Kids Dental in Stafford VA

With April being National Facial Protection Month, there is no better time to create awareness about wearing a sports mouthguard!

April being the National Facial Protection Month, it is time to create awareness for athletes and recreational sports players on the importance of using a sports mouthguard to protect their teeth during games. In one way or the other, accidents during games are bound to happen and the teeth are at a great risk of breaking or getting knocked off. Players are also at a high risk of getting injuries on their lips, tongue, and jaws if they fail to use protective gear during games.

Sports Mouthguards, also known as mouth protectors, are designed to help protect the mouth and all its components from injuries. They act as shock absorbers when the mouth is subjected to a hard external force such as a punch during boxing, a hit from a fast moving ball or a hard fall during skating.

Dental related injuries can be inconvenient, painful and very costly to repair. For example, tooth avulsion, which is when a tooth is totally knocked out of its socket in the mouth, is one of the most serious forms of sports-related dental injuries that is costly to treat. It can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 to restore such a tooth to its pristine condition.

The Academy for Sports Dentistry, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the ADA, and the American Association of Orthodontists all urge any person participating in sports to stay safe by preventing dental injuries with a sports mouthguard. According to the organizations, athletes are 60 times more likely to incur dental injuries when not using a mouthguard.

Remember, all types of dental injuries should be treated as emergencies and require urgent treatment by professional pediatric dentists. In the case of a dental injury, contact us right away for a  consult or get advice on the way forward.

Your child’s toothbrush is their primary tool for a lifetime of strong, healthy teeth! Here are some tips for your kids’ toothbrush care.

Brushing twice daily can help keep your child’s teeth cavity-free, but no tool lasts forever. Like everything, toothbrushes wear out over time, and a misused toothbrush can do more harm than good.

Don’t Share

Every child should have their own toothbrush, and they shouldn’t share it with others. People can unintentionally share sickness and infection by sharing toothbrushes. Having your child use their own brush—especially during sleepovers!— helps keep everyone healthy.

Rinse and Dry

After brushing, your child should thoroughly rinse their brush with clean tap water. Then let the brush air dry in the open. Don’t store the toothbrush in a closed container. Bacteria and mold love moist places. If you store a wet toothbrush in a closed place, the chances that mold and bacteria will grow increase.

Replace Often

Toothbrush bristles fray and split over time, and frayed and split bristles don’t clean teeth as well as new ones. Replace your child’s toothbrush often—at least every 3-4 months. Replace it right away if you see the bristles have frayed or split.

Also, replace the brush if your child has been sick. The old toothbrush may harbor lingering bacteria, and a new brush can help stop the illness from coming back.

Share the Fun!

Finally, share the fun of toothbrush care with your child. Explain why you need to replace the brush and ask their help in remembering to trade old for new. Learning to take care of your teeth isn’t just about learning to brush; it’s also about learning to take care of your brush!

Questions about kids toothbrush care? Contact us today!

We’ve all seen children with a “silver tooth” or a stainless steel crown, as they are referred to by dentists. But why does it have a crown? What is the reason for it all?

A tooth has several layers that make them up. First, the outside layer, or the enamel, is the hardest layer; it protects the teeth from chipping, denting, decaying, and breaking down. Once erosion (or decay) gets through the enamel it can accelerate the cavity process because the second layer, the dentin, is the softer, less dense part of the tooth. Once a cavity expands past the dentin it is then into the pulp tissue of the tooth. This is the vital part of the living tooth that supplies blood and nutrition to the teeth during normal growth and development. But when a cavity infiltrates into the pulp tissue, it causes inflammation (leading to a toothache) and often times local infection. This usually results in an abscessed tooth and will need to be pulled. But if a cavity is caught early enough, the primary, or baby tooth, can often be saved by a “Pulpotomy”, and “Stainless Steel Crown.”

The pulpotomy procedure is referred to by many dentists as a “baby root canal”. The reason is, much like a root canal, you remove the affected or inflamed portion of the pulp tissue, and treat any remaining bacteria in the pulp space with a medicinal solution. Once this is completed, the pulp space where the nerve tissue was once located is then filled-in with an intermediate restorative material (IRM) to keep the tooth from rejecting itself; preserving the natural space for the adult tooth to come in normally.

After such procedures, it is recommended to have this tooth monitored at your semi-annual checkups to make sure no internal resorption or signs of complications are present. The stainless steel crown will typically reabsorb and fall out naturally like a normal functioning baby tooth would. This procedure is very important for maintaining normal spacing and development of a child’s mouth.

If you have any questions about a baby root canal, stainless steel crown, or any other dental issues, contact us and schedule a consultation!

Need help getting your child to brush their teeth?

Early childhood is the perfect time to start enforcing positive brushing habits. Young children are constantly soaking up information and learning from their family, friends, and environment. While persuading kids to properly brush their teeth can prove frustrating to most parents, oral hygiene is an important component to their overall health. Here are some great tips to help motivate children to brush their teeth.

Start Early

Even before teething, start caring for your infant’s mouth. Use “training” toothbrushes to massage the gums or gently wipe down the inside of the mouth after feedings. Once teeth break through the gums, start brushing their teeth for them. Children who are used to having their mouths cleaned will be more receptive to brushing their teeth on their own.

Brush Your Teeth Together

Lead by example, and brush your teeth together twice every day. This shows children how important oral hygiene is, while also allowing them to learn from your experience. They can pick up good techniques, and you can show them how to brush those hard-to-reach places.

Let Them Choose Their Own Toothbrush & Toothpaste

If children are excited about their toothbrush, they will also be excited about using it. Take your child shopping and allow them to pick out an age-appropriate toothbrush. These days, many toothbrushes boast beloved cartoon characters and can even play music. Likewise, children’s toothpaste comes in milder flavors and visually appealing packaging.

Make It Fun

Play music and let kids use their imaginations. If it seems like a mundane chore, most children will attempt to avoid it at all costs. There are even smartphone apps designed to encourage positive brushing habits.

Create a Rewards Chart

Children love positive reinforcement, and small incentives go a long way. Create a reward chart yourself, or find one to download online. Children can keep track of their tooth brushing, and you can pick a small reward for the job well done.

Contact us for with questions about positive brushing techniques or to schedule your appointment today!

Do you know how to save a knocked out tooth?

Whether it’s on the field, the court, at school, or at home, a knocked out tooth can be scary for both the child and the parent. Some of the most important steps to save a knocked out tooth are often missed due to the shock and chaos that usually unfolds following dental trauma.

At the initial time of the trauma, you should access the patient and make sure that no head or neck injury occurred during the trauma. Once head and neck injury is ruled out, then you can assess the oral cavity to see what damage has been done. If the teeth look moved out of line from their normal position DO NOT try to put them back into place! Immediately call your nearest Pediatric Dental Specialist and schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

Most Pediatric Dentists are trained on how to save a knocked out tooth. Dr. Payam Amirsayafi located in Stafford, VA happens to be a member of the Academy for Sports Dentistry, and highly trained and knowledgeable in these specific cases.  He sees patients in the surrounding areas of Woodbridge VA, Manassas VA, Quantico VA, Fredericksburg VA, and Warrenton VA.

Avulsed Tooth

In the case of a tooth being avulsed (completely knocked out of the socket) promptly locate the avulsed tooth, and place it back in the socket immediately. If the child is not cooperative or trauma prevents re-implantation, then placing the tooth in a storage media to maintain moisture and prolong vitality to help save a knocked out tooth.

Below are some examples of storage media’s in case of an avulsed tooth in order from most recommended to least recommended:

Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS)

The most optimum storage media that are available have been shown to be pH balanced cell preserving solutions. The best known and most extensively tested is called Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS). It has all of the metabolites such as Ca, phosphate ions, K+ and glucose that are necessary to maintain normal cell metabolism for long periods of time. HBSS has been extensively tested in dental and medical research for the past twenty years.

Milk

Milk has been also recommended as a storage medium for avulsed teeth. Its advantage is the high availability of fresh cold whole milk. Only whole milk can be used for tooth preservation. Skim milk and heavy cream do not have the correct fluid pressure and will cause damage to the root cells. Milk has no observed regenerative properties for cells on knocked out teeth.

It was discovered 30 years ago that milk was less damaging to knocked out teeth than water or saliva. It was recommended because it has a compatible osmolality (fluid pressure) to tooth root cells and it is thought to be readily available.

Saliva

Have your child spit in a cup then placed the avulsed tooth in there. Placing the tooth under the accident victim’s tongue or in the cheek has the danger of being swallowed.

Avoid storage in water. Most cases of tooth avulsion will require root canal treatment, 7-10 days after re-implantation.