will face some sort of dental problem. Whether it’s periodontal disease, dry mouth or tooth decay, kids aren’t immune to the smile-dampening effects of a lack of dental care. There are even some dental problems that mostly affect kids because of their diet and lifestyle.

Fortunately, if vigilant parents know what to look out for then they can improve their child’s dental and oral health and avoid some of the most common dental problems in children and teens.

1. Tooth Decay or Dental Caries

Dental caries—or what most people simply call cavities—are likely the most common problem that children will face.

In essence, cavities are the result of poor oral and dental hygiene. Cavities occur when a buildup of plaque in the mouth erodes the protective enamel coating on the exterior of our teeth.

The bacteria that make up plaque and tartar thrive in mouths with plenty of food particles to feed off of. Those bacteria are particularly fond of the sugary and starchy foods that kids themselves enjoy. For that reason alone, pediatric dentists stress the importance of twice daily brushing and flossing for kids just as they would for adults.

Ensuring that your child brushes their teeth, flosses and uses a child-safe mouthwash is the surest way to prevent cavities and fortify their teeth and gums. Nevertheless, parents can offer their children an added defense against cavities with dental sealants.

The American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that dental sealants can prevent 80% of cavities. Both the CDC and the American Dental Association recommend dental sealants for baby teeth and permanent teeth to prevent cavities and reduce the risk of related oral diseases.

2. Pediatric Gum Disease

Periodontal disease is most prevalent in adults. According to the CDC, nearly half of all adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease—and the statistics only become grimmer as the age demographic increases. That’s not to say, however, that children are immune to this common oral affliction.

Just like with dental caries, gum disease in children is almost always the result of poor dental and oral hygiene. Once again, ensuring that your child brushes and flosses their teeth twice daily is the best way to ward off an infection in their gums.

When children are teeth or when they begin to lose their baby teeth, they will be more suspectable to infection. Swollen, red, inflamed or painful gums are all symptoms that parents can keep an eye out for.

3. Sensitive Teeth

It’s not unusual for children—and even adults—to express some degree of tooth sensitivity to extreme hot or extreme cold. In fact, some measure of sensitivity in our teeth is a sign of a healthy mouth and can signal to us that what we’re eating or drinking is causing damage.

However, our teeth should never be so sensitive that it causes discomfort. In children, as in adults, sensitive teeth are usually an indication of an underlying issue. Tooth decay, enamel erosion (permanent or temporary), bruxism, cracked or otherwise damaged teeth and even orthodontic treatments can all lead to sensitive teeth.

Regular visits to the dentist’s office—twice annually—are the best way to keep an eye on your child’s dental health. Pediatric dentists have plenty of experience in treating children’s most common dental problems, including sensitive teeth and know what to look out for.

4. Dental Emergencies and Injuries

When children engage in play and sports, they often times do so with reckless abandon. While we, as adults, might envy them their free spirits, we’re more cautious because we understand the potential dangers.

Scrapes and bruises are all part of growing up but dental injuries can have life-long effects on your child’s priceless smile. Cracked and chipped teeth, fractured roots and tooth intrusions all pose serious risks to your child’s dental health.

There are some strategies that parents can use to reduce their child’s risk of dental injuries but part of any good plan is knowing that accidents happen. When you are seeking out a pediatric dentist for your child, make sure that they offer emergency services.

5. Malocclusions

It’s difficult to qualify dental malocclusions as dental “problems” as many—if not most—of them don’t present any risks to function or health. Most children with mild overbites, for example, won’t need to undergo corrective orthodontic treatments such as braces or mouthguards. Severe underbites, however, can do more than just dampen smiles.

As with sensitive teeth, regular trips to the dentist’s office are the best defence against life-altering malocclusions. Around the age of 7 or 8, your pediatric dentist will begin to pay closer attention to your child’s oral and facial development. They’ll keep an eye out for conditions such as overcrowding, gaps and open bites.

With malocclusions as with most other dental problems, early treatment is always the best strategy.

Pediatric Dentists in the GTA

At Treehouse Dental, we measure our success by the luminosity of your child’s smile. With over 40 years’ worth of experience in pediatric dentistry in the Greater Toronto Area, there isn’t a dental problem that we haven’t seen before and can’t correct. Click here to learn more about our services or find our dental office nearest to you.

Our little ones don’t stay little forever. In fact, they grow up much quicker than we would like. And one of the first signs that our babies are sprouting up like dandelions in spring is the eruption of their primary teeth.

Knowing when and in what order your child’s baby teeth will likely erupt and, ultimately, fall out can help you to improve their oral health and set a solid foundation for their permanent teeth. For exactly that reason, pediatric dentists have developed tooth eruption charts for parents and caregivers to follow.

When Do Baby Teeth Erupt?

The first thing that all parents should know is that their child’s baby teeth won’t erupt with the exactness of a train schedule. Every child is different and, thusly, their smile will develop differently. Delays or jumpstarts of a couple of months aren’t cause for immediate concern.

Generally speaking, however, a full set of 20 baby teeth will typically erupt between the ages of 8 months and 33 months (2 ³/₄ years).

As you can see from the image above, the first of your baby’s teeth to erupt will likely be their central incisors, followed closely by their lateral incisors. Canines, or cuspids, will erupt somewhere between 16 and 23 months followed by first and second molars.

During these crucial months of development, it’s important to foster good oral and dental care habits in your little one. Establish a twice-daily routine for gum cleaning to get your baby accustomed to oral care and schedule regular trips to the pediatric dentist’s office.

Taking good care of baby teeth—or deciduous teeth—is important in protecting your child’s smile for when their permanent arrive. Tooth decay on baby teeth can actually have harmful effects on the permanent teeth growing underneath. Meanwhile, healthy baby teeth help to protect your baby’s gums, aid in their speech development, reserve space for permanent teeth and, most importantly, brighten smiles.

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends dental sealants for all children—even on their baby teeth—to help reduce their risk of developing cavities and tooth decay.

When Do Baby Teeth Fall Out?

Dentists refer to baby teeth as deciduous teeth because, eventually, they fall out. Much in the same way tooth eruption doesn’t follow an exact schedule, tooth shedding will vary from child to child. Generally speaking, however, tooth shedding will begin at 6 years of age with central incisors and end around 12 years of age with second molars.

From the image above, you can see that primary tooth shedding will have significant overlap with the eruption of permanent teeth. During this time, your child’s jaw and face will be growing to accommodate their larger and more numerous permanent teeth—there are 20 primary teeth and 32 permanent teeth.

As your child’s permanent teeth begin to erupt, you’ll want to ensure that they have a strong dental care routine. Brushing and flossing twice daily is the dentist-recommended strategy for warding off cavities and gum disease but, on its own, won’t be enough.

Once most of your child’s adult teeth come in—somewhere around the age of 13—you’ll want to give their smile the added protection of dental sealants.

Quick Facts About Tooth Eruption

• Generally speaking, girls mature more quickly than boys—as do their teeth. Girls will tend to experience tooth eruption and shedding earlier than boys.
• Tooth eruption tends to happen in pairs on both the upper and lower jaw. For example, central incisors on the upper jaw will tend to erupt together as will second molars.
• Teeth on the lower jaw—the mandible—will tend to erupt before teeth on the upper jaw—the maxilla.
• Primary teeth are, perhaps unsurprisingly, smaller than permanent teeth. They are also whiter than permanent teeth.
• By 3 years of age, all primary teeth should have erupted. If they have not, parents can seek the advice of a pediatric dentist.
• Children will have most of their permanent teeth by the age of 13 and will have all 32 teeth by the age of 21, though wisdom teeth may erupt late for some. 

Talk to a Pediatric Dentist

Tooth eruption and shedding are both crucial stages in the development of a healthy and happy smile. Throughout the process, however, children and parents alike will experience at least some degree of growing pains—pun intended.

For that reason and many others, Treehouse Dental offers a range of pediatric dentistry services to fit any smile. Find one of our pediatric dentistry offices nearest to you and book your next appointment with us today.

As parents, there are few things more difficult than knowing that our children are experiencing pain or discomfort. When they stub their toe, we kiss it better. When they get a little paper cut, we give them a magic band-aid and send them on their way. When they get sick with the flu, we make soup and season it with love. But when our babies start teething, it seems like no amount of magic, kisses or love can lessen their discomfort. And in desperate times, some parents turn to desperate measures.

If you were a mother in Ancient Greece, for example, you might have rubbed hare brains on your baby’s gums. You know, right before you gave them a discus and sent them off to the first Olympic Games. Or, if you were a mother in the 19th century, you might have just given your child a spoonful of Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup—a particularly unhealthy concoction consisting of mostly morphine and ammonia. Thank goodness that you’re a mother in the 21st century and you know to give your baby an amber teething necklace to soothe their sore gums… right? Not so fast.

What Are Amber Teething Necklaces?

Amber is hardened or fossilized tree resin that resembles—but is not actually—a gemstone. Manufacturers and sellers of amber teething necklaces claim that amber contains succinic acid, a natural painkiller. The theory behind amber teething necklaces is that when your baby “chews” on the necklace, their naturally warm body temperature heats the Baltic amber and releases the succinic acid, thusly alleviating pain.

They further claim that the necklace stimulates the thyroid and encourages the production of saliva which, in turn, has its own anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

But… those are just the claims.

Do Amber Teething Necklaces Actually Work?

While we’re certain that the internet and social media are awash with anecdotal evidence in support of amber teething necklaces, the science just isn’t there. The American Academy of Pediatrics said it best: “the use of these necklaces is not supported by modern science.”

Some might still argue that the fact that Baltic amber contains succinic acid means that these necklaces work—even if only a little. But again, there simply isn’t any scientific research to back up that claim. While the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved succinic acidic for use as a food additive and dietary supplement, it only has limited use as a pain reliever. Furthermore, heat-treated amber has lower concentrations of succinic acid than raw amber but it isn’t clear that either form has sufficient levels to noticeably relieve pain.

In short, there’s no evidence that amber teething necklaces can provide your baby with relief from their teething pains. In fact, these necklaces may actually present more risks than benefits to your baby’s overall health.

Are Amber Necklaces Safe?

It’s one thing for amber necklaces to be ineffective. It’s another thing for them to be dangerous. We’re willing to bet that Mrs. Winslow’s witch’s brew of morphine and ammonia is among the most dangerous—and worst tasting—remedies for teething pain but that’s not to say that amber necklaces don’t present risks of their own.

In December of 2018, the US FDA issued a news release warning parents, caregivers and healthcare providers about the dangers of amber necklaces and other forms of teething jewelry. The FDA stated that the beads on the jewelry presented a choking hazard to babies and young children and that necklaces posed a risk of strangulation. Other forms of jewelry such as bracelets could, according to the FDA, become stuck on cribs or clothing and cause physical injury. Other risks included the risk of oral injuries from hard or sharp beads, irritation from allergens and the growth of harmful bacteria.

At the end of their news release, the FDA explicitly advised parents to avoid teething jewelry altogether and cited two fatal incidences involving a 7-month-old and an 18-month-old.

What Does Work for Teething Pain?

Unfortunately, when it comes to teething pain, there isn’t much that sympathetic parents can do. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any options.

• Rub Relief: Using a clean finger or damp gauze, you can alleviate some of your baby’s distress by applying gentle pressure on their gums. This is also a great opportunity to clean their gums and make sure that their teeth are growing into a healthy mouth.
• Teething Toys: While you definitely want to avoid teething jewelry, specially designed teething toys such as teething rings are safe and effective. They work by applying slight pressure on your baby’s gums when they bite down. For those really bad days, you can try placing teething toys in the fridge before giving them to your baby to provide added relief.
• Pediatric Dentists: If you’ve tried everything from “rub relief” to teething toys—but hopefully not hare brains—and nothing has worked, call your pediatric dentist. They may prescribe an over-the-counter medication that is safe for babies and infants such as acetaminophen or recommend a different strategy. Either way, a pediatric dentist can get your baby smiling again.

Book your baby’s next appointment with Treehouse Dental and let’s turn those teething tears into a toothy smile!

When women are exploring their birth control options, they’ll often create lists of pros and cons. At the very least, they’ll weigh the effectiveness of various types of birth control against the potential side effects. That’s what informed consent is all about!

And while a prescribing doctor will do their best to inform their patients about the potential side effects of different forms of birth control, they may not have all of the information themselves. Most women and doctors will know, for example, that birth control pills can affect a woman’s weight and mood and even cause headaches, breakouts and fatigue. But did you know that there’s a surprising connection between birth control pills and oral health?

If you didn’t know, we promise you that there’s nothing to worry about. While oral contraceptives can and often do affect your oral health, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a thousand-watt smile. It may just take a little extra care and attention.

The Connection Between Birth Control and Oral Health

Most forms of birth control have some effect—even if only a little—on your body’s hormones. In fact, oral contraceptives contain synthetic female hormones such as progestin and progesterone.

Changes to your body’s hormone levels—particularly to your levels of estrogen and progesterone—can have adverse side effects on your oral health.

The Potential Side Effects

Everyone woman’s body will react differently to oral contraceptives however all women will share some of the same increased risks.

• Inflamed Gums: The increase in your body’s progesterone levels heightens its response to the toxins released by plaque and tartar buildup. That heightened response can, in turn, inflame gum tissue. Staying on top of your oral and dental care routine by flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day is crucial to alleviating inflamed gums. The less plaque, the less inflammation.
• Gum Disease: In response to the change in hormone levels, many women will experience a decrease in blood flow to their gums. This decreased blood flow increases your risk for gum disease—this is particularly true for women who smoke or consume other tobacco products. Once again, staying on top of your oral and dental care routine will be crucial in preventing gum diseases such as gingivitis.
• Dry Socket: Having a tooth extracted is normally a very routine procedure. However, oral contraceptives can complicate the healing process. The decrease in blood flow to your gums brought on by birth control pills increases your chances of developing dry socket following a tooth extraction. You’ll want to share your medical history—including any medications such as birth control—with your dentist prior to undergoing any oral or dental operation.

If, while using oral contraceptives, you experience swollen or bleeding gums, stop using the contraceptives and consult with your doctor and dentist about potential remedies or alternatives.

Plan for the Future

The fact that you’re even considering birth control pills means that you’re a planner! And whether children factor into your plans for the near or very, very far future, it’s never too early to start thinking about their smile. Treehouse Dental is happy to answer any and all of your questions and concerns about your current and future fertility plans and how they might affect your smile. Book your next appointment with us today!

Kids are cute—and they’re dirty.

Don’t get us wrong. No one loves kids more than pediatric dentists—we get to work on their heartwarming smiles every day. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs anyone could ask for. But it also provides us with a front-row seat to the plaque and tartar horror show that some children call a mouth.

If we’re honest with ourselves, kids are kind of like cute little cavemen that we have to civilize and socialize. Left up to their own devices, they would run around and play all day, get sweaty and dirty, eat nothing but candy and then simply crawl into bed only to wake up the next day and do the same thing all over again. Needless to say, their dental care routine—or lack thereof—wouldn’t exactly promote good oral health and hygiene.

Cute little cavemen or not, good dental hygiene habits don’t come as second nature to most kids and a lot of parents struggle to get them to brush and floss. So, if you’re having a hard time figuring out how to get your kids to brush their teeth and floss twice a day, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, getting your kids to take care of their teeth doesn’t have to be as hard as… well, as hard as pulling teeth.

Make a Game of It

Kids love games. Board games, card games, video games, you name it. As long as it has those four letters, “G-A-M-E”, you can be certain that kids will be interested. Turning brushing and flossing into a game can help improve your child’s oral and dental health. Games can also help your child practice brushing so that the real thing won’t seem so difficult.

Making a game of counting—and even naming—teeth is a fun way to help your little ones learn their numbers and develop a sense of ownership over their oral hygiene. Games with repeat value, in particular, will help your child develop strong habits. Timing devices, musicals, and even clips from their favourite shows are all great ways to get kids motivated to break out their toothbrush and dental floss.

Get Them Their Own Dental Care Tools

If your child brushes but refuses to floss, then having them pick out their own, nifty dental care tools might be how to get your kids to floss their teeth regularly—and effectively. Floss picks, for example, make flossing easier for kids as they don’t have to unspool a long string. And child-themed floss picks have the friendly faces of movie characters that your child will recognize.

Regular dental floss, however, doesn’t work for all children. Kids with braces and bridges tend to avoid flossing not because they’re cavepeople but because their dental apparatus makes the task too difficult. In that case, have your child pick out an American Dental Association approved water flosser. The ADA has clinically proven that proper use of a water flosser reduces your child’s risk—and yours—of developing gum disease and gingivitis.

The same goes for your child’s toothbrushes and toothpaste. Kids, like the rest of us, are likelier to use tools that they like. Allowing them to choose between a manual and electric toothbrush or peppermint and spearmint toothpaste might be all the difference that’s needed.

Positive Reinforcement and Tracking Progress

Developing a reward system for children who don’t like to brush their teeth is a solid strategy. If kids are adamant that they don’t want to brush and floss, rewarding them with something that they’ll value can correct their behaviour.

Much like adults, kids also focus on results—it’s a large part of what makes games so appealing to them. If your child can’t track their progress, they will likely lose interest over time. Keep a calendar with days marked for when your child brushed their teeth in combination with a rewards system and your child will be well on their way to their Doctorate of Dental Surgery.

Start Them Early

It’s never too early to get your little caveperson into the habit of taking care of their teeth. Even before their baby teeth appear, parents can clean their baby’s gums and get them accustomed to the feeling. Making dental care a habit from the very beginning means that you won’t have to instill the habit later on. And as your child grows and develops, they can take on more and more of their dental care responsibilities—unless, of course, you’d like to be flossing a 30-year old’s mouth.

Call in the Cavalry

We promise that at least one of these techniques will have your kids brushing and flossing every day, twice a day like a dental care hero. Even so, everyone needs a regular check-up to ensure that their mouth is as clean as it needs to be. Schedule your child’s next appointment with Treehouse Dental Care today and let us know what teeth brushing games you’ve been playing!

Adults—concerned parents in particular—often find themselves asking, “Why do babies put everything in their mouth?” It seems like anything they can get their little hands on will, invariably, turn into a slobber-covered plaything. A brand-new rattle? Looks good for chomping. A moldy old grape that has been hiding under the sofa and is halfway to becoming a lint-dried raisin? Worth a try. A handful of worm-infested dirt? Sure, why not? If you’re not careful, even your cellphone could end up finding a second life as an improvised pacifier.

While it might seem to adults like our little rugrats have an unsophisticated—if enviably adventurous—palate, the truth is a little more complicated than that. And it will have an impact on their oral health and dental development.

Beyond simply thumb-sucking, find out why your baby puts everything in their mouth—and how to protect their oral and dental health as they chew through your magazine collection.

Your Baby is an Explorer

For babies, pretty much everything that they encounter is new—and very, terribly exciting. As your baby explores the world around them, they will put objects in their mouth as a method of discovery.

Whereas older children and adults will use their hands to test out new objects, babies do not yet have the motor skills or tactile strength to heft, squeeze or even poke a new, fascinating object. Additionally, your baby’s hands are not quite as developed or sensitive as their mouth is—in fact, a baby’s mouth has more densely packed nerve endings than any other part of their body. As a result, their hands just wouldn’t provide as much sensory feedback as their mouth, tongue, and gums would. They will learn more about an object’s toughness, texture, and, of course, taste if they can get it into their mouth.

Just like with any explorer on an expedition of discovery, however, not all of the objects that your baby encounters will be safe for putting in their mouth. Small items, for instance, present choking hazards while dirty items might be home to harmful pathogens. Sharp items could cut their lips and the interior of their mouth while hard items could lead to dental or oral injury.

Be sure that all of the items within your baby’s reach are safe for oral exploration. And when your baby learns how to crawl, they’ll be scurrying around, looking for something new to put in their mouth. Either confine them to a safe play space or clear potentially harmful objects from their path of exploration.

Your Baby’s Pearly White Smile is Coming In

Even for fully grown adults experiencing wisdom teeth eruption, teething can be a deeply discomforting process. For babies, that process can be downright painful.

Your baby’s first teeth will likely erupt somewhere between 6 and 12 months—no need for concern if they start a little earlier or later than that, however. During that time, your baby will likely be experiencing a great deal of discomfort. Biting down on something—anything they can find, really—can provide relief from the pain caused by sore gums from teething.

Unless you have reason to believe that your child is experiencing unusually severe symptoms—bleeding, swelling, or reddening of the gums, for example—you should let them chomp down to their heart’s content. Specifically designed teething toys such as rings and blankets can provide your baby with maximum comfort while they go through the difficult process of developing their winning smile.

Your Baby Just Needs a Little Self-Love

Everyone needs a little self-love and babies are no different. While adults might take a spa day or soak in the tub at home, your baby’s preferred self-soothing technique is to find something to put in their mouth.

Whether they are sleepy, hungry, too cold or too hot, or just plain old cranky, babies will oftentimes turn to oral stimulants to soothe their nerves. Psychologists haven’t reached any definitive conclusions quite yet but some research suggests that oral stimulation can mimic the feelings of safety, comfort and love that your baby receives when breast or bottle feeding.

Before they have pacifiers and chew toys, babies develop the tendency to put their hands and fingers in their mouth—thumb-sucking, in particular, is very popular with the diaper and daycare crowd. While you wouldn’t want to discourage your child from developing healthy self-soothing techniques, you will want to ensure that oral stimulation doesn’t become an oral fixation.

Prolonged thumb-sucking can lead to the formation of dental malocclusions such as overbites and underbites and can have adverse effects on your child’s speech development. Prolonged use of pacifiers can, as well, stunt or otherwise hinder your child’s development and affect their facial structure. If you’re having difficulty weaning your baby off of thumb-sucking or the pacifier, talk to your pediatric dentist.

Your Baby is Hungry. Always.

Sometimes, things are exactly what they seem to be. If it looks like your baby is trying to eat your TV’s remote control, it could very well be the case that they are.

Babies are growing and developing at a rapid rate. It almost seems like they grow an inch every time you blink—better glue your eyes open if you want them to stay young forever. It’s no surprise then that your baby needs fuel—and lots of it—to develop and grow healthily.

Even though it looks like your baby is trying to eat everything in sight, they’re mostly out for sweet-tasting snacks as those send the signal to your child’s brain that that food item is full of sugar. And sugar means energy. It also means cavities and gum disease.

If your baby is craving a high-sugar snack or meal, you shouldn’t deprive them of the calories they’re after—but you also need to consider the health of their gums and burgeoning teeth. Steer clear of processed sugars and offer your baby foods that are high in natural sugar such as fruit, milk, organic yogurt, carrots, and beets (blended of course). And develop a regular schedule for cleaning your baby’s gums so that sugary food debris won’t lead to plaque buildup, infection, and gum disease.

Your Baby Needs a Pediatric Dentist

As your baby explores, teethes forages for snacks, and learns how to self-soothe, it’s important to ensure that they do so safely. Some of the objects that your baby might encounter can damage their growing teeth, impact their facial structure or lead to infection. Furthermore, oral stimulation can lead to unhealthy oral fixations.

For more information on how to protect your baby’s smile as they develop, contact Treehouse Dental Care today.

There’s a question that keeps every good dental and oral health professional up at night: Why do some people fear visiting the dentist?

Is it that the chair isn’t comfortable enough? That can’t be the case, it’s fully reclining! Is it that the ceiling-mounted operatory lights resemble a UFO? Nonsense, ETs are probably friendly. Perhaps it’s all of those sterilized, shiny tools that we use to clean mouths and teeth… they are kind of pointy.

Whatever the case may be, some people definitely fear visiting the dentist. In fact, research shows that a lot of people fear visiting their local tooth doctor. According to one 2014 study, 36% of the population suffers from some form of dental anxiety or dental fear. Another 12% categorize their “dentophobia” as extreme. And when it comes to dental anxiety in children, those rates skyrocket.

A 2013 study estimated the rate of dental anxiety in children to be nearly 75%! So, if your child suffers from some form of dental fear, be it mild or severe, they are definitely not alone.

The good news is that your child’s fear of the dentist doesn’t have to prevent them from visiting the dentist’s office and getting the dental treatments they need. There are some simple measures that parents can take to ease their child’s dental anxiety.

Early Exposure Calms Nerves

Much of the fear and anxiety that children experience when visiting the dental office can stem from a lack of familiarity. Children—and let’s be honest, most adults as well—can become nervous when entering new spaces, meeting new people, and encountering new experiences. Especially when those experiences include a perfect stranger digging around in your mouth.

Help your child overcome their dental anxiety by starting them out early. They’re never too young to make trips to the dentist’s office—even if they don’t have teeth quite yet. Those early trips offer your child—and you—the opportunity to become familiar with their dental professional’s office, staff, and, most importantly, regular dental care procedures.

Don’t be shy either about requesting the same dental professionals for your child’s visits. It’s important for a child experiencing fear and anxiety to see familiar and friendly faces. Get to know Treehouse Dental Care’s dedicated team of pediatric dentists and dental hygienists and find the right fit for your child’s smile. Or schedule a virtual “meet and greet” before your child’s first official dental appointment so they can become familiar and comfortable with our staff.

Choose Your Words Wisely

It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it. But also… it’s what you said.

Any parent with a child who has a severe dentist or dental phobia will know that sometimes their attempts to calm their child’s nerves only seem to make matters worse. Surprisingly, the source of our children’s anxiety may, in fact, be the language we use when trying to soothe their nerves.

Words such as “hurt” or “pain” form associations in our children’s minds that tell them that their dental experience is going to be a negative one. Try to avoid the following phrases or any that sound similar:

• “It will only hurt a little.”
• “It won’t hurt at all.”
• “It’s just a little shot.”
• “That wasn’t too painful, was it?”

Instead, use encouraging words with positive associations such as “brave” and “strong”. Phrases such as, “You’re doing such a great job,” signal to our children that they are in control of their experience and that everything is going swimmingly.

Other forms of positive reinforcement including applause and even small rewards can turn any dental frown upside down.

Curiosity Killed the Cat But It Can Cure a Kid

Kids can be—as anyone would be—skeptical and even fearful of undergoing any kind of dental procedure that they don’t understand.  Along with getting to know their pediatric dentist, part of helping your child to overcome their dental anxiety involves demystifying the dentist and dental procedures.

If your child is nervous, take the time to explain to them what kind of procedure they’re about to undergo and what their dentist will be doing. Explaining the various steps of everything from a regular checkup to a root canal will help your child feel at ease.

Even if you’re uncertain about the procedure yourself, you can always reach out to your child’s pediatric dentist and seek more information.

Sedation Dentistry for the Win

Not every child can overcome dental anxiety. Clearly, from the 2014 study we cited earlier, more than a third of people never do get over their fear of the dentist. Though it definitely breaks our hearts that some people fear the dental chair—they’re so comfy!—dentists understand that some phobias aren’t as easy to treat as bad breath.

But that doesn’t mean that your child can’t leave the dentist’s office grinning from ear to ear.

For the particular anxious, Treehouse Dental Care is proud to offer safe sleep and sedation dentistry services. Our specialists and anesthesiologists are well-equipped to ensure that your child’s waking nightmare turns into a happy dream.

Helping your child to overcome their dental anxiety is the first step toward unlocking their biggest and brightest smile. Well… that and twice-daily flossing and brushing. Whichever way you choose to help your child overcome their dental anxiety; the most important thing is to not let fear dampen their smile.

Book your child’s next appointment with Treehouse Dental Care today—the scariest thing will be how bright we can make their smile.

Is there anything cuter or more endearing than your baby’s toothless, gummy smile? Maybe there’s a cat video out there that comes close. Or one of those adorable puppies with no understanding of basic geometry who can’t get his oversized stick through the doggy door. You know those videos—they’re adorable.

But really, a baby’s toothless smile has to win the cuteness game. Of course, it wouldn’t be so cute if their smile was full of mashed-up spinach or yesterday’s apple sauce. Nor would it be so cute if it smelled like they were fermenting breastmilk. In other words, it’s only cute if it’s clean.

Even though your baby might not have any pearly whites to flash quite yet, it’s never too early to think about their dental and oral health. In fact, keeping your baby’s gums and mouth clean before they start teething is crucial to ensuring that their toothless smile doesn’t stay that way after it should. An all-gums, no-teeth smile is cute when they’re in diapers but it can be a sign of trouble if it persists longer than that.

Fortunately, keeping your baby’s gums clean is a lot easier than keeping their room clean will be once they hit those terrible teens. Include these simple steps in your daily routine and your baby’s smile will be the cutest thing you see all day. Sorry kittens.

Wipe Their Gums

Just as you would floss and brush your teeth twice a day—you are flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day, aren’t you?—you can wipe your baby’s gums regularly.

In fact, wiping your baby’s gums can be the most effective way of ensuring their mouth stays clean and free of harmful bacteria. Just because they don’t have any teeth doesn’t mean that bacteria-causing food morsels can’t find a place to hide and wreak oral health havoc.

But before you go and break out the fluoride toothpaste—save that for when their baby teeth start coming in—wiping your baby’s gums is a lot easier than brushing your own teeth. In fact, you won’t even need a toothbrush—a wet washcloth and a delicate touch are the only tools required.

After cleaning your hands with soap and water, simply dampen a washcloth or a sterile piece of gauze and gently rub it along your baby’s gums. Be sure to get into any crevices where food is likely to have settled. And while you’re in there, you can also check for signs of teething!

Unlike your own dental care routine, there isn’t necessarily an American Dental Association-recommended routine for wiping your baby’s gums. But you can safely wipe their gums after every meal to clear food debris and before putting them down for the night.

Keep Pacifiers, Bottles and Other Items Clean

A big part of cleaning your baby’s gums is making sure that their mouth never gets dirty in the first place. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Every parent knows that food isn’t the only thing that goes into a baby’s mouth. In fact, pretty much anything they can get their little hands on is going to end up as an improvised, slobber-covered chew toy.

Keeping pacifiers, bottles, and any other feeding items clean will drastically reduce the number of harmful bacteria that enter your child’s mouth. Similarly, regularly cleaning any items that your baby is likely to put into their mouth—blankets, toys, teething rings, etc.—will reduce their chances of developing an oral infection.

Keeping feeding items clean is another simple task. Submerge the items in hot water with any type of anti-microbial soap and then rinse them thoroughly. The American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also offers this handy guide for cleaning, sterilizing, and storing infant feeding items.

Healthy Gums Leads to Healthy Teeth

Keeping your infant’s gums clean isn’t just about ensuring that they’ll win any cuteness contest. More importantly, it’s about providing them with the opportunity to develop their fullest and healthiest smile.

Keeping your baby’s gums as clean as they can be will create the perfect environment for their teeth to grow into. So, when the time comes, they can have a pearly-white, toothy smile.

Furthermore, it’s never too early to start building good habits. Making oral care part of your baby’s routine from the very beginning will make it easier as they grow older.

Consult Your Pediatric Dentist

Just because your tiny tot doesn’t have any teeth doesn’t mean that they can’t see a dentist. When you clean your baby’s gums, be sure to look out for any signs of irritation, inflammation, or infection. An unusual reddening of the gums could be the beginning of an infection or an indication that teething has begun.

Either way, it’s always a good idea to bring your baby to a pediatric dentist for a regular check-up and cleaning. So, book your baby’s appointment with Treehouse Dental Care today. We can’t wait to see their gummy smile!

They grow up so fast, don’t they? One minute, they’re all goo-goo-gaga and gums and the next thing you know, they’re driving themselves off to university and complaining about the price of gas. Ok, maybe we skipped some important milestones along the way. Baby’s first steps, baby’s first words… baby’s first adult teeth!

Even though your child has only recently ditched their diapers, they’re already starting to see the emergence of the teeth that they’ll have until it’s time for dentures. Taking good care of these first permanent teeth is critical to ensuring your child’s future dental and oral health and creating that perfect 32-teeth smile.

Permanent dentition—or what we commonly refer to as permanent teeth or adult teeth—begins to form in most children around the age of 6 or 7. For most children, the emergence of their 6-year molars will be their first experience with teething since they were an infant and they won’t have any recollection of the experience.

Tooth eruption—the clinical term for teeth breaching the surface of the gums and entering the mouth—can be a painful and unsettling experience for children. It can also be exciting and an opportunity to instill good dental hygiene habits in your child that will last a lifetime.

6-year molars have a massive impact on the shape of your child’s face and their dental occlusion. As such, parents will want to know all they can about the eruption of those adult molars in their child’s mouth—even if only so they can answer the endless stream of questions that will inevitably come their way.

Timing is Everything

At times, raising your child can feel like a race against other parents. Whose child started grabbing first? Whose child started speaking first? Which child started crawling or walking or running first?

It’s easy to get caught up in these “baby-races” and forget that every child develops in their own good time and for their own good reasons. This is particularly true when it comes to teething and the development of your child’s adorable smile.

6-year molars got their name because, generally, these teeth erupt between the ages of 6 and 7. That’s not to say, however, that your child’s first set of adult molars will make their debut at that time. Or even that they’ll come out together.

Your child’s 6-year molars might just as easily be 5-year molars or 8-year molars. And, much like with their unpredictable growth spurts, there’s not much you can do to speed up or slow down the process. The timing of the 6-year molar eruption has more to do with genetics than anything else.

It’s not necessarily all too important when these molars arrive so much as how they arrive. Nevertheless, if you’re concerned that your child’s 6-year molars are coming in too early or hiding beneath the gums for too long, consult your pediatric dentist. Treehouse Dental offers safe and effective dental X-rays for children to put any of your concerns to rest.

What to Look Out For

It can be a little difficult to know when your child’s 6-year molars start coming in. Even though your child will likely be talking—and talking, and talking and talking—when these molars do arrive, they may not have the knowledge to effectively communicate what they’re experiencing. Not many 6-year-olds can string together the sentence, “I’m experiencing mild to severe discomfort and pain on my lower mandible as a result of tooth eruption in the formation of my permanent dentition.” But how cute would it be if they did?

Parents could go rooting around in their child’s mouth looking for little dental crowns beneath their gums but that’s likely to end in a scene re-enacted from Jaws. Fortunately, your child will exhibit symptoms when their 6-year molars erupt.

• Swollen Gums

Parents will likely be able to see some swollen gums when 6-year molars come in. In some cases, children may even experience swollen cheeks. Your child will likely complain about pain or discomfort when chewing, especially when chewing hard foods. Warm salt water rinses are a great way to provide temporary relief from the pain of inflamed gums and reduce the chance of infection.

If the swelling appears abnormally large, parents can reach out to their child’s pediatric dentist.

• Jaw and Ear Pain

Our teeth are just one small part of a larger and interconnected system. The pain caused by tooth eruption can radiate outwards to affect jaw muscles and even ears. Headaches associated with teething are also not uncommon.

Fortunately, as long as the erupting teeth are doing so correctly, the pain will be temporary. Even so, it can be overwhelming for a small child. Parents can provide their brave little warriors with over-the-counter painkillers as prescribed on the packaging. If the pain persists for more than a week or if parents have been administering over-the-counter painkillers to their children for two days, it’s better to call in the cavalry—a.k.a. a pediatric dentist.

• Flu-like Symptoms

Some children may experience flu-like symptoms when they are teething. Runny noses, fevers, chills, and even diarrhea are not uncommon. Though these symptoms might be frightening for children and parents alike, they are not cause for immediate concern. Nevertheless, if the symptoms persist or worsen as opposed to ameliorating over time, it’s worth a trip to the pediatric dentist’s office.

• Other Symptoms

Everyone experiences teething differently and even common symptoms can have unusual knock-on symptoms. Children experiencing pain or discomfort may also experience disrupted sleep patterns, irritability, vomiting, drooling, facial rashes, and/or excessive rubbing and itching of the ears.

The key for parents is simply to pay attention to their child’s behaviour and to be responsive. All symptoms associated with 6-year molar eruption should be temporary and relatively mild. More so than anything else, during this process, children are seeking reassurance from their parents.

The Molars Are In

Once your child’s 6-year molars come in, the task of dental care becomes even more important. These aren’t primary teeth and, with the proper care, won’t be falling out any time soon. Still, kids are kids and even dentists expect that, from time to time, they’ll “forget” to brush their teeth before bed. Once the molars are in, parents can provide their child with the added security of dental sealants to reduce the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and infection. Doing the same when 12-year molars erupt will go a long way in protecting your child’s smile as they grow older.

Schedule your child’s appointment with Treehouse Dental today—because before you know it, they’ll be scheduling their own appointments.