Helping children Floss

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One thing that a lot of parents need to teach their child is proper oral care. While brushing twice daily along with flossing come together to reduce tooth decay and gum disease, the one that a lot of children have trouble with is flossing.  You can learn how to help children clean between the teeth with their floss, encouraging them to keep up the habit for the rest of their life. 

When to Start 

Children need to start flossing when enough of the teeth that they have start growing next to one another. Bacteria settle in between the teeth, which leads to tooth decay, and gums which are inflamed. Parents usually have to floss the kid’s teeth usually initially. It’s vital to also be gentle when you do this, as this can sometimes be a bit sore afterwards, and crate gums that are bleeding. Keep it gentle, so that you can teach children the vital nature of this habit. 

Getting Children to Floss Better 

If you’re dealing with a child who is against flossing, or hesitant on doing this, you’re not alone. When you clean between the teeth, this is challenging, but there are a few ways to make it fun for them. 

Close up Young asian boy useing toothpick to clean his teeth on white background.

Some of these include: 

  • Demonstrating the way flossing works 
  • Rewarding correct flossing 
  • Singing different songs 
  • Letting children pick out the products they need to use 

You can show them how flossing removes this debris pretty easily. First, you want to eat snacks including fruit, leafy greens, and the like, something that usually gets stuck between a person’s teeth. You then demonstrate the correct technique for flossing, so you can provide children with a visual on just how this works. Then, you want to make this a habit, by having them put together a calendar that demonstrates their oral care. Whenever they do something correct, they get a sticker. Then, as  they accumulate the stickers, they can get rewards for it. 

Sometimes, singing works too, as it can help get children engaged and excited for flossing. 

Flossing for Kids 

If you’re wondering the best way to floss a child’s teeth, you’re not alone. 

You can actually do this in just four simple steps, provided that the child has enough teeth to make this a reality. In fact, once the floss is there, you can then continue, and from there, build the best means for you to get the results you want. 

  • First, you want to get about 18 or more inches of floss, but not a ton of it. 
  • Wind a bit of floss around the index finger and the thumb, at every single end until there’s a small section of floss a person can use between their fingers. Then, you want to slide this between the teeth of a child.
  • Angle this so that it creates  a C shape that curves around the teeth, sliding the floss along the sides of your teeth, and then underneath the gum line 
  • Using a fresh and new floss section, repeat this each time so that the biofilm and the food doesn’t get put back in there, because that can happen 

If this is hard for them to do, or if it’s not comfortable, the best way for a child to manage this at this point is either water flossers or interdental brushes that clean up the teeth, preventing further discomfort from happening.

With all of this, you as a parent will be able to ensure that the child gets proper care, and they’ll be able to grow with this, building better health habits. 

What Dental Bonding is 

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Accidents happen, and there are tons of ways a tooth may get chipped, and a few ways to repair it. One of them is tooth bonding, or enamel bonding. It’s cost-effective, and good for minor problems that happen with broken teeth.If you have cracked, chipped, decayed, or problems with teeth coloring, bonding might be the best way to get your confidence, and a winning smile back.

What it’s used for 

Bonding is where you get some composite resin on the tooth’s surface to fix it. It’s simple, not expensive, and a cosmetic procedure that’s done in one visit. With lots of dental issues that bonding can fix, it’s good for discolored or chipped teeth.

It also may choose to close the larger spaces between one’s teeth, changing the shape and making them look longer. They are also used in metallic or amalgam fillings to protect the exposed rooted part with gums that are receded. 

How it’s Done

Luckily, bonding is a very simple procedure that requires just one appointment. 

A composite resin made from plastic is placed on the tooth. It’s perfect to mold there, so if you’ve got a newer tooth, it will fit with the smile. 

Here’s the steps that go with the dental bonding procedure. 

  1. First the dentist will clean the tooth in order to create the best bonding surface possible. 
  2. They apply the resin and then shape that bonding material. 
  3. The bonding is then dried with UV light, and shaping takes place 
  4. It’s polished for a natural look, and then they floss it to make sure that it’s smooth. 
  5. It usually takes thirty minutes to an hour to fix this. but if there’s multiple teeth, it takes multiple visits. Most tooth bonding doesn’t require any anesthesia, so you’ll return to daily activities right after the appointment. 

Risks to Bonding  

There are a few risks to this. The main downside is that it will never be as strong naturally as natural teeth, so there is a chance that these can break off, or chip completely. If you’re going in for tooth bonding procedures, it may be time to kick those habits, including biting fingernails, chewing on pen caps, and ice, as they will impact the resin.

Care for bonded Teeth 

How long your bonding lasts depends on what you need done, and habits orally, so it’s vital to give the teeth that are bonded with as much care and attention as the natural teeth might.

Bonding material is very prone to staining, so make sure that you watch how much you consume coffee, tea, wine, and cigarettes. 

Avoid these foods for up to 48 hours after any procedure. If you do have some sharp edges on the teeth, or they feel weird when you bite down. if they fall off or completely chip, contact the dentist immediately. 

How long they last can be anywhere from three to ten years before needing to be repaired or replaced. If you brush your teeth twice daily and interdental flossing, it does extend that dental bonding effectiveness.

These regular visits also keep the mouth healthy, ensuring that the dental bonding is functional. 

Try to avoid eating hard, chewy candies, and don’t pick at the bonding.   When playing sports, protect your teeth with a mouth guard. If you do grind your teeth at night, try to prevent the grinding and damage with a night guard. 

Tooth bonding is pretty affordable, and usually only requires a single appointment. It’s pretty cheap and is usually under a grand. It’s great to get the confidence that you need. 

How to Fix Bad Breath and Dry Mouth 

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Bad breath is something that we all have every single morning.

However, some of us have really bad breath, and it can be a bit embarrassing, and bring a self-conscious feeling to this.  The best way to prevent this is by practicing good dental health.

However, dry mouth also is the cause of bad breath, and that has so little to do with how you take care of your teeth.

However, there are ways to fix it, which is what we’re going to talk about here. 

The Cause of Dry Mouth 

The cause of this is a variety of reasons.  Vomiting, the flu, or dehydration are a lot of causes but those are temporary.

Sometimes, if you have diabetes or another medical condition, you may experience dry mouth.  It’s also a side effect that some medications have, including decongestants, antihistamines, pain meds, and muscle relaxants.  If you have a prescription for anxiety and high blood pressure medications, you might also suffer from dry mouth.

Finally, if you get chemotherapy, you might also deal with dry mouth. 

Bad Breath Reasons 

You may get bad breath sometimes from dry mouth, but that’s not always the case. 

How does it happen though? it’s actually not from the medication, but it’s actually chemicals present within the medicine.  They directly inhibit the production of saliva from the salivary glands. Saliva is responsible for hydration, getting rid of food particles from gums and teeth, and fighting off tooth decay.  Without the use of saliva, you’ll have more bacteria, dry mouth and oral parts of your mouth, and this creates bad breath.

Diagnosis of Dry Mouth 

You may have some problems in the mouth responsible for the production of dry mouth.

Woman using breath freshener

If the reason for dry mouth is your oral health, then periodontal disease, cavities, and the like might be the problem. 

If you’re taking medication that causes this, however, you should talk to a specialist, or even a physician, in order to take care of the issue at hand. 

Treatments and Prevention 

There are a few ways for you to treat dry mouth. Usually, it’s a two-step program. First, the doctor will give you some medication for the symptoms.  You may have bad breath, dental sores, and the like. If it’s caused by periodontitis, then a deep cleaning might happen.

They may also give you antibiotics to treat any infections that’ll happen. If this doesn’t go away, then you’ll get some tests for this, and you may also need to adjust the dosages and medications that are there. 

As for preventions, you’ll want to make sure that you look at alternatives so that you’re not dealing with bad breath. For those with limited medication options, or medical conditions, you might want to discuss this with your doctor.  The best way to prevent it in that case is to keep up with your oral care and hygiene, so that you prevent this development.

You should also engage in lifestyle changes too. There are certain products that prevent the formation of dry mouth, so make sure to ask about those. If you smoke, drink alcohol, or like caffeine, then you might also want to limit these habits as well.

There are a few causes for dry mouth, but you can improve this situation in a lot of cases. The best thing to do in this case is to make sure that you protect the mouth and the structures, engage in proper hygiene in order to have good breath that you can be proud of, and not hate as well! 

Pain in tooth Crowns 

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Dental professionals do need to put crowns on teeth that are decaying or damaged, and most of the time, it’s relatively painless.  However, there are some cases where if you add a tooth crown, it causes more sensitivity. For those with some level of sensitivity around teeth that are capped, you might want to know how to fix this, and the steps to improve this.  we’ve got your answers. 

What Crowns Are 

Crowns are basically a cap put over the tooth that’s decaying, damaged, or weak, in order to keep the size, shape, strength, and the appearance. They can last anywhere from five, up to 15 years, depending on the wearing of this, and how well you take care of them. 

Reasons for Crown Pain 

There are certain reasons for pain in the crown.

Some of them include the ones listed below. 

A nerve that’s traumatized or infected c and causes this.  This is because there might still be some nerve damage, even after the pulp of the tooth has been removed, and the pressure of the crown on this.  In this case, you might need to get a root canal and the removal of the crown.  They’ll get an access hole put in, do the root canal without having to replace this. While it’s complex, it saves money on the crowns as they can’t be used again once removed. 

Another reason is that you’re grinding your teeth. This is especially true if you grind at night, or if the teeth aren’t properly aligned.  The areas that are there on the teeth will start to rub together, and from there, you’ll experience some pain within the jaw muscles as well. sometimes, this long-lasting and occasional type of pain in the lower portions of the jaw and face. 

In order to prevent this, you’ll want to relax the jaw with a moist, warm washcloth prior to sleeping. Meditation can be used to reduce anxiety and stress, providing relief as well.

Mouth guards can also be another way to treat this.

If you’re still having trouble with grinding your teeth, then you’ll want to discuss this with your dentist.  Sometimes, biofeedback, which uses different sensors to look at the muscle contraction, can help you become aware of the clenching that you do with your teeth. You’ll be able to control your jaw tension and clenching as well through this. 

Finally, what you might also have been an issue with the crown. It might be damaged, and that would require you to replace this. 

What you should do 

You should definitely first and foremost take some over-the-counter medicine to help with the pain.  Cold and hot foods can also cause sensitivity in the teeth, so try to keep the foods mostly moderate in temperature. There are also mouth rinses and toothpaste made for teeth that are sensitive. They usually numb the endings of the nerves, which can help prior to getting a treatment and diagnosis. 

If you’ve got pain in the crown which continues to persist, you should see your dentist right away. the sooner the better, as they can look at the issue, and find it as quickly as they can.

Remember that the pain doesn’t normally go away just by waiting for it to. It’s better to go to the dentist, get the help that you need, so that you’re not in pain, and you’ve got something worth smiling about when it comes to your oral health and teeth.

Try it today and get the help you need to take care of your teeth better than before.