How Often Should I Take My Child To The Dentist?

May 18, 2023 | by admin | Blog

How Often should I take my child to the dentist? If you are asking this question then first know that you are not alone. Most parents are not sure exactly when is the perfect time to schedule their child’s first dentist appointment.

Should your child wait and go after the first tooth comes in or maybe after all their teeth come in? According to the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, your child’s first scheduled dental visit should occur within six months of the first tooth erupting, but no later than by age two.

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Your Child’s first dental appointment generally is more about learning their teeth and the importance of taking care of them versus an actual examination. Typically your dentist will not do an actual exam. They may peek inside your child’s mouth so they can make sure the teeth are coming in properly and there is no bottle rot, but generally, this visit is more about building trust and awareness. Your child’s dentist will often explain all of their tools, what they are for, and why they are important. Establishing trust and building a relationship with the dentist often helps the child overcome dental fears later on as they grow and have actual appointments, or even avoid dental anxieties all together.

What Happens After a Child’s First Dental Visit?

After your child’s first visit, it is highly recommended they visit the dentist every six months, unless there is a health concern. Common concerns that call for a visit early include a lisp, teeth grinding, and mouth breathing. Once your child is ready for their second visit, this is where your dentist will begin to work on your child’s teeth. Typically, the second dentist visit will include counting the child’s teeth and brushing them with cleaning paste. Dentists often introduce treatments in stages for two reasons, one, they may not have all of their teeth and be quite ready for advanced treatments, and two, to slowly build trust and ease fears. It generally isn’t until the third visit, or after the age of three were they start receiving more advanced treatments, such as fluoride treatments.

A great way to minimize the fears of going to the dentist, is when you bring your child to one of your dental exams. When they see the dentist working on your teeth, it can help ease fears. Remember, it is never too early to begin proper oral care.

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Do I Need to Replace a Missing Tooth?

May 10, 2023 | by admin | Blog

If you’ve lost a tooth, especially one that’s not visible to others when you speak or smile, you may be thinking that you can slide by without replacing it. Sure, it will feel weird for a while, but you’ll get used it — or will you? Do I Need to Replace a Missing Tooth?

Not replacing a missing tooth can have serious physical and mental consequences. The replacement process is not as difficult as you might think and will pay off in the long run.

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Consequences of Not Replacing a Missing Tooth

Having a missing tooth can lead to long-term problems inside and outside your mouth.

Over time, the teeth next to the missing tooth will shift toward each other in an attempt to fill in the gap. This leads to a condition called malocclusion, which means the teeth are not aligned properly.

Malocclusion can cause serious problems like an overbite or crossbite that result in extra strain on the jaw, difficulty chewing, and even an increased risk for tooth decay. The treatment for this larger issue is braces or even surgery, which will likely end up being more expensive than a single tooth replacement would be.

The increase in tooth decay will also lead to problems with other teeth.

Missing teeth can result in not chewing your food properly (consciously or unconsciously). Not chewing your food properly can lead to digestive issues like acid reflux and malnutrition from nutrients not being absorbed properly in the digestive tract. While it may seem like a back molar hidden from view that does not need to be replaced, remember that those teeth are essential for proper chewing and digestion.

Missing teeth can also cause bone loss along the jawline, which leads to a sagging appearance around the mouth. The bone tissue no longer receives support from the tooth, so it weakens over time. Sagging faces are common among people who wear dentures. While it may be inevitable for some, you can do something about it before the sagging begins.

Restoring Your Smile

Replacing a missing tooth is no longer the ordeal it was in your parents’ generation.

The most common treatment is a dental implant. Implants consist of a titanium post covered by a crown or denture.

The dental implant process typically takes about three months from start to finish. The implant and temporary crown can be applied on the same day, allowing you to return to normal activities while the permanent crown is made.

The end result is a tooth that looks and feels just like the one you lost. Financing options are available to ensure that you can restore a broken smile without breaking the bank.

A dental implant is a smart investment of time and money. Given the serious consequences associated with not replacing a missing tooth. Consult with your local dentist!

Hoover Laser Dentistry

April 23, 2023 | by admin | Blog

Especially relevant, what is laser dentistry? Most noteworthy, Hoover laser dentistry is a minimally invasive option when you’re facing gum surgery, cavity treatment, or other oral issues. As a result, discuss your laser surgery options with one Sampson Dentistry today.

What is Laser Dentistry? Overview

Furthermore, Dentists use lasers in a variety of procedures involving the inside of the mouth, to remove overgrown tissue, reshape the gums, or to whiten teeth.

What Can Laser Dentistry Treat?

Almost all issues laser dentistry treats are related to the gums. Including:

Canker sore and cold sore treatments.
Root canal infections.
Gum disease.
Removing gum inflammation.
Gum reshaping.
Biopsies.
Exposing wisdom teeth.
Removing throat tissue that causes sleep apnea.
Regenerating damaged nerves.
Removing benign oral tumours.

Benefits of Laser Dentistry

In addition, laser dentistry helps with reducing discomfort and expediting healing time for patients. Furthermore, dentists choose laser dentistry because of distinct benefits that make the procedures go more smoothly. Furthermore, you typically will not experience pain and discomfort associated with scalpel surgery because your post-op irritation is likely to be minor.

Most noteworthy, Hoover laser dentistry is a convenient solution to many oral and dental problems, whether serious in nature or simply cosmetic.

If Sick, Should I Visit My Hoover AL Dentist?

April 15, 2023 | by admin | Blog

If sick, should I visit my Hoover AL dentist? You know how long it takes to get a dental appointment sometimes. That’s why you hate the idea of cancelling. You hate the idea of cancelling a dental appointment, so here’s a guide on whether or not you should go to the dentist when you’re sick.

If your options are keeping the appointment or rescheduling, what’s better for you, the workers in the dentist’s office, and the other patients? Here’s a guide on whether you should go to the dentist when you’re sick.

The Basics of Cancelling a Dentist’s Appointment

You should never cancel an appointment unless you have a good reason. After all, you’ve scheduled office time with a health care professional and they’ve reserved that time for you. While many offices can and will be understanding if you need to cancel, your cancellation can hurt their bottom line, which is why many dentists charge cancellation fees.

How Sick Are You?

If Sick, Should I Visit My Hoover AL Dentist?

Since you’re quite possibly on the hook for a cancellation fee, your instinct is probably to go. While other issues will impact your decision, the first thing to decide is how sick you are. Something like a headache isn’t contagious. Your ability to sit through a dental appointment is a matter of pain tolerance.

One other issue to consider is how often you get headaches, though. If you experience a lot of them, you should know how to manage the pain by now. If headaches are a rare occurrence, having a bad one is enough to reschedule to a day when you feel better.

The type of ailment, depending on your symptoms, can greatly affect your appointment. You must evaluate the severity of your sickness, and the level ofpain and discomfort. Patients who are unable to sit still through an appointment should consider rescheduling.

Halloween Safety Tips Hoover AL

October 29, 2021 | by admin | Blog

Halloween Safety Tips From Birmingham Dental

Halloween night is full of fun frights, but you absolutely do not want any scares where your child’s safety is concerned. Below are some halloween safety tips Hoover AL.

Halloween night sees twice as many accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles than any other night of the year.

Unfortunately, only one out of three parents have a talk with their kids about being safe during Halloween, despite being concerned about their child’s safety. Whether your child will be accompanied by an adult or they will be joining their friends to trick or treat, we want you and your family to have a fun-filled and safe Halloween.

Halloween Safety Tips Hoover AL

Talk about safety with your children before you head out for an fun evening of tricks and treats.

Can your Child See Properly?

Masks are a major safety concern for both children and adults as they greatly restrict the ability to see everything. Full coverage masks restrict how much you can hear. This makes it difficult to see obstacles and uneven walking surfaces in front of you.

Instead of using masks in costumes, consider using face paint or makeup to complete yours or your child’s costume.

Flashlights are also important to bring during your Halloween walk. Areas that are not well lit, flashlights make it easier to see.

Can They be Seen by Others?

Wearing dark colours at night while walking near traffic and roadways is an obvious danger that many overlook.

The best way to ensure that you and your family can be seen while walking around on Halloween night is to choose brightly coloured costumes and trick or treating bags, as well as using reflective tape. Reflective tape can be bought from most hardware stores for around $5 a roll and can make all the difference in making your family as visible as possible.

Putting a strip along your shoulders on your back and across your hips, chest, or down your legs, will ensure that you can be seen both coming and going.

Glow sticks and flashlights are another great way to make your family seen at night, and the variations in types of glow sticks and glow jewelry can make them a fun thing to wear.

Do They Have a Walking Buddy?

The general consensus is that children 12 years of age and younger should always be accompanied by an adult when out on Halloween night. Those who are older and choose not to be accompanied by an adult should have at least one walking budding with whom they go out on Halloween night and stick with for the entire evening.

Safety comes in groups since the little goblins and witches are easier to see, and less likely to be overlooked, compared to a single person. In general, groups of three to six are ideal.

Do They Know the Route?

If your child is going out on Halloween, have a conversation with them about the route they plan on walking. Planning out where they are going ensures that they don’t get lost.

Be sure that you discuss how to cross streets, and that they know to use pedestrian crosswalks (“look both ways!”), making sure that the drivers are stopped before trying to cross.

Can They Get in Contact With You?

Know who your children are going out on Halloween with. Doesn’t matter if its with another adult or with their friends. Be sure your children know how to get in contact with you.

Will They be Enjoying Treats?

Tell your children to only eating candy that is completely sealed. Inform them only to eat the candy, while they are home.

Two main reasons: First, if your child has any allergies you can monitor what exactly they are eating. Second, you can check for any hazards that can pose a potential threat to your child’s health.

Happy Halloween!