Category: Blog

During your child’s regular checkup, their dentist might mention the idea of placing dental sealants on their back molars and premolars for added protection against cavities. This new terminology may be unfamiliar to you as you contemplate whether it is a good idea to go ahead with the recommended treatment. Before you decide, here are four questions to ask your child’s pediatric dentist when discussing dental sealants.

Best child dentist in Jabalpur – Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

What Are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are a preventive method of treatment that involves applying a clear, thin layer of composite resin to the chewing surfaces of your child’s molars and premolars (back teeth). This added layer of protection reduces the chances of bacteria and food particles from penetrating the pits and grooves that are found on these teeth.

Why is a Sealant Better Than a Filling?

Although a dental filling may be necessary at a certain point, dental sealants are a great way to prevent cavities from forming in the first place. Not only is the process quick (it can be completed during a regular dental checkup), but it is much less expensive than a tooth-colored filling.

Helping your child avoid cavities will allow their teeth to remain strong and healthy.

Is the Process for Dental Sealant Placement Painful?

No, the placement of a dental sealant is not a painful process. Your child should not expect to experience any discomfort while their pediatric dentist applies the composite resin.

The process required for dental sealants involves cleaning the chewing surfaces before rinsing and drying them. The composite resin is then applied directly onto each tooth before a curing light seals and hardens the resin in place. This can take a few minutes. Once completed, your child’s teeth will be better protected against bacteria and harmful particles.

Best child dentist in Jabalpur – Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

How Long Will They Remain in Place?

How long your child’s dental sealants will remain in place is ultimately dependent on how well they take care of their teeth and gums. Oral hygiene is essential for smiles, no matter the age. Regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing are beneficial as well as continuing to see a pediatric dentist every six months for checkups and cleanings.

The average timeframe for an effective dental sealant is 9-10 years, but they can fall off, so you can expect your child’s dentist to check them during each visit. Should a sealant come loose, a new one can be applied.

It’s natural to have questions when it comes to their oral health. Learning more from a trusted pediatric dentist will help you to make the right decisions when it comes to their developing smile.

Praise is a powerful training tool for children. When it is properly delivered, it can help little ones to grow in self-confidence and develop good habits and qualities. The power of praise even extends to children’s dental health. Let’s talk about why and how you should commend your child for brushing their teeth.

Why Is Praise So Important?

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania set out to determine how parental praise influenced children’s persistence in brushing their teeth. The study participants came from a range of ethnic backgrounds and income levels.

One of the researchers noted, “Our work is the first to show that fluctuations in parent praise relate to fluctuations in child persistence.” Interestingly, the study found that children showed more persistence in brushing their teeth when they received more praise about their efforts and fewer instructions on how to brush. Most of the praise consisted of parents saying things like “nice job,” “very good,” or similar phrases.

How to Praise Your Child for Brushing Their Teeth

Here are a few tips to help you deliver effective praise to your child:

• Be honest and sincere. Your child may have much room for improvement in the way they brush their teeth, but you can likely find some aspect of their efforts that truly deserves commendation. Most kids can sense over-praise and insincere praise, and they often have a negative reaction to it.
• Be consistent. Children thrive on praise, so it doesn’t hurt to praise them repeatedly for similar things. However, be careful not to praise them too much. When they come to expect praise, your words of encouragement could lose some of their power.
• Try not to compare. Comparing your child (either negatively or positively) with siblings or other peers could lead them to evaluate their behavior based on others’ efforts, not their own.
• Praise the effort and the process. Even if your child is young and cannot thoroughly brush their teeth on their own, you can still praise them for what they do. For example, you can say, “You remembered to brush the backs of your teeth. Great job!”
• Ask your child’s dentist for help. The dentist has lots of experience working with kids and may know some effective phrases or methods for instilling good habits that you wouldn’t otherwise think of.

Keep Working to Develop Good Habits in Your Child

Brushing teeth is not a task that most children enjoy. Much like exercise or chores, it may be something that requires a lot of time for them to recognize the value of. However, you can be confident that if you consistently work to instill good dental habits in your little one, they will remember your efforts and blossom into an adult who has a healthy and confident smile.

Summer is quickly approaching, and as the temperatures rise, more and more parents and their children will take to swimming pools to cool off. Although fun and enjoyable for people of all ages, you may not realize that chlorine can become problematic for oral health. So, is swimming bad for your child’s teeth? Here are four potential risks to your little one’s smile and what you can do to protect it.

Best child dentist in Jabalpur – Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

Facial Injuries

If your child enjoys playing games while swimming, you’ll want to be extra mindful while sitting on the sidelines or engaging in play. Without proper eye protection (i.e., goggles), your child may be unaware of their surroundings and accidentally swim into the side of the pool. This can lead to tooth injuries that require an immediate trip to the emergency dentist’s office. To prevent this from happening, make sure to talk to your child’s pediatric dentist about the possibility of a customized mouthguard.

Damage to Dental Appliances

If your child or teen wears a retainer, you’ll want to make sure they remove it before diving into a pool. Why? Because these appliances are not designed to combine with chlorinated water. Not only can they accidentally lose the device, but it can also become damaged as a result of the pool’s chemicals. This means that you’ll be required to spend more money to have it replaced, and your child will need an additional appointment to come in and receive their new appliance.

Before allowing them to run and jump into the pool, make sure they take out their retainer and place it in a protective case.

Best child dentist in Jabalpur – Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

Weakening Tooth Enamel

Chlorine is necessary to rid swimming pools of bacteria; however, when teeth are exposed for too long, the enamel (the outermost layer) can become weak. This typically occurs because the pH level is too low, which can result in tooth enamel eroding and causing stains to form on your child’s teeth. You can gauge fairly easily whether the pH levels are too low simply by smelling the water. If it burns when you breathe in, suggest that your child get out. You can also attempt to have your child keep their mouth closed as much as possible while in the pool, but that is often difficult for kids to remember.

Increased Tooth Sensitivity

If you have a pool at home, you can better monitor and gauge the chlorine levels; however, if you visit a public or friend’s pool, you may not think about the potential dangers. Along with weakened, corroded enamel that comes from a low pH level, teeth can also become increasingly sensitive when exposed to pool chemicals for too long. This will make it painful and difficult to consume hot or cold beverages and foods, which may be disappointing for many children who enjoy ice cream and popsicles during the summer months.

Taking stock of the pool and the areas around it before allowing your child to swim will help to better protect their teeth and keep their smiles healthy throughout the summer.

Teaching your child about flossing shouldn’t be a difficult task. Unfortunately, for many parents, it is often challenging and causes some kids to forgo this important oral hygiene habit altogether. To ensure your little one remains cavity-free, here are three tips to help them embrace the art of flossing.

Best child dentist in Jabalpur – Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

Choose a Kid-Friendly Flossing Technique

Determining how your child will best remove bacteria in between their teeth requires trial and error. Between traditional dental floss, floss picks, or even water irrigators, finding the right solution might mean giving each a try. Those most commonly used by young smiles are regular waxed dental floss or floss picks. No matter the method, you’ll want to make sure your child is performing the correct motions to ensure bad oral bacteria is removed. Also, it’s essential that they do not push or pull on the floss, as this can damage their teeth and gums.

Find a Way to Make Flossing Fun

There are countless ways to keep kids engaged while flossing. Some of the most popular options for parents to use include:

• Turning on music and starting a dance party
• Creating a reward system that encourages kids to brush correctly in order to receive stickers, a trip to the park, or another fun and exciting prize
• Flossing together as a family, as this helps little ones witness the importance of oral hygiene as well as how you, the parent, take proper care of your teeth and gums

Best child dentist in Jabalpur – Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

Teach How to Floss Using Toys

If you want to help your child, get excited about flossing, you can always enlist the help of a few toys found around the house. You can even create something on your own! One of the best ways is to use Legos or similar products and place Play-Doh between the small connective blocks. Using string, your child can learn how to gently move between “teeth” to remove the “bacteria.”

There are endless opportunities when it comes to teaching kids how to floss, so don’t be afraid to ask your child’s pediatric dentist for help. Before you know it, your little one will be a master at flossing, enjoying a healthier, happier smile.